Tourist in Sibiu County
In Sibiu County, medieval architecture blends with spectacular mountain landscapes
Daniel Onea, 29.05.2025, 13:00
In Sibiu County, medieval architecture blends with spectacular mountain landscapes. The city of Sibiu, European Capital of Culture in 2007, fascinates with its well-preserved historic center. On the other hand, the surrounding area offers access to the Făgăraș Mountains, but also to UNESCO fortified churches.
Nicoleta Ocneriu is a national and mountain guide and creates authentic experiences in Transylvania through cultural tours and mountain hikes. She tells all tourists about the rich history of Sibiu County. To recreate the medieval atmosphere in the city tours, Nicoleta dresses in the costumes of ladies of the past. We find out what sights attract the attention of tourists.
“The main tourist attractions that attract special attention are the defense towers on Cetății Street, built since the 14th century. Then, the Great Square, of course, is a very interesting place. Here we can observe architecture from all periods: houses with a Gothic structure, in Renaissance style on one side of the square, on the other, the Baroque style. On the Baroque side, we can visit the museum of the baron and former governor of Transylvania, Samuel von Brukenthal. Then, we have the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, in the Great Square. It is special, even if from the outside the sober style does not seem to show this. After you enter the church, you are amazed. Further, we continue the story in Huet Square, where we can enjoy the first private enclosure, and the most important, the store of Hermann Kailan, the one who founded the city. Then, we have the Evangelical Church, currently the Lutheran Diocese of Transylvania. The route continues in the Small Square, where you can visit The Pharmacy Museum, with the first homeopathy collection of Samuel Hanemann, the former physician for Samuel von Brukenthal. If time allows, they can go down to the lower town and enjoy a bit of the old architecture, architecture from many hundreds of years ago, from the 13th, 14th centuries, especially the first hospital on the current territory of Romania, from the 14th century.”
It is very interesting how the authorities in Sibiu manage to bring the past into the present so well through a rich calendar of events, says Nicoleta Ocneriu, national and mountain guide.
“In the past, people were involved in all kinds of activities: they participated in balls, organized sports competitions, organized Sibiu rallies in the city, all kinds of events, even if we think that they were in the past. Indeed, they knew how to live very beautifully and they organized quality events in the city even then, even from the time of Brukenthal, when medieval parades or other parades related to clothing were organized. In Sibiu, currently, among the most important, even in the top of European events, we have the International Theater Festival. It is the third most important in Europe. Then, we have the Jazz Festival, the ARTmania Rock Festival. A little further, we have a fortress, Cisnădioara, very beautiful, in Romanesque style. All kinds of concerts are organized there, because the fortress has special acoustics. Also, all kinds of events are organized on the street during festivals, as well as sports events. At the Sibiu International Marathon, this year, there will be at least 10,000 runners who will exhaust themselves there, starting from the center, from Piața Mare, for a noble cause. And all these events are displayed in an application called Sibiu City App.”
Sibiu City is the official application of the Municipality of Sibiu. It includes a list of tourist attractions, recommendations from locals about interesting places or events in Sibiu, a calendar of events, and useful information about accommodation, restaurants, free time and entertainment, but also about transport. It is available in Romanian, English and German. But, below, we will learn about another special project, entitled The Years of Hiking. It is a project of the soul for all Sibiu residents, as we learn from Nicoleta Ocneriu, our guide.
“This project was initiated and supported by the County Council in the context of the pandemic. Initially, it was only for a period of one year, after which it was expanded because it was successful. Specific ecotourism activities are being promoted a lot. We are trying to encourage people to support a hut, a granny who makes a living only from this, and we want the hut not to remain just a trinket, we want the granny to enjoy it too. In order to preserve everything we have more, we have to promote it. At the same time, this program also improves the infrastructure of mountain hiking, of mountain trails. At least 800 km of mountain trails have been rehabilitated in this regard in the three massifs in our county: the Lotru Mountains, the Cindrel Mountains and the Făgăraș Mountains. And I am very happy, because this way we can better protect the environment.”
First of all, you need to access the website aniidrumeției.ro, as well as the pages on social networks. The calendar is published there in detail, at the beginning of each month.
“You can figure out which excursions suit you best. There are many collaborating mountain guides, with different specializations. There are guides for cycling, for biodiversity, for astronomical observation, for bird watching, for difficult routes on the ridges of the Făgăraș Mountains, for authentic experiences. When we see that there are not enough hikes, we try to balance the calendar, so that everyone is satisfied. How does a hike start? For example, in my case, before I choose a hike, I think about who to help. That’s my first question. I was in the Land of Huts, in the commune of Răul Sadului, I tried to help the community a little. People already go there by themselves. Then, I can go on Via Transilvanica, for cheese, to a priest, who makes divine cheeses. For example, the next hike I have planned is to the Land of Wooden Barns. Nobody knows about the trails in the Mountains Lotru. There are not that many trails walked. We also aim to encourage the improvement of the mountain infrastructure in the Lotru Mountains. That is why I thought of a program that starts from the Lotrioarei Valley and ends in the Land of Wooden Barns. If the Land of the Huts has smaller huts, the Land of Wooden Barns has larger huts called barns. From there, you can do a lot of hiking, and we will end the day at a beautiful cabin.”
The invitation has been launched. We look forward to seeing you next time with a new destination.
