Sibiu county is home to one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Europe, famous for the houses with eyes that watch you from their roofs. You walk through the old town, where the Bridge of Lies and the massive council tower guard the squares and the narrow alleys. The cobblestone streets are clean and lead to grand gothic churches and lively cafes that spill out onto the pavement. It is a city of high culture that always feels like it is in the middle of a festival, with music and art around every corner. The vibe is smart, sophisticated and very welcoming to travelers from all over the world.
Visit the ASTRA Museum, which is a massive open-air park that features hundreds of original wooden houses, windmills and workshops from across the country. It is like seeing the entire traditional nation in one beautiful, green space located on the edge of an ancient forest. You can spend the whole day walking the paths and seeing how the people lived and worked in the centuries before the modern age. It is a perfect spot for families and nature lovers, offering a quiet and educational escape from the urban center. You can even see local craftsmen demonstrating traditional techniques like weaving and bread baking.
The Transalpina road begins nearby and takes you on a spectacular journey up into the clouds and along the highest mountain ridges. It is the highest road in the land and offers views that are truly vast, looking across the peaks of the Parâng and Căpățânii mountains. You find wild alpine meadows and jagged grey peaks in every direction, with the road winding like a ribbon through the high terrain. It is a must-drive for any fan of the road, but be prepared for thin air and cold temperatures even in the middle of summer. This route is a perfect mix of medieval elegance and the raw power of the high mountains.
Sibiu (county) highlights
- Astra Museum of Folk Civilization Walk through one of the largest open-air museums in the world, featuring hundreds of authentic houses, mills, and churches from across the land. The site is located in a massive forest park around a quiet lake, creating a peaceful and historic atmosphere. It is a living gallery of village life where you can see the absolute mastery of traditional craft.
- Transfăgărășan (Sibiu Side) Begin the world-famous climb toward Bâlea Lake on a road that zig-zags through the high clouds and jagged grey peaks. This northern section is famous for its steep hairpins and dramatic waterfalls that crash beside the asphalt. It is the ultimate driving adventure that offers the most epic mountain views in the entire country.
- Sibiu Bridge of Lies Stand on a historic iron bridge in the heart of the medieval city, where legend says the structure will collapse if a lie is told upon it. The bridge connects two major squares and offers a charming view of the old town’s red-tiled roofs and "eyes" in the attics. it is a magical spot that captures the romantic and storied spirit of the Transylvanian capital.
- Făgăraș Mountains Ridge Hike the highest and most rugged peaks in the land, where the landscape is a wild world of granite and glacial lakes. This range offers a powerful challenge for nature lovers and provides views that stretch for hundreds of miles. The drive to the base of the mountains takes you through cool, shaded valleys filled with rushing water.
- Biertan Fortified Church Visit a masterpiece of medieval defense, a massive church protected by three layers of high stone walls and seven towers. The site sits on a hill in the center of a colorful village and offers a fascinating look at how the Saxons guarded their lives and faith. It is a rugged and powerful landmark that feels like a step back into the middle ages.
- Păltiniș Resort Road Navigate the highest mountain road in the county to reach a quiet resort famous for its pure air and deep spruce forests. The drive is scenic and offers many lookout points over the Cindrel Mountains and the rolling valleys below. It is a perfect sanctuary for those looking to escape the heat and enjoy a quiet mountain hike.
- Transalpina (Jina Section) Experience the King's Road as it passes through high-altitude shepherd villages where traditions have remained unchanged for centuries. The road offers vast, open views of the alpine meadows and the distant mountain ranges of the south. It is a wild and windy landscape that highlights the immense scale and freedom of the high peaks.
- Cârța Cistercian Abbey Ruins Explore the hauntingly beautiful remains of a 13th-century Gothic monastery, featuring high stone arches and a quiet cemetery. It is the easternmost abbey of its kind and carries a mysterious, atmospheric energy within its old walls. The site is tucked away in a peaceful village and offers a unique look at the early religious history of the region.
- Cindrel Natural Park Discover a wild alpine world where ancient glaciers have carved deep bowls into the mountain rock, now filled with clear water. The park is home to rare plants and wild animals, offering a rugged and silent environment for serious hikers. The drive to the park entrance follows a beautiful river through a landscape of green meadows and tall trees.
- Sighisoara-Sibiu Heritage Drive Follow the secondary roads through the Hârtibaciu Valley to see a landscape of rolling green hills and silent fortified churches. This route is much quieter than the main highways and offers an intimate look at the authentic, slow-paced life of the Transylvanian countryside. It is a peaceful journey that emphasizes the connection between the people and their historic land.
The local Four
History of Sibiu (county)
Sibiu is the cultural capital of Transylvania and a masterpiece of medieval Saxon urban planning. Founded by German settlers as Hermannstadt in the 12th century it became the strongest and wealthiest of the seven walled citadels known as the Siebenbürgen. Its defensive system was so advanced that it featured three concentric lines of stone walls and 39 towers built by the merchant guilds allowing it to survive every Ottoman siege for over 500 years. In 1817 the Brukenthal Palace opened to the public as the first museum in the country housing a world class collection of European art gathered by the Governor of Transylvania.
The county history is also defined by the Mărginimea Sibiului which is a cluster of 18 mountain villages famous for their centuries old tradition of sheep migration. These shepherd families became immensely wealthy by trading wool and cheese across the borders of the Austro Hungarian and Ottoman empires which allowed them to build elegant stone houses and fund the first Romanian schools in the region. To the south the Transfăgărășan road was completed in 1974 as a strategic military route crossing the Făgăraș mountains at an altitude of over 2000 meters. This engineering feat required the use of 6000 tons of dynamite and the removal of millions of tons of rock to create a path through the highest peaks.
A road trip through Sibiu offers the perfect mix of high altitude adventure and medieval exploration. You can drive to the Biertan Fortified Church which is a UNESCO site featuring a unique 19 lock door system that protected the community treasure during invasions. The local mountain roads lead to Păltiniș which was founded in 1894 as the first mountain resort in the country located at 1442 meters altitude. You can walk through the Bridge of Lies in the city center which was the first cast iron bridge in the land and is the subject of numerous local legends. Sibiu is a journey through the precision of German architecture and the rugged shepherd trails of the high Carpathians.