SIGHISOARA, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES IN ROMANIA
Romania is a country that every time I visit it manages to surprise me positively. This time I will tell you some things about a city that I met recently and that I loved. This city that seems like a story is calledSighisoaraand is in the center of the country,in the Transylvania region.
Original article in Spanish here: https://www.alvientooo.com/sighisoara/
The country is divided into ten regions, something similar to our autonomous communities and Transylvania is one of them and, Bucharest which is the capital of the country is in Muntenia.
To give you an idea, Romania has as neighboring countries Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgari, and throughout its history it has received influences from all of them, making it a very interesting country.
In this case I will tell you about Sighisoara, a city that is about 300 km from Bucharest to the north . Sighisoara was founded in the 12th century by the Saxons who came from Germany and settled in this region during the Middle Ages.
The city is beautifully preserved and it has been a surprise to meet her and stroll through its streets. UNESCO proclaimed it a World Heritage Site in 1999 for being a medieval city and being well preserved .
HOW TO GET TO SIGHISOARA
To get to Sighisoara you can do it from Bucharest , but it is recommended that you spend a few days to tour this region since there are not many highways or highways in Romania at the moment, so it is recommended that you include this city along with other nearby ones such as Brasov, Sibiu or Targu Mures .
Getting around Romania by train is not a bad plan, although they stop a lot. Years ago I made the journey from Bucharest to Iasi and then from Brasov to Bucharest, and like it happens in Spain depending on the train you choose it will take you more or less time.
My recommendation in Romania, if you are going to tour the country, is that you rent a car or van and it will be much more comfortable.
SIGHISOARA, THE CITY WHERE DRACULA WAS BORN
Many tourists come here for another reason. Sighisoara was the city where Vlad Tepes was bornbetter known as Count Dracula who was ruler of Valaquia from 1456 to 1462 and no doubt known for his exploits and myths of Dracula and the bloodthirsty world. Dracula was the name of the character who invented Bram Stocker, inspired by the real character of Vlad Tepes .
Actually, the writer Bram Stocker was never in Sighisoara but he perfectly imagined the follies of Vlad Tepes to create his Dracula character. Vlad Tepes was known as the “Impaler of Valaquia”and his legends and horror stories will be found in various parts of the country.
Vlad Tepes was the son of Vlad II a nobleman who arrived in Sighisoara in 1431 where he stayed to live with his family and was part of the Dragon order. His father was known as Vlad Dracul, hence his son was called Dracula – Son of the Dragon – and in turn was Vlad III.
WHAT TO SEE IN SIGHISOARA
The city is located at the top of a wall from where you can see the whole environment and go through the entire wall that defended the citadel. It is defended by its wall and its more than fourteen towers of which there are currently nine . Among the best known is undoubtedly the Clock Tower where you can climb to observe the city. Also known are the towers of the Dyers , Blacksmiths or the Tailors among others; Each was linked to a trade.
The Clock Tower you can climb and although you pay a small entrance, but worth for lack of time I could not. From above you can see the figures of the clock and the entire interior of the building, in addition to great views. The tower is from the fourteenth century and the clock of the seventeenth century, at six in the afternoon it is put into operation and you can see how all the dolls move.
If you leave the center a little next to the Tower of the Tailors you will find several very beautiful colorful houses and perfectly preserved alleys such as the Strada Tamplarilor , one of the most beautiful streets in the city and very quiet, with the stone floor and without any type of store, bar or business open to the public.
The entrance by car to the citadel is not allowed unless you have a reservation in one of the hotels and it is done through one of the access streets, passing by car under one of its towers.
I was struck by the students’ stairs , a long staircase that one day had more than three hundred steps and is covered by a wooden roof that connects the lower part of the citadel with the high part where the school and the Church of the hill, I guess the main idea was to protect the students during bad weather or in the snowy winters so that they could go to school in a more comfortable way. Today there are 175 steps left and it is worth climbing to see the view of the city from up there.
The family home of Vlad Tepes is near the clock and today there is a small restaurant .
I loved its central square with a few terraces and all the beautifully preserved houses, where I took the opportunity to take a break and have a coffee
Outside the wall you can visit the Orthodox Cathedral of the city built in 1934 and that from one of the viewpoints of the wall you can easily locate it because it has white and gray domes and stands out in the urban landscape.
GUIDED VISIT TO SIGHISOARA
If you feel like doing the guided tour I leave you in link with all the info and schedules. There is a daytime visit that takes place at 3:00 p.m. and a night visit at 7:30 p.m., anyway you have all the info on the link. The visit lasts approximately two hours and is super interesting.
SIGHISOARA MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL
A medieval festival, the Festivalul Sighisoara Medievala , is held every year in Sighisoara in July. As everything is well preserved, it must be a pleasure to participate in this festival, I have written it on the agenda to return one year of these and stay here for at least one night since I want to see it at night and wake up in this town so pretty.
From the medieval festival that is celebrated here I saw some photos and it looks very good, it is all decorated, the people in disguise and there are performances throughout the weekend. In Oradea, of which I will tell you another day, they also do another festival of the same style.
SLEEP IN SIGHISOARA
Both inside and outside the wall you have many options. My recommendation, if you can, is that you stay inside the wall as it is so cool . There are several types of accommodation but all of them of hotel format or charming houses.
In this map that I leave here below you have updated prices and the location of each one with all the details. If you have any questions, let me know and if I can I will help you gladly.
EAT IN SIGHISOARA
In this case I did not stay to eat because I arrived in the morning and only had a couple of coffees, but around the central square you have several restaurants, bars and small hotels with dining rooms; It is a matter of taking a look and see that you want more. In Romania its dishes based on meat, vegetables and soups are very typical.
When I return I promise to stay here for lunch and dinner and to try some of their places. If you have any suggestions it would be great if you left it in the comments so that other travelers can meet them.
Romania is a very interesting country and in the blog you can see some other destinations in this country so unknown and that has so much to offer. As always I will love that you leave in comments your ideas, suggestions or recommendations on this and other places so that other travelers can enjoy it.
MEDICAL INSURANCE FOR TRAVELING TO ROMANIA
In Romania you can use the European health card and they will attend you in public hospitals , but you will have to pay the bill and then when you arrive in Spain ask to be reimbursed. From my point of view, the most comfortable thing is to travel with travel medical insurance to avoid problems and problems. I recommend the one of Mondo that is the one that I use in all my trips, luckily I have never had to use it but it is advisable to avoid scares and problems. If you want from here you can calculate it, in addition to the blog readers following this link they make a 5% discount .
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