Being an outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons, Sighisoara is the perfect example of a small fortified city in the border region between the Latin-oriented culture of central Europe and the Byzantine-Orthodox culture of south-eastern Europe. Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighisoara played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries. It is no wonder why Sighisoara is part of UNESCO World Heritage list since 1999. This status was granted due to the preservation of the medieval architecture and atmosphere that characterize the 164 houses (all of them which are at least 300 years old), three churches and 9 (out of 14 initially) towers, most of them still keeping their original functions.

Sighisoara is a popular tourist destination, due to its well-preserved walled old town. It has always fascinated its visitors by its picturesque by-streets, houses, bastions, towers, churches, donjons, covered stairs, arched and tunnel fronted houses …all making up a rich and unique out-door medieval museum. The old town is a photographers' paradise!


The citadel was first attested in a written document in 1280, under the name of Castrum Sex (Fort Six). The name must have existed long before, as the Saxons built their walled town on the ruins of a former Roman fortress whose shape was an irregular hexagon.
In the 14th century, the lower platform of the citadel was occupied by many craftsmen, organized in guilds, which were similar to those in Western Europe; the town saw an unprecedented economic growth. It was strengthened and extended in the 15th century. Today it counts 164 houses and 13 public buildings.
The landmark of the city is the Clock Tower, also known under the name of the Council Tower, because it functioned as such between the 14th-16th centuries. The Clock Tower is 64 m high, of which 39.5 m are represented by the spire roof; it has four turrets and a wood covered wall walk for watching from the top floor.

Built in the 14th century, with 2 m thick walls, the tower was meant to defend the main gate of the citadel, the ammunition dump, the record office and the treasuries of the town. The four turrets symbolized the judicial autonomy of the Town Council who could apply, if necessary, the death penalty. In 1648, a clock was set up at the top of the tower. Its mechanism is unique in Romania and has been brought from Switzerland in 1906. It gets in motion wood-made figurines which symbolize the days of the week. For instance, a soldier stands for Tuesday, the day of Mars, and Venus stands for Friday. At midnight a figurine would leave its slot and show up in order to herald the next day.

Starting from 1899, the Clock Tower has housed the Museum of History, which mirrors the evolution of crafts in Transylvania. The Museum holds also a medieval pharmacy from 1670, interesting artifacts of ethnography, a section of fine arts and a collection of clocks.
Near the Clock Tower, there is the Monastery Church built in the Gothic style. First attested in a document in 1298, it formerly belonged to the Dominican monks who lived in a monastery placed north to the church. The monastery was demolished in 1888, and its place was taken by the present town hall. The church has acquired its present-day aspect in 1928-1929.
Near the church, there is Vlad Dracul's House, where Vlad the Impaler's father, Vlad Dracul lived before he acceded to Wallachia's throne. We shall stop for a drink in the house.
As an extension of the School Street, in-between the Fortress Square and the upper platform of the Church on the Hill, one can find another peculiarity of medieval architecture, namely the Covered Wooden Stairway. It was built in the 17th century and was meant to facilitate and protect the school-children's and the believers' climb to school and respectively to church. Originally the stairs had 300 steps, but after 1849, their number was reduced to 175 only.
The Church on the Hill is Sighisoara's gem of architecture. A representative edifice for the Gothic style in Transylvania, it is placed on the School Hill (429 m high), and dominates the town. The fortified church has been first mentioned in a document in 1345. After the 1547 Reform, it became the main church of the Saxon inhabitants of Sighisoara, who had shifted from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism. The church holds valuable paintings made between 1483-1488 and furniture in the Renaissance art style. The only Roman crypt known in Transylvania is to be seen at the Church on the Hill, beneath the chancel, and dates back to the 13th century.



SIGHISOARA HISTORICAL& CULTURAL SIGHTSEING TOUR

Duration: 2-3 hours.
Price: from 30 - 45 Euros.






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