SİBİU TRANSİLVANIA

 What Makes Sibiu Special?

In short, the city's student population, which takes the aesthetic German heritage and blends it with style and enjoyment. German culture is so entrenched that Oktoberfest is Sibiu's most celebrated event and the most anticipated day of the year. You can read about our Oktoberfest adventure here.

Sibiu is the richest and largest of the 7 cities (Siebenburgen) founded by the German Saxons in Transylvania. Until the 1940s, the majority of the population was German. This German heritage has completely shaped the culture and architecture of this city. Since the first university opened in 1920, the city has had a significant student population. It is called the biggest castle of culture & art in Romania. In 2007, it was chosen as the European Capital of Culture together with Luxembourg.

Although the sweet restaurants and cafes built into the Saxon architecture and the pubs crowded with young people in the evenings bring dynamism to the city, the streets are generally peaceful. It was chosen as the 8th most peaceful city in Europe by Forbes Magazine.

You can think of the city as a two-story settlement, the top and the skirts of the plateau. There are medieval houses on the outskirts, and buildings built between 1600 and 1800 on the plateau. The city is pedestrian-friendly. It is super enjoyable to wander through the centuries by going up and down the stairs between the two floors, and to chill in the bohemian cafes.

The main square of the old city is Piata Mare, the Great Square. This is where the markets were established in the Middle Ages, and where the executions were carried out. The 13th-century Council Tower here has had many functions over time, such as being a granary, fire watchtower, temporary prison, and botanical museum. Click for location. Number 1 on the map.

The bridge, dated 1859, is the oldest iron bridge in all of Romania. The bridge was wooden before it was converted to iron. Another name for this bridge is the Liars Bridge. When he was on the throne, the name of Liars Bridge came together because the con artists and the novice lovers who claimed that their love would last forever met on this bridge. Legend has it that the bridge would collapse if lied to on it. Click for location. Number 2 on the map.

Founded in the 12th century on the site of Cibinium, one of the ancient Roman villages, Sibiu was a trade and craft city protected by high walls and 39 towers, as in other Saxon cities.

Another feature of Sibiu is that the first hospital, school, library and pharmacy in Romania were opened here.

The city, formerly known as Hermannstadt, remained in Romania after the separation of Austria-Hungary after the First World War and took the name Sibiu in 1919. As in other German cities, the Germans, who were the original founders of the city after World War II, had to emigrate from here.