Discover Romania Christmas in Sibiu - Fereastra Deschisă PDF

Discover Romania: Christmas in Sibiu Fereastra deschis
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Discover Romania: Christmas

inSibiu
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10 Decembrie 2016
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If you think winter holidays are best spent in a cozy medieval settingand youalso
happen to be a fan of German towns, then you will love this charming destination.
Sibiu is one of seven Transylvanian citadels built by the Transylvanian Saxons in
the 12th century, and in its glory days, it was also the richest one. Surrounded by
mountains (Fgra, the tallest mountains in Romania, are visible in the
background) and keeping many of its medieval towers and buildings, this town is a
small gem that attractsmany tourists every year.
https://fereastradeschisa.wordpress.com/2016/12/10/discover-romania-christmas-in-sibiu/[12/14/2016 6:00:26 PM]
And in winter it becomes even more appealing, as the Christmas Market opens at
the end of November.
If you chose to spend a few days in Sibiu in December, here are some tips to make
your stay memorable:
Getting there
You can reach Sibiu both by bus and by train, from several Romanian towns. Of
course, you can also reach it by car. From Bucharest, there are 2 direct trains daily,
and they also stop in other touristic destinations, such as Sinaia or Braov. If
almost 6 hours on a train seem too much for you, you can always think of stopping
in Braov for a night or two.
By bus, the trip will be roughly the same as by train, but most times minibuses will
get there faster than they say they will. You can book a seat with Memeontobus, or
make a reservation with one of several transport companies, by phone or through
autogari.ro.
Finding accommodation
If you plan to visit around the holidays, you should think of booking a place at least
one month ahead. Otherwise, you will be left with the most expensive choices, or
with no choice at all. Prices go through the roofduring the holidays or around
eventdates, and the best places (good value for money) will quickly fill up. A small
apartment in the attic of an old house, with a rustic feel and great views was my last
pick, and I did not regret it. But there are also a lot of nice hostels available, as well
as luxury apartments or hotels.
The feel of the place

Medieval houses painted in pretty pastel colors, brown brick roofs, tall, pointy
churches, old guild houses and towers, cobbled streets connected by stairs, this is
Sibius charming old center. Thisgreat tourist brochuredescribes its main
attractions and includesa map of the most interesting areas.
The Stairs Passage
Although it seems small and traditional,the town of Sibiu has several modern
museums, as well as a fancy shopping street and trendy pubs and restaurants. So
you will have a taste of both worlds.
Walk around town

The Great Square (Piaa Mare) is the heart of the city. Surrounded by several
medieval buildings and bordered by the towns two tallest buildings, the Council
Tower (Turnul Sfatului) and the Roman Catholic Church (Biserica RomanoCatolic Sf. Treime), this is also the place of the Christmas Market and other
fairs.
From the Great Square, several passages will take you to the Small Square (Piaa
Mic), which might actuallybe even nicer, with its view of the entrance to the
Council Tower, the colorful, distinctive building of the Universal Ethnography
Museum (Muzeul de Etnografie Universal Franz Binder) and the manycafes and
restaurants.
Its also the place to find the Bridge of Lies (Podul Minciunilor) and the former
Butchers Hall (currently, Casa Artelorwhere you can buy handmade
traditional objects and clothes)and the lovely Pharmacy Museum.
Podul Minciunilor
Podul Minciunilor
Butchers Hall (House of Arts)
View towards the bridge
Butchers Hall (House of Arts)
The building hosting the Museu
Museum of Pharmacy
As for thename of Sibiusfamous bridge, although there are many explanatory

legends, in truth, it is due to the resemblance between two German
words:Liegenbrcke(lying bridge) andLgenbrcke (lies bridge).
Liegenbrckewas the actual name of the bridge, but in time, due to the similar
pronunciation, it was calledLgenbrckeand thus transferred into Romanian as
the Bridge of Lies.
Another lovely area is Huet Square (Piaa Huet), with the LutheranCathedral. It
is right behind the Small Square and close to theStairs Passage (Pasajul
Scrilor).
The Lutheran Cathedral from Huet Square
The Lutheran Cathedra
The Stairs Passage as se The Stairs Passage
The Lutheran Cathedral from another angle
Hermes House (Ethnography Museum) the si
Left of the Lutheran Cathedral, you will easily run intothe Stairs Towerand the
Journeymen House.
The Journeymens House
Stairs from the Stairs Tower
Stairs from the Stairs Tower (from below)
Stairs from the Stairs Tower
Stairs from the Stairs Tower (from below)
If youre in the area and feeling hungry, you can stop at La Pasaj (Strada Turnului
3A) for a good meal in a cozy atmosphere.
Strada Nicolae Blcescu is a large boulevard with many designer shops and
cozy restaurants and cafes, stretching from the Great Square to Strada Cetii. It
opens into smaller streets with restaurants, or passageways that will take you to
hidden spaces.
It is on this street that I discovered a hidden antique shop, where a nice old man
and his young shop assistant / niece kindly helped me with information about the
many interesting items. I did find something I was looking for: an old German beer
mug made of opal, with a painted hunting scene. The shop is called Antik and you
will find it at No. 23Nicolae Blcescu.
Another (bigger) antique shop is found in Huet Square, calledArt Antik(address:

Piaa Albert Huet 1).
If you explore Strada Alexandru Papiu-Ilarian,you will run into Sibius most
famoustraditional food place: Crama Sibiul Vechi. However, if you want to eat
here, you might have to wait for a long time, as its almost always full. Or, you can
book ahead.
Entrance (stairway) to Crama Sibiul Vechi
Entrance to Crama Sibiul Vechi
Photo source: http://www.turnulsfatului.ro
Further down the street youll find another appreciated traditional restaurant, La
Bufnia.
Starting atthe end of Nicolae Blcescu street, Strada Cetii isdeclared the most
beautiful street in Sibiu.
View towards Thalia Concert Hall and the Carpe
The wall between the Carpenters Tower and the Harquebusiers Tower
Here, you will find three of the towns medieval towers, as well as what remains of
its protection wall.
Carpenters Tower
Harquebusiers Tower
Potters Tower
Square in front of Francis Is bust
Bust of Emperor Francis I of Austria
The citys wall
This is also where you will find the Museum of Natural History (right before
theThalia Concert Hall), several nice cafes and smaller streets to take you back to
the old center.
Parallel to Strada Nicolae Blcescu and also connected toStrada Cetii, Strada
Mitropolieiis where you will find the House with Caryatids and the Holy
Trinity Cathedral.
House with Caryatids
House with Caryatids
Holy Trinity Orthodox
Holy Trinity Orthodox
Visit museums
As said above, Sibiu has quite a few museums and if time allows it, they can prove
to be a delightful experience. The most interesting are the Museum of
Pharmacy,the Museum of History (Altemberger House), August von Spiess
Museum of Hunting, Brukental Palace art galleriesand the Museum of Natural
History. All these museums can be visited by buying the combined ticket (one day
ticket), which costs around 10 euro. And the entrance is free on December 1st,
Romanias national day.
History Museum courtyard
Natural History Museum entrance
Natural History museum park
Brukental Palace courtyard
Brukental Palace entrance
August von Spiess Hunting Museum
TheASTRA National Museum Complex (village museum) is quite far from the
center area and requires at least half a day to see, but its worth visiting.
Hunt for medieval relics

In Sibiu, everywhere you look there might be a medieval building. They are
signaled by informative metal plates. While most relics are in plain sight, some of
them might have to be hunted for.Such is the Tanners Tower, hidden on a
peripheral street (Strada Pulberriei), or the oldAsylum Church and Hospital on
the charming Strada Azilului.
Tanners Tower
Old asylum hospital
Asylum Church
View from Strada Azilul
See the city from above

If youre a fan of climbing narrow stairways to the top of towers and admiring the
town from above, in Sibiu you will be able to try this not from one, but from two
observation points. One is the Council Tower, with 141 steps and a height similar
to that of a seven-story building. Besides the actual view of the town, you can also
check out the clock mechanism, just before you reachthe last level.
The second high point is the tower of the Lutheran Cathedral, the tallest building in
Sibiu. Thetower is73.34 m high in total, and has 4 small towers with windows,
from which you have a complete view of Sibiu.
You can also visit the interior of the cathedral(the combined ticket cathedral +
tower costs under 2 euro).
Have a drink in a local pub

Sibiu may not strike you as a place for party lovers, and, indeed, you might not find
many pubs and clubs for your partying needs.Hard Rock Cafe (Strada General
Gheorghe Magheru 45) is considered the best pub in town, Music Pub (Piaa Mic
23) being a close second.Cotton Pub in the modern side of town (Strada Doctor
Ion Raiu 9) is also well viewed, and so is the nearby Supporters (Bulevardul
Victoriei 26) sports bar. And you can also try St Andrews Scottish Pub in the
old town (Strada Avram Iancu Nr. 11), with a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews
Well, thats it. If it sounds interesting, dont hesitate to visit Sibiu on your next trip
to Romania.

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