Full travel guide to Sighisoara

Sighisoara Citadel is still inhabited, the citadel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You can easily explore Sighisoara Citadel on foot in one afternoon.

Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes (also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracul or Vlad Dracula)

Sighisoara Citadel has colorful buildings, nine towers, and stone streets. The perfect setting for a fairytale walk.

Some historians say that in the past there were 16 towers, of which 15 were defense towers of the fortress. Other sources say there were only 14 towers.

The towers that no longer exist are: The Masons’ and Carpenters’ Tower, The Coopers’ Tower, The Weavers’ Tower, The Jewelers’ or Goldsmiths’ Tower, The Locksmiths’ Tower and The Fishermen’s Tower (it was not part of the fortress, being located in the north, on Tarnava, near the mill)

Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas)

Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas) – the landmark of the city is a 64 m-high tower built in the 13th century. Today it is a museum of history.

• 15 May – 15 September
• Tuesday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
• Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

• 16 September – 14 May
• Tuesday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
• Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
• Closed Monday

• The tower is the main tourist attraction of the medieval fortress
• The balcony, located at a height of 30 meters, offers a beautiful panorama of the city.
• On the wooden railing, you can discover the distances from Sighisoara to the biggest cities in the world. If you want to go to Paris, you can find out exactly how many kilometers you have to travel and in which direction you have to go.
• Originally built to protect the fortress, the Clock Tower was the town hall, the treasury, and after 1556 it also hosted the court. The current Torture Chamber, which can be visited, was in the past the city’s prison.
• The figurines from the Clock Tower represent the days of the week and are inspired by Greek or Roman mythology:
  • Monday (goddess Diana)
  • Tuesday (Mars)
  • Wednesday (Mercury)
  • Thursday (Jupiter)
  • Friday (Venus)
  • Saturday (Saturn)
  • Sunday (Sun Day).
  • The tower has two Angels: the “Angel of the Day” and the “Angel of the Night” which changes in the morning and evening at 6 o’clock.

The Tinsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Cositorarilor)

• Tinsmith’s Tower has the most expressive architecture: 25 meters high, the tower starts with a square base (part of the old tower), right after the brick trunk stands in pentagonal shape and above suddenly widens and becomes octagonal.
• The Tower facades still retrains traces of bullets during the siege of Hungarians from 1704 to 1706.

The Butchers’ Tower (Turnul Măcelarilor)

• The Butcher’s Tower was built in the late 15th century

The Bootmakers’ Tower (Turnul Cizmarilor)

• The Bootmakers’ Tower is located in the north-east of the Citadel in Sighişoara
• It was rebuilt from scratch in 1650.

The Tailors’ Tower (Turnul Croitorilor)

• It is located opposite to the Clock Tower and it guards the second gateway into the Citadel of Sighişoara.

The Furriers’ Tower (Turnul Cojocarilor)

• The tower has a modest size, but is very well proportioned.

The Ironsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Fierarilor)

• The Ironsmiths’ Tower is located behind the Monastery Church
• Its main role was to protect the church in case of a siege.

The Ropemakers’ Tower (Turnul Frânghierilor)

• It is the only inhabited tower among the nine left.
• Its importance lies primarily in the fact that in the basement you can find traces of plugged loopholes which prove how high the ancient walls were.
• The Ropemakers’ Tower is one of the oldest buildings in Sighisoara.

The Tanners’ Tower (Turnul Tăbăcarilor)

• This tower was supposed to guard and protect the courtyard of the Clock Tower.

The Church on the Hill 

• Open: Monday – Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM
• The Church on the Hill is certainly the most valuable ecclesiastical architectural monument of Sighisoara.
• It is one of the representative buildings of the Gothic style in Romania
• Inside the Church on the Hill, you can find the only ancient crypt in Transylvania. 
• The current church was built on a Roman Fortress existing here before 1200.
• The church was built in several stages until it reaches the shape we can see today.
• The church is now a museum of Saxon art and a Romanian-Saxon cultural center.
• The bell tower is 24 m high
• The tower is leaning tower to the south and the spire is bent.
• Paintings in the church: “Christ’s Passion”, „St. George fighting the dragon”, „Archangel Michael weighing a soul”, „The evangelist Matthew”, „Veil of Veronica”, „Mother of Jesus Christ”, „The Judgement”.

The Scholars’ Stairs

• Is located at the end of School Street
• Is connecting the Citadel with the Church on the Hill
• It was built in 1642, and its purpose was to protect schoolchildren during wintertime.

Vlad Dracul’s House / Dracula’s House (Casa Dracula)

• The Vlad Dracul House is located in the Citadel Square, close to the Clock Tower.
• Today, the Vlad Dracul House, hosts a medieval-style restaurant.
• According to modern legend, Vlad was born in Sighișoara in the Transylvanian Voivodeship, being the son of Vlad Dracul and a Transylvanian noblewoman. Vlad’s father was a member of The Order of the Dragon. Vlad was a member of the same order and took the name Dracul.