By rail
Sighișoara, on the line from Brașov to Cluj
Europe · Romania
Sighișoara, Romania
A lived-in medieval citadel on a Transylvanian hill
Getting there
By air
Târgu Mureș Transilvania Airport (TGM), ~1 h by road
Best time to visit
May to September — warm and green
Don't miss
Clock Tower
Church on the Hill
Scholars' Stairs
Biertan fortified church
Things to do
Walking the citadel
Climbing the Clock Tower
Visiting fortified churches nearby
Where to eat
What to pack
Comfortable shoes for cobbles, light jacket
A quieter corner
Viscri, a Saxon village with a fortified church in the hills to the south-east
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Sighișoara?
May to September — warm and green. What to pack: Comfortable shoes for cobbles, light jacket.
How do I get to Sighișoara?
Fly into Târgu Mureș Transilvania Airport (TGM), ~1 h by road.
What is there to do in Sighișoara?
Walking the citadel, climbing the Clock Tower, visiting fortified churches nearby. A quieter find: Viscri, a Saxon village with a fortified church in the hills to the south-east.
What should I eat in Sighișoara?
Ciorbă, Transylvanian stews, plum brandy, Saxon-style cakes.
About Sighișoara
- Hills
- Riverside
Where it is
Sighișoara sits on a hill above the Târnava Mare River in Transylvania, in central Romania.
History
Sighișoara was built by Saxon settlers and, as Schässburg, became a prosperous town of craft guilds, each of which looked after a tower in its walls. Vlad III, the ruler later linked with the Dracula legend, is traditionally said to have been born here in the 15th century. The historic centre was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.
People
Romanian is spoken in Sighișoara, and the town and its surrounding villages still show the heritage of the Saxon German community, with fortified churches dotting the countryside.
Known for
- A medieval citadel still lived in
- The tall Clock Tower
- Guild towers along the walls
- Links to the Dracula legend
Did you know?
Sighișoara's citadel is one of the few medieval fortified towns in Europe that is still inhabited.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.