- Tourist Information
- Map
- What to see
- Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas)
- The Tinsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Cositorarilor)
- The Butchers’ Tower (Turnul Macelarilor)
- The Bootmakers’ Tower (Turnul Cizmarilor)
- The Tailors’ Tower (Turnul Croitorilor)
- The Furriers’ Tower (Turnul Cojocarilor)
- The Ironsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Fierarilor)
- The Ropemakers’ Tower (Turnul Franghierilor)
- The Tanners’ Tower (Turnul Tabacarilor)
- The Church on the Hill
- The Scholars’ Stairs
- Vlad Dracul’s House – Vlad the Impaler House
- History
- Where to stay
- Double Tree by Hilton Cavaler 4*
- Mercure Sighisoara Binderbubi Hotel and Spa 4*
- Hotel Korona 4*
- Fronius Boutique Residence 5*
- Budget accommodation
- Am Goldberg – Guest House
- Hotel Villa Franca
- Vik. Apartment
- Where to eat
- Joseph T. Restaurant and Wine Bar
- Restaurant Michelangelo
- La Perla
- Casa Georgius Krauss
- Cafe International and Family Center
- Medieval Cafe and Restaurant
- Restaurant Casa Vlad Dracul
Tourist Information
| Type | City, Citadel |
| First documented | 1280 |
| Getting there | Car, Bus, Train The nearest airport: Targu Mures Transilvania Airport – TGM (60 km) |
| Location | Sighisoara, Targu Mures, Romania, Europe |
Map
What to see
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 the Impaler (also known as Vlad Țepeș, Vlad Dracul).
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 city’s landmark 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 and 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 a pentagonal shape, and above suddenly widens and becomes octagonal.
The Tower facades still retain traces of bullets during the siege of Hungarians from 1704 to 1706.
The Butchers’ Tower (Turnul Macelarilor)
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 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 Franghierilor)
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 Tabacarilor)
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 reached 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
It 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 – Vlad the Impaler House
The Vlad Dracul House is located in Citadel Square, close to the Clock Tower.
Today, the Vlad Dracul House hosts a medieval-style restaurant.
According to modern legend, Vlad the Impaler was born in Sighișoara in the Transylvanian Voivodeship, 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.
where Vlad the impaler is buried?
History
Located in the historic region of Transylvania, Sighișoara is a popular tourist destination for its well-preserved walled old town, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The local museum has material relics dating from the 18th century BC, which attest to the presence of a population that lived in huts and made clay vessels decorated with geometric figures similar to those made by the creators of the Cucuteni culture.
At the beginning of the 5th century BC, the Dacians dominated the entire region. Around today’s Sighisoara was the Dacian fortress of Sandava.
In the twelfth century, a massive colonization of Germans was brought from the Rhine. Then they built fortresses with huge towers and walls to withstand the attacks. This is how the fortress of Sighisoara was built.
Sighisoara Fortress “the most beautiful and best-preserved city-fortress in Transylvania” has received over time names such as “Pearl of Transylvania”, and “Transylvanian Nuremberg”. Sighisoara is still today a real museum city, offering the modern visitor the chance to make a return in time, to the medieval atmosphere of a few hundred years ago.
The wall of the fortress was built in three stages: in the XIV-XV centuries it had 3-4 m and battlements that allowed shooting with the bow and crossbow; in the 16th century the wall was raised by another 2 m and openings for firearms were made: firing holes, throwing holes; after 1630 and especially after the fire of 1676, the wall reaches a height of 8-10 m.
Where to stay
Double Tree by Hilton Cavaler 4*
Located 200 m from the Sighișoara Citadel DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Cavaler offers free access to a spa featuring a sauna, a steam bath, and an indoor pool.
Mercure Sighisoara Binderbubi Hotel and Spa 4*
Located 6 minutes walk from the Piata Cetatii Medievale in Sighisoara’s center, the Mercure Sighisoara Binderbubi Hotel & Spa has a Tyrolean-inspired décor. It offers free internet access and free parking.
Hotel Korona 4*
Offering an on-site restaurant, Hotel Korona is located at the foot of the Medieval Citadel of Sighisoara, a 5-minute walk from the commercial and historic center.
Fronius Boutique Residence 5*
Fronius Boutique Residence offers accommodations in an atmospheric renovated building in the Sighişoara Medieval Citadel.
Budget accommodation
Am Goldberg – Guest House
Located 100 m from the Sighisoara citadel and 50 m from the town center, the Am Goldberg guest house offers free WiFi, a terrace, and horseback riding and hiking tours for a surcharge.
Hotel Villa Franca
Located in Sighişoara’s center, Hotel Villa Franca is just 2 minutes’ walk from the historic Sighişoara Citadel.
Vik. Apartment
Located in Sighişoara in the Mureş region. The apartment has a garden. This apartment has free private parking, a shared lounge, and free WiFi.
Where to eat
Joseph T. Restaurant and Wine Bar
- Romanian Cuisine, European Cuisine
Restaurant Michelangelo
- Italian Cuisine
La Perla
- Bar, Pizza
Casa Georgius Krauss
- European Cuisine
Cafe International and Family Center
- Cafenea, Cake Shop
Medieval Cafe and Restaurant
- European Cuisine
Restaurant Casa Vlad Dracul
- Romanian Cuisine, European Cuisine
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