Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria

by Lonely Planet

  You’ll feel some trepidation as you tread down stone passageways and up a creaking wooden staircase to tiny Casa Baroca. Despite this ominous beginning – or perhaps because of it – all three rooms feel thrillingly antique, retaining original wooden beams and decorated with Gothic touches like blood-red velvet armchairs and silver candlestick holders. Bathrooms, on the other hand, are polished and modern.

  oFronius ResidenceGUESTHOUSE$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-779 173; www.fronius-residence.ro; Str Școlii 13; d €70-120; paW)

  Stride past walls lined with medieval weaponry towards elegant rooms, some with rib-vault ceilings, within this 400-year-old building. In the citadel's heart, Fronius has a noble, nostalgic atmosphere, enhanced by vintage-style chairs, ornate candelabra and faded pictures of Sighişoara. Rooms are priced by their varying sizes and facilities.

  Ask ahead about the limited parking (five spaces).

  oCasa Georgius KraussBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0365-730 840; www.casakrauss.com; Str Bastionului 11; r 243-450 lei; paW)

  This dazzling boutique hotel is hived out of an old burgher's house at the northern end of the citadel. The restoration left period details like wood-beamed ceilings, while adding tasteful modern bathrooms and plush-linened beds. The Krauss Room, number 2, has original paintings including a medieval coat of arms, plus a four-poster bed.

  Other rooms are a little smaller, though all have quality hardwood furnishings and unique touches, like a fireplace in number 1 and a sunken bed in the attic room, number 9.

  Staff are friendly and accommodating and there's a quality restaurant with a fabulous wine list. Rooms are priced by size and some have air-conditioning.

  Central ParkHOTEL$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0365-730 006; www.hotelcentralpark.ro; Piața Hermann Oberth 25; s/d/ste €77/90/110; paiW)

  Prepare to crane your neck as you enter this opulent hotel, where artwork hangs high on the walls, European antiques decorate the hallways, and chandeliers sparkle above a grand stairway. Rooms continue the aristocratic feel with writing desks, high-thread-count sheets and velvet trimmings, plus mod cons like TVs and safes. It's a five-minute walk to the citadel.

  Hotel-Restaurant ClaudiuHOTEL$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-779 882, 0744-823 101; www.hotel-claudiu.com; Str Ilarie Chendi 28; r 315-360 lei; pW)

  Duck through an archway on main drag Str Chendi to reach this intimate guesthouse, run with loving care within a 1638 building. Hotel Claudiu’s peachy colour scheme gives it a warm, soothing feel. Meanwhile the clean rooms are decorated in a smart modern style, and they’re very quiet.

  5Eating & Drinking

  Well-touristed Sighişoara has a mixed bag of authentic Saxon and Romanian eateries, often in historic buildings, and overpriced cafes designed to squeeze a few lei out of foreign visitors. Either way, expect a wait if you're dining here in busy midsummer.

  Café InternationalCAFE$

  (House on the Rock; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Cetăţii 8; mains 13 lei; h8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat Jun-Sep, 9am-6pm Mon-Sat Oct-May; Wv)

  This delightful family-run cafe dishes up pies, cookies, quiches and sandwiches. Inside is rustic chic, while outside chairs and tables spill onto the cobbles. Homebaked goodies range from carrot cake to cheesecake and fruit pies, precisely the fuel you need to make it up to the Church on the Hill.

  Central ParkINTERNATIONAL$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0365-730 006; www.hotelcentralpark.ro; Central Park Hotel, Piața Hermann Oberth 25; mains 25-40 lei; h11am-11pm; pW)

  Even if you're not staying at the Central Park hotel, plan a meal here. Sighişoara is short on good restaurants and this is one of the best. The food is a mix of Romanian and international dishes, and the carefully selected wine list offers the best domestic labels. Dress up for the lavish dining room or relax on the terrace.

  AltepostROMANIAN$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0365-430 270; www.gasthaus-altepost.ro; Piața Hermann Oberth 38; mains 25 lei; h10am-midnight)

  Within a venerable 1851 building, this guesthouse-restaurant prepares satisfying portions of Saxon and Romanian cuisine, including spicy soups, spätzle (German pasta), chicken paprika and stuffed cabbage leaves. Pick a table either within the brick-lined vault or on the outdoor terrace.

  Casa Vlad DraculROMANIAN$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-771 596; www.casavladdracul.ro; Str Cositorarilor 5; mains 24-35 lei; h11am-11pm; c)

  The link between Dracula and tomato soups, or medallions with potato and chicken roulade, we'll never quite understand. But the house where Vlad was born could have been dealt a worse blow than this atmospheric, wood-panelled restaurant. The menu of Romanian, Saxon and grilled specials is dotted with Dracula references. With a little embellishing from you, your kids will love it.

  It's 5 lei to ascend to the upper room where Vlad was born (brace yourself).

  AristocratCLUB

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.club-aristocrat.ro; Str 1 Decembrie 1918, 57; h10pm-late)

  Sip cocktails or boozy coffees in this converted theatre space, or twirl for live music, themed club nights and DJ sets at this catch-all cafe and nightclub.

  7Shopping

  oArts & CraftsARTS & CRAFTS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thespoonman.ro; Str Cositorarilor 5; h10am-6pm)

  Inside Casa Vlad Dracul, this wondrous handicraft shop is the brainchild of self-styled 'Spoonman' Mark Tudose, who employs traditional woodcarving methods to fashion Transylvanian spoons (each with a local legend behind it), as well as painted-glass icons, clay statues, painted eggs and much more. It's a beautiful place to browse, and your best bet for finding a culturally meaningful souvenir.

  Ask about wood-carving classes inside.

  8Information

  BRDBANK

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; Str 1 Decembrie 1918, 20; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)

  One of several banks with 24-hour ATMs along Str 1 Decembrie 1918.

  Farmacia GenţianaPHARMACY

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Hermann Oberth 45; h7.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, from 8am Sat & Sun)

  Pharmacy at the bottom of the citadel.

  Info SighişoaraTOURIST INFORMATION

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0744-372 073; www.infosighisoara.ro; Str O Goga 8; h10am-6pm Tue-Sat)

  Private accommodation service; can help find rooms.

  Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0788-115 511; Piaţa Muzeului 6; h9am-5pm)

  Cordial, multilingual information service adjoining the Clock Tower, with maps and transport information.

  8Getting There & Away

  Direct trains connect Sighişoara's train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-771 130; www.cfrcalatori.ro; Str Libertăţii 51) with Braşov (18 to 40 lei, 2½ to 3½ hours, six daily), Bucharest (67 lei, five to 5½ hours, three daily; more via Braşov), Cluj-Napoca (30 to 60 lei, 4½ to six hours, four daily; more via Teius) and Sibiu (13 lei, 2½ to three hours, two daily; more via Mediaş).

  For Oradea, change trains in Cluj-Napoca. For Alba-Iulia, head to Teius and switch trains there.

  The station provides a left luggage (per day 7 lei; h24hr) service.

  Next to the train station, the main bus station (Autogara Sighişoara; GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-771 260; www.autogari.ro; Str Libertăţii 53) sends buses of various sizes and colours to Braşov (18 to 25 lei, 2½ hours, three daily), Făgăraş (19 lei, 2½ hours, one daily) and Sibiu (20 lei, 2½ hours, four daily). Maxitaxis pass by hourly for Târgu Mureş (18 lei, 1½ hours). There is a handful of daily services to Daneş (4 lei, 20 minutes). Additionally, some international bus services leave from Bus Station 2 (Autogara 2; GOOGLE MAP ; Str Morii 21).

  8Getting Around

  Find paid parking along Str 1 Decembrie 1918. Buy tickets from the roadside machines (per hour/day 1.50/5 lei).

  Taxis wait at the bottom of the main entrance to the citadel, with rates per kilometre around 2.40 lei. Hotels and guesthouses can negotiate with honest taxi drivers for a return trip to Biertan
for around 120 lei.

  Rent-a-Car Sighişoara ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0748-220 940, 0744-759 433; www.rent-a-car-sighisoara.com.ro; cnr Str 1 Decembrie 1918 & Piaţa O Goga; from 90 lei per day; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Reputable car hire operator who can bring a vehicle to your chosen address.

  Fortified Saxon Villages

  Remote, romantic villages along the Târnave plateau have the power to plunge you deep into Transylvania’s past. Dotted between Sighişoara and Sibiu, churches flanked by watchtowers and stocky walls rise from tumbledown villages. These imposing constructions hark back to medieval Transylvania, when the threat of attacks from the Turks prompted a frenzy of defence-building.

  Though Saxon residents largely drifted away from these villages from WWII onwards, Saxon flavour can be strongly sensed through well-preserved churches and in rarer cases, German-speaking locals. Today the villages are slow-paced places, where horses and carts rattle along gravel roads and flocks of sheep force you to snap off your car engine and wait.

  Most visitors are drawn to Biertan and Viscri, though tiny Mălâncrav and Alma Vii have charms worth exploring.

  History

  In 1123 Hungarian King Géza II invited Saxons – mainly from the Franken region in western Germany – to settle here. In the 15th and 16th centuries, following the increased threat of Turkish attacks on their towns, the settlements were strengthened with bulky city walls and fortified churches. Defensive towers in the churches served as observation posts. Town entrances were guarded with a portcullis that could be quickly lowered.

  Transylvania's Saxons began to leave for Germany and Austria after WWII. Many more departed after the 1990 revolution, leaving pretty villages ghostly and untended. Many were swiftly inhabited by Roma people.

  Subsequent inhabitants felt little connection to the region's Saxon heritage. The Mihai Eminescu Trust (www.mihaieminescutrust.org) is attempting to bridge the gap and instil a sense of pride in regional history, with restoration projects and tourism initiatives that involve local people.

  Biertan

  Pop 2500

  Rising sharply above a huddle of Saxon-style buildings, Biertan’s fortified church is a poetic sight. Medieval-themed inns and pastel-coloured houses surround the church, charming countless visitors to make a day-trip here from Sighişoara (30km) and Sibiu (80km).

  1Sights

  Fortified ChurchCHURCH

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; adult/child 8/4 lei; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct)

  Biertan’s late-Gothic church, ringed by concentric walls and flanked by towers, is among the largest and most impressive in Transylvania. The triple-naved church was built between 1493 and 1522, housing superbly preserved Renaissance artwork, an intricately carved pulpit and mosaicked door. The church and its majestic fortifications won a Unesco listing, along with the medieval core of Biertan village.

  Near the altar in the church is the sacristy that once held treasure behind its formidable door with an even more formidable lock: it has 19 locks activated by a single key, a marvel of engineering that made waves at the Paris World Expo in 1900.

  Inside the grounds are many buildings of interest, including a small bastion, which is famous in local lore: couples wanting a divorce were supposedly locked in here for two weeks as a last attempt to resolve differences. There was only one bed, one table and one set of cutlery. The method has been so successful that stories claim that only one couple decided to go through with divorce in more than 300 years.

  zFestivals & Events

  It's impossible to imagine a more perfect location for the Lună Plină Film Festival (www.lunaplinafestival.ro; hlate Aug) of horror and fantasy film than the Gothic fortress of Biertan. International and Romanian films are screened at various locations. Book accommodation well ahead.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  There are a dozen guesthouses around town, most of them family-run affairs. It's best to call ahead.

  Pensiunea ThomasAPARTMENT$$

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0742-024 065; Str 1 Decembrie; apt €90)

  Both of these 100-sq-m apartments within a renovated Saxon building enjoy fortress views, and have refined decor and crisp linens. At a pinch, the apartments can sleep up to six people, making use of two bedrooms and a pull-out sofa.

  It's a sister property to Unglerus Medieval Resort.

  Unglerus Medieval ResortGUESTHOUSE$$

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0742-024 065; www.biertan.ro; Str 1 Decembrie, 1; d/apt €40/65; W)

  Brassy bedframes, wood beams and the occasional antique make this a refined and atmospheric spot to bed down in Biertan. Book ahead.

  Unglerus Medieval RestaurantROMANIAN$$$

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0742-024 065; www.biertan.ro/restaurant/unglerus-restaurant.htm; Str 1 Decembrie, 1; mains 30-65 lei; h10am-10pm)

  Steps away from the guesthouse of the same name, Unglerus Restaurant instantly evokes time-worn grandeur with its high-backed chairs, wood-beamed ceilings, ornately carved banisters and oil paintings of knights and maidens. Satisfying goulash with polenta, spaghetti, tarragon and pork soup, and fried trout are on offer, though the wine cellar is the standout reason to stop by.

  8Getting There & Away

  Visiting Biertan is easiest by car, but four to six daily buses connect Biertan with Mediaş (10 to 12 lei, 45 minutes), which is reachable by train from Sighişoara. It’s possible to hire a taxi from Sighişoara to Biertan for around 60 lei each way.

  PRINCE CHARLES: TRANSYLVANIA'S ROYAL FAN

  Transylvania has found an unexpected ally in Prince Charles. The prince once quipped that with his genealogical links to Vlad the Impaler, he naturally has a stake in the country. Since his first visit in 1998, Prince Charles has campaigned to preserve Transylvania’s countryside and Saxon architecture. And though they won’t admit it, the royal stamp of approval inspires plenty of curious Brits to follow the prince’s footsteps. The royal purchased a house in Viscri in 2006, and a second one in the village of Zalanpatak in 2010. Both can be rented out when Prince Charles isn’t stopping by (though at the time of writing, the former was serving as a local handicrafts training centre). Learn more on http://zalan.transylvaniancastle.com.

  Viscri

  Pop 400

  With a medieval fortification at its heart and bucolic meadows in its surrounds, Viscri epitomises the romance of rural Transylvania. Flowing from Viscri’s medieval fortified church are cobbled lanes flanked by rows of cornflower-blue houses. The only sounds are the rattle of horse-drawn carts and the clank of a blacksmith’s workshop.

  The Saxon population may have thinned to around a dozen, but this remains one of the best-preserved Saxon villages in Romania. Transformative investment from the Mihai Eminescu Foundation has turned traditional buildings into guesthouses and established sustainable, informative ways to experience local crafts such as hand-stitched felt.

  1Sights & Activities

  Gerhild Gross (0742-077 506) can help arrange 90-minute horse-and-cart trips (60 lei) with the opportunity to see shepherds and blacksmiths perform their traditional crafts. Through Gerhild, you can also visit local women who make felt hats and slippers; you’re encouraged to buy, though there's no hard-sell and delicately hand-stitched goods do the talking.

  Fortified ChurchMUSEUM

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; adult 8 lei, student 4 lei, child free; h10am-1pm & 2-7pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Apr–mid-Jun & mid-Sep–mid-Oct)

  The whitewashed and tile-roofed fortified church in Viscri is a splendidly restored feat of medieval engineering. Its outbuildings display decorated furniture and agricultural tools, alongside village ceramics, and there’s a tower to climb for views across Viscri’s farmland. The centrepiece of the complex is a 1724 church displaying original wood carvings, paintings and a baroque chandelier. Watch out for those floorboards.

  Established by Székely builders in the early 12th century, Viscri's fortification was seized by Saxon colonists in 1185. Walls were strengthened and towers added from the 14th to 16th centuries.

  4Sleeping

&
nbsp; Viscri 125GUESTHOUSE$$$

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0723-579 489; www.viscri125.ro; s/d/chalet incl breakfast from €70/90/100; pW)

  Wood-beamed rooms in an elegantly spare style, with Saxon touches such as rugs and floral paintwork, occupy this beautifully renovated house and barn on Viscri's main street. Hearty lunches and dinners (€15/18 per person) are available. Reserve in advance. Prices are 10% higher at weekends.

  8Information

  Mihai Eminescu Trust (MET; %0265-506 024; www.mihaieminescutrust.org) Background information on restoration projects in Viscri and local guesthouses, and accommodation booking.

  8Getting There & Away

  Reaching Viscri requires private transport. By road, it’s 45km southeast of Sighişoara along route 13 and the E60, or 80km north of Brașov along the E60. When we passed through, the gravelly road through Viscri was in dire condition beyond the E60 turn-off, so prepare to dodge potholes.

  Făgăraş Mountains

  Slicing through the forbidding Făgăraş Mountains, the Transfăgărăşan Rd offers some of Transylvania's most memorable views. You're sure to have an iron grip on the steering wheel as you navigate its sharp bends. Road access is seasonal, usually between June and early October, but check weather conditions locally.