Many people think of Romania as a Eastern-European country – as it was, once, part of the Soviet block. But Romania’s Transylvania is in Central Europe, and as such, you can expect many similarities with other Central European countries. In cities like Sibiu, Arad, Timisoara, Sighisoara the German influence is strong – and it can be observed in many elements of architecture. The influence of the Hungarian empire is evident in some of the royal palaces scattered across Transylvania like secret gems. Today, I’ll offer you a visual trip to Sighisoara – a World Heritage Site – the true cradle of Dracula (Vlad the Impaler, three-time Voivode of Wallachia).

Sighisoara, courtesy Mircea Tudorache

Although its indigenous population is rather small (about 30,000 inhabitants), the city appears lively and crowded. It is one of the most popular travel destinations in Romania – part because of its medieval splendor, part because of its legendary son, but mostly because of the popular festivals organized here every year.

Courtesy Luke Addison

Courtesy Mircea Turcan

Courtesy Rob Thurman

Aside the yearly Medieval Festival, Sighisoara offers a number of other treasures for the curious traveler:

The Clock Tower (“Turnul cu Ceas”) – Built in 1360 and standing at 60 meters tall atop the citadel hill. History museum inside, balcony with a great view on the top.

Monastery Church (“Biserica Mânăstirii”) - Lutheran church in late Gothic style, located next to the Clock Tower, built starting with 1291 by the Dominican Order

Courtesy Gaetan Gauthier

Weapon Museum – next to Vlad’s birthplace. Very small, but it contains an interesting selection of medieval weapons (swords, arrows, etc.).

Courtesy rishon-lezion.

Covered Staircase (“Scara Şcolarilor”) – an old stone staircase with a wooden roof along the whole span. This leads up to the Church on the Hill, the cemetery and the Joseph Haltrich High School (a.k.a. “School from the Hill”).

Church on the Hill (“Biserica din Deal”)- Lutheran church in late Gothic style, contains many frescoes and a crypt. Close to the cemetery on the side of the hill, which contains many German tombstones.

Courtesy rishon-lezion

Courtesy Michael Arrington

The fortified church of Biertan has been nominated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is about 30 km away from Sighisoara.

Courtesy Schoko Chantallle

Although all these images show you empty streets, remember that Sighisoara usually looks like this:

Courtesy Adrian Zmau

Sighisoara is a medieval citadel, still inhabited, populated with your, vibrant and bohemian travelers, who know good music and good fun.

It’s true, the place is a tourist trap, too much hype made it popular in the past five years. But it hasn’t always been this way. There was a time when La Mama meant authentic Romanian cuisine, the kind a Romanian mom would cook. No more. Today the place serves authentic wannabes, the quality lacks and the staff are often rude. Never mind the bad review, however. Maybe you are in luck when you visit. The prices are low and the portions are big – so what lacks in quality, makes up in quantity.

Contact details:

Address: Str.Episcopiei n.9
Phone: +40 721 526 262
Website: http://www.lamama.ro/

Taverna Sarbului is one of those rare gems in a modern city. Bucharest likes its local cuisine, and, like in any Latin country, you’ll also find here a number of Italian restaurants. Although not rare in Romania (Serbians are still a minority in Transylvania), Serbian cuisine is not a usual occurrence. Taverna Sarbului does it flawlessly. The atmosphere is old-time Serbian, the food prepared with the freshest ingredients, respecting traditional recipes. The restaurant also serves slibovitz, a plum brandy specific to Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia among others.

Contact details:

Address: 31 Tipografilor Str
Phone: +40 21 490 60 50
Website: www.tavernasarbului.ro

Click on the pictures for more information about the restaurant, its menu and other important details.

Taverna Sarbului also has locations outside Bucharest, in Sinaia and Brasov.

Caru’ cu Bere is one of the oldest restaurants in Bucharest, in fact it is the city’s oldest brewery. It was opened in 1879 in the old Zlatari inn and moved to Stavropoleos Street (its current location) twenty years later. The food lacks the quality it once had, but the house beer is still good and the atmosphere is well worthy of a visit. Expect to find the place crowded at all times, travelers come here to experience the old Bucharest vibe, evident in the beer house’s architecture, and reflected by some elements of interior design like mural paintings, stained glass and carved cross-beams. The wine cellar is a must.

Contact details:

Address: Strada Stavropoleos 5
Phone: +40 21 315 7663
Website: http://www.carucubere.ro/
Email: (on site) http://www.carucubere.ro/en/contact