Sibiu
[fusion_text]
Sibiu is the real gem of Transylvania straddling the Cibin River. It houses appr. 146, 000 residents.
It is known as the cultural center of local German minority and was the European Capital of Culture in 2007.
Sibiu is mentioned in written source first time in 1191. It was an important trade in 14th century. It became the most important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania its German name Siebenbürgen (”seven cities” in German) and the German name of the city, Herrmanstadt, is still used.
Recreation
Nightclub Club Liquid at Dobrun str. 1 offers mainstream dance music. The audience is about 50 % tourists/locals.
15 kilometres away from Sibiu is the health resort of Ocna Sibiului. Here a visitor can bath in healthy salt lakes, which is the relief for e.g. arthritis. Here is also a luxury hotel, which offers indoors spa treatments. Ocna Sibiului can be reached by bus (Transmixt) or by train from Sibiu (Copsa Mica- station stop: Baile Ocna Sibiului.), and by car via DN 1 or DN 7 roads.
Păltiniş ski resort offers its alpine-style services during the wintertime 35 km south-west from Sibiu in the Cindrel mountain range. It is the oldest and highest one in Romania and the cheap alternative for the Austrian resorts. Here is also a beautiful Orthodox monastery.
Something to explore
Old town
Known for its cobbled streets and medieval architecture, the Old town of Sibiu is a splendid place for strolling and relaxing in corner cafés. Most of the medieval buildings here were built by German settlers and merchants.
The Brukenthal Museum
This remarkable art museum is one of the most qualified in Romania, housing over 1000 paintings from from Dutch, Flemish schools and Italian schools as well as German, Austrian and Romanian collections. A must-see in Sibiu. See more information here.
Liar’s Bridge
This bridge is the oldest cast iron bridge in service in Romania and one of the symbols of Sibiu, built first in 1841 and rebuilt in 1859 in the former location of a gate bridge belonging to the 2nd fortification wall. The bridge is very popular strolling place and it stands out due to its resistance pieces decorated with rosettes and a belt of elements placed in circles with decreasing sizes and adorned with vegetal and neo-gothic geometric motifs.
How to get around in Sibiu
City centre area is quite small and easily mapable by feet, but there is also bus and tram lines. Tickets (1.50 RON) for Sibiu’s buses must be bought from a kiosk or vending machine before boarding, and stamped in the little machines once on board.
Local public transport operator TurSib offers various ways to travel in town and nearby. Bike anc car rental is available at Casa Luxembourg.
How to get in Sibiu
Theres is an international airport in Sibiu. List of its airlines and destinations are here. Tarom and Lufthansa flies five times a week from Sibiu to Munich and also five times a week to Vienna, and Blue Air has low cost flights to Cologne, Stuttgart and Madrid from and to Sibiu.
Sibiu is well connected to Bucharest and Cluj Napoca by bus. Local operators Dacos, Fany and Transmixt provides bus routes to Cluj Napoca almost every hour. Complete domestic bus timetables are here.
Top 5 in Sibiu
- Old town
- The Brukenthal Museum
- Nightclub Club Liquid
- Hiking in Cindrel Mountains
- Pampering itself in Ocna Sibiului
Text: Timo Hellman
Photos: Wikipedia Commons and Flickr with CC licence / Razvan Dumitru, Rsocol, Martin Greslou, Kvmgz, ToSter[/fusion_text]
