Romania · Transylvania
Sibiu
Transylvania's Saxon showpiece, where the rooftops watch you back.
Sibiu is the old Saxon capital of southern Transylvania, a walled merchant town of big cobbled squares, guild towers and pastel houses whose roof windows look like watching eyes. A grand Upper Town of squares and fine museums sits above a steep, quieter Lower Town, and fortified church villages and shepherd country lie all around. To the south rise the Fagaras mountains and the Transfagarasan road.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Romanian
Currency
RON
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Sibiu
The squares Piata Mare and Piata Mica are among the finest old town squares in Romania
Saxon heritage city walls, guild towers and fortified church villages all around
The museums the Brukenthal's old-master galleries and the ASTRA open-air village museum
The mountains the Fagaras range and the Transfagarasan road are an easy drive south
Best time to visit
Apr-Oct
17-27° days
45.797° N, 24.152° E
UTC+3 · Europe/Bucharest
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Weather & when to go to Sibiu
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Apr-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Sibiu
December to February is cold and often snowy, though the Christmas market in Piata Mare makes December the town's festive peak. The Transfagarasan road is usually open only from early summer into autumn, so for the mountain drive, plan for those months.
Top things to do in Sibiu
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Piata Mare - the Great Square
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe grand main square of the Upper Town, lined with baroque palaces, the Jesuit church and the old town hall, and overlooked by rooftop windows shaped like half-closed eyes. It is the stage for the town's markets and festivals.
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Brukenthal National Museum - old masters in a governor's palace
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedThe collection of Samuel von Brukenthal, Habsburg governor of Transylvania, opened to the public in 1817 in his baroque palace on Piata Mare, making it one of the oldest museums in this part of Europe. Expect European paintings alongside Romanian art.
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Piata Mica and the Bridge of Lies
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe Small Square curves around the Upper Town with arcaded guild houses, and is crossed by the cast-iron Bridge of Lies, said to creak when someone tells a lie on it. The Passage of Steps drops from here to the Lower Town.
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ASTRA Museum - open-air village museum in Dumbrava forest
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedA huge open-air museum on the edge of town, with hundreds of relocated houses, mills, churches and workshops from across Romania set around lakes and woodland. Allow half a day and wear walking shoes.
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Council Tower - the view over the rooftops
history scenic 👍 PopularThe medieval gate tower between Piata Mare and Piata Mica can be climbed for a panorama of red roofs, church spires and, on clear days, the Fagaras mountains.
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Evangelical Cathedral - the Saxon Lutheran landmark
history culture artsThe Gothic Lutheran church on Piata Huet was the heart of Saxon Hermannstadt, with a tall tower that dominates the skyline and tomb slabs of local notables inside.
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City walls and towers - Strada Cetatii
historyThe best-preserved stretch of the old fortifications runs along Strada Cetatii, with towers once defended by the town's guilds, including the Potters', Carpenters' and Harquebusiers' towers.
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Transylvanian food - Saxon and shepherd cooking
foodLook for hearty soups served in bread bowls, sarmale, papanasi and smoked meats, plus sheep's cheeses from the shepherd villages of Marginimea Sibiului just west of town.
Best areas to stay in Sibiu
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Upper Town
First-time visitors $$Grand squares, towers and cafe terraces
Explore hotels in Upper Town →
Lower Town
Budget travellers $Steep lanes and older, humbler houses
Explore hotels in Lower Town →
Cisnadioara
Village stays $$Village under a hilltop Romanesque church
Explore hotels in Cisnadioara →
Paltinis
Mountain lovers $$Small mountain resort in pine forest
Explore hotels in Paltinis →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Sibiu
Getting to & around Sibiu
Getting there
Fly into Sibiu (SBZ) on the western edge of town, a short ride from the centre
Flight
Sibiu International Airport (SBZ)
The airport sits just west of town, about 15 minutes to the old centre by taxi or city bus.
Train
Sibiu station
Slow but scenic trains connect with Brasov, Bucharest and other Romanian cities; the station is at the foot of the Lower Town
Coach
Sibiu bus station
Frequent coaches and minibuses run to Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca and towns across Transylvania
Drive
The A1 motorway links Sibiu west towards Deva and the Hungarian border, and the Olt valley road runs south to Wallachia
Getting around
Walking
The Upper and Lower Towns are compact and car-free in parts; everything central is walkable
Free
City bus
Local buses reach the station, the airport and the ASTRA Museum in Dumbrava forest
TBC
Taxi
Metered taxis and ride-hailing apps are easy to find for trips out of the centre
TBC
Car hire
The practical way to reach fortified church villages, Marginimea Sibiului and the Transfagarasan
TBC
Day trips from Sibiu
Transfagarasan and Balea Lake
Full dayMountain road and glacial lake
Drive the famous hairpin road over the Fagaras mountains to Balea Lake near the crest. The road is usually open only from early summer into autumn; outside that, a cable car reaches the lake.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by road to Balea Lake, by car or tour
Sighisoara
Full dayMedieval citadel town
A still-inhabited hilltop citadel with a clock tower, a covered wooden stairway to the church on the hill and the house said to be Vlad the Impaler's birthplace.
Getting there
car | train | bus
About 1.5-2 hr by road or train
Biertan
Full dayFortified Saxon church
The most famous of Transylvania's UNESCO-listed fortified churches, ringed by triple walls above a quiet Saxon village.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5 hr by road, easily paired with Sighisoara
Marginimea Sibiului
Half dayShepherd villages
A string of pastoral villages west of Sibiu, including Sibiel with its museum of icons painted on glass, and Rasinari, known for shepherd traditions and cheese.
Getting there
car | tour
About 30 min by road
Corvin Castle
Full dayGothic castle
The Hunyadi family's turreted castle at Hunedoara, reached over a wooden bridge, is one of the most dramatic Gothic castles in Romania.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by road via the motorway
A little history of Sibiu
Sibiu was founded by German-speaking settlers invited to Transylvania by the Hungarian kings in the 12th century, and grew as Hermannstadt into the chief town of the Transylvanian Saxons. Rebuilt after the Mongol invasion of 1241, it became a wealthy guild and trading city behind rings of walls and towers.
Under Habsburg rule it served as the seat of Transylvania's governors, and Governor Samuel von Brukenthal left the collection that became the town's great museum. Sibiu joined Romania in 1918. Most of its Saxon community emigrated to Germany in the late 20th century, and in 2007 the restored old town was a European Capital of Culture.
Saxon settlers found Hermannstadt in southern Transylvania
The town is destroyed in the Mongol invasion and later rebuilt
Rings of walls and guild-defended towers make it one of Transylvania's strongest towns
Becomes the seat of Transylvania's Habsburg governors
The Brukenthal collection opens to the public
Transylvania, with Sibiu, becomes part of Romania
Sibiu is a European Capital of Culture
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+40
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Sibiu
▸ When is the best time to visit Sibiu?
April to October has the best weather for walking the old town and getting into the mountains. December to February is cold and often snowy, though the Christmas market in Piata Mare draws visitors in December.
▸ When is the Transfagarasan road open?
The high section over the Fagaras mountains is usually open only from early summer into autumn, and it can close at short notice for snow. Check the current status before setting out.
▸ Sibiu or Brasov?
Both are Saxon towns with fine old centres. Sibiu is calmer and has the better museums and the Transfagarasan; Brasov is livelier and closer to Bran and Peles castles. Many visitors see both.
▸ How many days do you need in Sibiu?
Two days covers the old town, the Brukenthal and the ASTRA Museum. Add a day or two for the Transfagarasan, fortified churches or the shepherd villages.
▸ Is Sibiu expensive?
It is moderately priced by European standards, a little pricier than smaller Romanian towns because of its popularity. Terrace dining on the main squares costs more than eating a street or two away.
More in Romania
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A medieval Saxon town with a mountain growing out of its back wall.
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The city that built the Palace of the Parliament and then overthrew the man who built it.
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Transylvania's young, restless capital: Gothic spires, student bars and a summer of festivals.
✓ best Apr-Oct