Discover Medieval Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

When we first stepped into Sibiu’s historic square, we were delighted by the elegant historic buildings around its edge. We thought this was the main square and were pleased with what we found. After walking through a covered passage we emerged into an even grander space. The large, main square is like a museum with perfectly arranged, beautifully restored buildings. Upon seeing these two plazas, we knew then that we would love discovering medieval Sibiu.

In the 12th century the King of Hungary sent Saxons to settle the lands of Transylvania. Known as the ‘Transylvanian Saxons’, many became wealthy and built elaborate homes, churches and town squares. This wealth meant that they were easy targets and so many of the Saxon cities were fortified. Sibiu was one of the wealthiest of those cities and today what was left behind are beautiful heritage buildings that show the grandeur that this city once had. It’s easy to see how prosperous this city once was with the elegant buildings in Upper Old Town.

To see more of these Romanian fortified cities visit our posts Explore Brașov’s Old Town, Fortified City of Sighișoara and Transylvania’s Fortified Churches.

The place to begin your exploration of this wonderful Old Town is the main plaza, Piața Mare (Great Square) in Upper Town. This large, open plaza is breathtaking; fringed by beautifully restored, grand buildings. Patios spill out on to the square, but they barely make a dent in the open space. Generations ago, markets would have been set up in the middle of the square, but today all of the shops are contained in the pretty historic buildings. Two excellent examples are Brukenthal Palace and the attached Blue House. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).