Visit Sighisoara: Romania’s Colourful Town

Romania as the country we know today has only existed for 100 years. Before that it was three separate regions: Wallachia, Moldova and Transylvania. Home to myths and mountains, lakes and legends, there’s no shortage of amazing places to see. But no trip to Romania would be complete if you didn’t visit Sighisoara.

If there’s one thing I learned trying to get from Sibiu to Sighisoara, it’s to ALWAYS check which station my bus leaves from. Because this time I didn’t, heading to the wrong one before realising I needed to be on the complete opposite side of town. Thankfully I’d given myself plenty of time, so I didn’t miss the stuffy minivan that would rumble along the bumpy road to Sighisoara, Romania’s colourful medieval town. High up on a hill, it was an absolute slog in the humid heat to get to the historic Old Town.

I knew within moments this was my favourite place in Romania. It’s touristy and busy, but the pastel coloured houses, uneven cobbled streets, the medieval towers all make up for it.

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Read more: Romania – Your 2-Week Itinerary

Though Bran Castle, on the border of Transylvania and Wallachia, may be the famous Dracula attraction, Sighisoara is where you’ll find the real historical connection. Here is where Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula, was born sometime between 1428 and 1431. The house itself is still standing, right opposite the Clock Tower. Painted a vibrant yellow, it is now home to a touristy cafe and kitschy museum. I didn’t bother to go in, but many people like the experience.

Read more: Bran Castle – the Truth About Dracula’s Castle

Though Sighisoara is small and can be explored in a day or so, I loved the atmosphere here, and stayed longer to soak it up. These were my favourite places in the city, ones you simply can’t miss if you decide to visit Sighisoara.

Clock Tower / Sighisoara History Museum

Romanian: Turnul cu Ceas / Muzeul De Istorie Sighisoara

Towering over the main entrance to the Old Town, the Clock Tower is quite an introduction to the town. The symbol of Sighisoara, it is the city’s main tourist attraction.

The tower gets its name from the impressive Swiss clock installed in the tower in 1648, with one face on either side of the tower. Facing the lower city you’ll find seven wooden figurines nearly a metre high, one for each day of the week, but also representing seven gods, seven planets and seven metals. A clever mechanism changes the figure on display each day. On the citadel side there are figurines representing the Peace Goddess, Justice and Righteousness, and Day and Night. From inside the tower you can see the figures not currently on display.

The tower is as interesting on the inside as it is on the outside. Containing the History of Sighisoara Museum, the three narrow floors display artifacts from every era of the city’s history: Roman, Medieval, Saxon. With a scale model of the town, the internal mechanisms of the clock and the views from the narrow walkway at the top, the Clock Tower is definitely worth climbing during a visit to Sighisoara.

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Church on the Hill / German Cemetary

Romanian: Biserica din Deal / Cimitirul Bisericii Din Deal

At the very top of the hill on which Sighisoara stands is a huge church, tall and imposing. Between the afternoon light filtering through the trees, the quiet peace in the overgrown graveyard (I’ve always had a thing for graveyards – is that weird?) and the lack of people around, I simply loved this part of the city.

Known in English simply as the Church on the Hill, this blocky building is the third largest church in Romania and one of the most important historical buildings in Sighisoara. Inside there are fragments of ancient frescoes and the only crypt in Transylvania.

With winding paths and benches tucked away in hidden corners, I found the German Cemetery to be a beautiful place to sit for a while. The graves here are not as old as the 14th century church, but look past the moss and ivy and you’ll spot some 17th century ones, inscribed with Saxon titles like “Master Carpenter” and “Chief of the Guild”.

The area is reached by walking through the roofed Scara Scolarilor – Scholars’ Stairs – the 176 steps were originally built to allow passage between the lower and upper parts of the citadel during the harsh winters, when Sighisoara would be bound by snow. Now it is musicians who make use of the passageway, street artists playing for change.

Guild Towers

The nine defensive towers built into the walls surrounding Sighisoara’s Old Town are a mismatched set, each one a different style, each named for the guild that built and maintained it: the blacksmiths, tailors, tinsmiths, weavers, etc. Built between the 13th and 17th centuries, the towers formed the defense of the city. Each was built as a separate fortress, so if one fell or was captured during an attack, it wouldn’t necessarily mean the capture of the whole town.

It doesn’t take long to walk around the city walls to find them all, though the steep hill makes this more of a workout that it might otherwise have been. It’s clear that really no effort at all was put into making them look at least a little bit similar. They are all so different. But during a visit to Sighisoara, it’s an absolute must to try to see them all (although I found it hard figuring out which was which, it’s easy to lose track).

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One Must-Do When Visiting Sighisoara: Day trip to Saschiz

Getting back to the bus station in the lower part of town was a bit of a walk, and when I got there I discovered the bus to Saschiz was full. I kind of hoped the driver would squeeze as many people on as possible for the extra money, as the driver in Bulgaria on the way to Rila Monastery had. After all, it was only a 20 minute journey down the road. But no, I was made to wait for the next one, which mercifully had a seat for me. I almost gave up while waiting, but I’m so glad I didn’t.

A perfect day trip from Sighisoara, Saschiz is definitely a good place to get away from all the other tourists. Here you will find one of the impressive fortified churches of Romania, built in the 15th century. The church itself is interesting inside and out, and the tower next to it tall and imposing, but the real treat can be found at the top of the hill above the village.

Following a narrow dirt track switching back and forth across the hill, I made my way to the ruined fortress at the top. The views across the landscape and over the village were simply gorgeous, and the ruins very fun to explore. On the other side is a dense forest just calling out to be explored, but as I was there solo, I decided to play it safe and stick to the fortress. There are photo opportunities galore here, and for the braver among you, you can even climb up on the crumbling walls before heading back down the hill. I was the only one around the entire time – an odd feeling when you’re staying in such a touristy place.

There’s not much else to do in this small town, so half a day will be perfect here. But it’s definitely worth leaving Sighisoara to see it. Both the fortified church and Sighisoara are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so you know I was all over that.

Read more: UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Where I’ve Been

Where I stayed:

Pensiunea Cristina si Pavel

My word, what a beautiful little place this was. Colourful flowers everywhere you look, an outdoor seating area perfect for relaxing in, a cute dog running around. Right in the heart of the Old Town, it couldn’t be more convenient. And Cristina, the owner, couldn’t have been nicer, welcoming guests with plates of fruit and cake, always making sure you have everything you need. It was the perfect place to unwind during my visit to Sighisoara.

Update 2022: this pensiunea doesn’t seem to be taking bookings anymore. But the Burg Hostel is a great alternative!

Practical Information:

• To visit Sighisoara is easy, as it’s just over 4 hours (220km) from Bucharest, and around 2 hours from Brasov (120km) and 2.5 hours (160km) from Cluj Napoca.
• Transport: the main bus and train stations are located next to each other in the lower town, about a twenty minute walk from the Old Town. There are many buses and trains going to and from Sighisoara to popular destinations each day. Check the train website here and the bus website here for schedules and fares. The bus from Sighisoara to Saschiz is only about 5 lei each way.
• Accommodation is plentiful, but is mostly mid-range to higher end. There is only one hostel in town: the Burg Hostel, which has a great location and reviews.

Attraction Entry Fees (as of 2018):

• Clock Tower / Sighisoara History Museum: 4 lei
• Church on the Hill: 5 lei
• German Cemetery: free
• Casa Vlad Dracul: 5 lei
• Saschiz Fortified Church: 3 lei

This Wild Life Sighisoara Ratings:

Prettiness: 10/10 because, well, ten out of goddamn ten. Have you seen the photos? Don’t think I need to explain much more beyond that. This town is goddamn beautiful.

History: 10/10 because Dracula, of all people, was born here. Not only that, but his house is still standing! Nothing here has changed for hundreds of years, and the UNESCO award is proof of the importance of this town.

Weather: 9/10 for the beautiful blue skies I had the entire time (April). One point taken away for the slightly too high temperatures when there are so many hills and steps to be climbed! In summer Romania gets very hot, and in winter it’s snowbound, so Spring and Autumn would be the perfect times to visit.

Food: 4/10 because I can’t remember a single meal I ate here. Romania in general is hard for a vegetarian, as the local cuisine is very meat (and dairy) heavy, and vegetarianism isn’t a well-known concept.

Budget: 6/10. Romania is in general a very budget-friendly country, though Sighisoara is a little more expensive than other popular cities due to its lack of budget accommodation and cheap restaurants.

Doggos: 10/10. My pensuinea had a lovely friendly dog, so that immediately was going to bump up this rating. Then I met this absolute beauty chilling in the main square, and he gets a 10 all to himself.

Have you ever been to visit Sighisoara? Or did you even know it existed? Let me know in the comments below!

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