Sibiu, Romania | The City with Eyes

The first time I visited Sibiu I was only there for a few hours and knew I one day I’d return. This time, on my way to Cluj to meet my Global Builders Team to volunteer with The Fuller Center for Housing Romania, I opted to fly directly to Sibiu and spend three nights in The City with Eyes, so named for all the eyebrow dormers on the roofs of the buildings.

I highly recommend staying at Hotel Magister 7 [Strada Avram Iancu nr 7, Sibiu Old Town]. The location is fantastic but the hospitality (and the breakfast!) is out of this world.

Day 1 | Transfăgărășan Highway

Built in the early 1970s as a strategic military route, now known as one of the world’s most fun roads to drive, the Transfăgărășan is a paved mountain road crossing the southern section of the Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. For most of the year the road is snowed over; drivers patiently wait for the summer months to get their thrills. As it was April, I was happy to ride the Balea Cascada cable car to the top to avoid all those hairpin turns!

After a delicious lunch back in Sibiu at Hermania farm-to-table restaurant, we enjoyed a walking tour of the city as our guide made the history come alive with stories of the architecture, along the narrow-cobbled streets and little squares of this uniquely beautiful town.

Day 2 | Beirtan and the Roma People

We visited two more Saxon fortified villages from the 15th century—UNESCO site Biertran and Medias. The Transylvania region of Romania has one of the highest concentrations of existing fortified churches from the 13th to 16th centuries. More than 150 are well preserved in a great variety of architectural styles, seven of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Biertran has an unusual tower: a married couple’s prison. For two weeks the couple in need of therapy was locked together in a small room. Forced to work out their problems, in 400 years only one couple insisted on divorce. The church still has the original altar piece painted in 1483, and the unusual door to the sacristy from 1515 (the date is clearly seen on the face of the door). Behind the door a magnificently crafted lock, which has only one key, turns 19 mechanisms to fortify the door. It was considered such a masterpiece that it was exhibited at the 1889 World Fair in Paris.

In Medias, this is a view from the outside looking toward St. Mary’s Church built between 1437 and 1488. Saxons fortified three buildings in the inner walls: the church, the school, and the council building. The school, a German elementary and middle school, is still in use today!

Rounding out the day was a visit to a Tiktok famous gypsy coppersmith artisan, Emil, a fabulous lunch at Crama Sibiul Vechi, and a walk around the largest open-air museum in Europe, ASTRA, showcasing traditional Romanian folk housing.

[PRO TIP: ASTRA is a great place to bird! Bring your Merlin App and your spyglasses.]

Day 3 | Sibiu to Cluj

Sibiu is a really beautiful city, rivaling Brasov. I recommend you see as much as Transylvania as you have time for. As this is my thirst trip to Romania, I’ve seen quite a bit. Check out my posts on my first visit to Sibiu and Sighisoara, Brasov and Viscri, Bucharest, Transylvania Castles and Fortresses, Maramures, and my first trip to Cluj, and my second. The link for my third trip to Cluj is below!

We had another fantastic lunch on the road at a Hungarian restaurant in Contesti village, Conacul Secuiesc!