S
St Mary's Evangelical Church
Sibiu's Gothic centrepiece rises more than 73m over the old town. Inside, marvel at ghoulish stone skeletons, 17th-century tombs and the largest organ in…
Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
Sibiu
Sibiu is awash in aristocratic elegance. Noble Saxon history emanates from every art-nouveau facade and gold-embossed church. Renowned composers Strauss, Brahms and Liszt all played here during the 19th century, and Sibiu has stayed at the forefront of Romania’s cultural scene through its festivals of opera, theatre and film, as well as rock, jazz and more. The country's first hospital, school, library and pharmacy were all established here, and locals are justly proud of the spirit of enterprise that endures to this day.
Beyond its grand architecture, Sibiu has a good dose of bohemian flair. Houses with distinctive eyelid-shaped windows (imagine a benign 'Amityville Horror' House) watch a cast of artists and buskers bustling below them. Cafes and bars inhabit brick-walled cellars and luminously decorated attics. Sibiu's soul lies somewhere in between genteel coffee culture and unbridled creativity.
Explore Sibiu
- SSt Mary's Evangelical Church
Sibiu's Gothic centrepiece rises more than 73m over the old town. Inside, marvel at ghoulish stone skeletons, 17th-century tombs and the largest organ in…
- Brukenthal Palace
Brukenthal Palace is worth visiting as much for its resplendent period furnishings as for the European art within. Duck beneath the Music Room’s…
- HHistory Museum
This impressive museum begins with re-enactments of cave dwellers squatting in the gloom and dioramas of Dacian life. Out of these shadowy corridors, the…
- CCity Walls
Thirty-nine towers, each protected by different guilds, watched over medieval Sibiu. See the remaining handful by walking north up Str Cetăţii past the…
- PPharmaceutical Museum
On the site of Sibiu's first documented apothecary, this museum delves into the herb-scented history of medicine. More than 6600 items such as microscopes…
- NNatural History Museum
Ornate ceilings flanked by moose heads make this Natural History Museum worth a peep for its 19th-century architecture alone, while the dinosaur garden…
- BBridge of Lies
The 1859-built iron bridge is nicknamed the Bridge of Lies. Depending on who you ask, it stems either from tricky merchants who met here, or young lovers…
- Council Tower
The former Council Tower links Piaţa Mare with its smaller sister square, Piaţa Mică. First built in the 13th century, and refortified in the 16th, it has…
- FFranz Binder Museum of World Ethnology
Named for a 19th-century collector from Sibiu, the Franz Binder Museum of World Ethnology was undergoing a revamp when we passed through. A scattering of…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Sibiu.
See
St Mary's Evangelical Church
Sibiu's Gothic centrepiece rises more than 73m over the old town. Inside, marvel at ghoulish stone skeletons, 17th-century tombs and the largest organ in…
See
Brukenthal Palace
Brukenthal Palace is worth visiting as much for its resplendent period furnishings as for the European art within. Duck beneath the Music Room’s…
See
History Museum
This impressive museum begins with re-enactments of cave dwellers squatting in the gloom and dioramas of Dacian life. Out of these shadowy corridors, the…
See
City Walls
Thirty-nine towers, each protected by different guilds, watched over medieval Sibiu. See the remaining handful by walking north up Str Cetăţii past the…
See
Pharmaceutical Museum
On the site of Sibiu's first documented apothecary, this museum delves into the herb-scented history of medicine. More than 6600 items such as microscopes…
See
Natural History Museum
Ornate ceilings flanked by moose heads make this Natural History Museum worth a peep for its 19th-century architecture alone, while the dinosaur garden…
See
Bridge of Lies
The 1859-built iron bridge is nicknamed the Bridge of Lies. Depending on who you ask, it stems either from tricky merchants who met here, or young lovers…
See
Council Tower
The former Council Tower links Piaţa Mare with its smaller sister square, Piaţa Mică. First built in the 13th century, and refortified in the 16th, it has…
See
Franz Binder Museum of World Ethnology
Named for a 19th-century collector from Sibiu, the Franz Binder Museum of World Ethnology was undergoing a revamp when we passed through. A scattering of…
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