Sighisoara is Romania’s best-preserved medieval town, a genuine Transylvanian tourist pearl, transformed in recent decades into a major attraction for Romanian and foreign tourists on holiday or traveling in the center of the country.
The city located in Mures county has a population of about 30,000 inhabitants and magnetizes its visitors with its historical center, included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sighisoara was founded by German settlers (craftsmen and merchants) who arrived in Transylvania at the initiative of the Hungarian king Géza II. These were later known as the “Transylvanian Saxons.” The first documentary mention of the village comes from 1280, under the name Castrum Sex, which speaks about a settlement founded on the ruins of a former Roman castrum.
First fortified in 1350, Sighisoara has had a tumultuous history, including the birth of Vlad the Impaler (in 1431) and numerous attacks by various nations and groups, by plague epidemics or fires. More or less, all these interesting histories are found today in buildings and monuments in the old center of the village. For first-time travelers, here are 10 places to visit in Sighisoara, a mini-guide regarding what to do and what to see in the medieval jewel of Romania.
10 places to see in Sighisoara, Romania
Walking on the streets of Sighisoara Fortress is a delight for everyone. At every step, there is a reason to admire some of this medieval town’s architecture, so well preserved. The colorful walls of the old houses create a great state of mind.
One of the city’s famous attractions is the House with Stag, a building that received this name due to the natural size deer head attached to its corner. In the Transylvanian Renaissance style, the house was initially built in the 17th century (on a wooden house site, dating from the 13th century), being restored between 1997-2001.
Over time, private persons with administrative or judicial functions lived here. Currently, there is a pension and a restaurant and a Romanian-German cultural center.
