Access points from the north – Făgăraş and Victoria – are situated outside the mountains and lack any sort of mountain-air quaintness. Still, the monumental citadel in Făgăraş town and Șinca Veche's mysterious cave shrine warrant driving beyond the Transfăgărăşan Rd.
Făgăraş
Făgăraş (fuh-guh-rash) town is 25km east of the start of the Transfăgărăşan Road, but has more services than any access point north of the mountain range. Dead-centre Piaţa Republicii is handy for banks, shops and services.
1Sights
oFăgăraş CitadelCASTLE
(Cetatea Făgărașului; GOOGLE MAP ; Str Mihai Viteazul 1, Făgăraş town; adult 15 lei, student 7 lei, child under 7yr free; h8am-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Jun-Sep, 8am-5pm Tue-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun Oct-Mar)
Encircled by a moat fringed with willow trees, Făgăraş Citadel is an impressively intact fortification from medieval Transylvania. The oldest part of this mighty fortress is the 14th-century Red Tower (actually a warm beige), with impenetrable 3m-thick walls. Included in the ticket price is entry to the Valer Literat Museum ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-211 862; www.muzeufagaras.ro; Făgăraş Citadel, Str Mihai Viteazul 1), whose visual highlights include delicately painted Saxon furnishings and a room exhibiting splendid glassware from Porumbacu de Sus village.
Built over a 12th-century wooden fortress razed to the ground by Tatars, the citadel began to take shape in 1310. It soon gained a reputation as Transylvania's strongest fortress; in parts of the complex, two walls run parallel creating a barrier 8m thick. Exploring the site, you’ll also see a bastion used to store artillery, and a rather too accessible scaffold (complete with hangman’s noose).
Don't miss seeing the Black Tower (again beige), which first belonged to Wallachia’s 14th-century rulers, Mircea cel Bătrân and stake-loving Vlad Țepeș, before being completed by Prince Stefan Báthory in the 16th century.
DON'T MISS
ȘINCA VECHE CAVE MONASTERY
Mystery and awe hang thick in the air in Șinca Veche ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.sincaveche.ro; Șinca Veche; h8am-8pm summer, 9am-6pm winter). Natural light pours through an opening in the ceiling of a cave-shrine; the faithful arrive to stand within this simple grotto, bathe in its healing light, and pray for fertility or health. A short walk from the grotto is a tranquil monastery. You can visit the outbuildings and church, but dress modestly and respect the quiet.
The cave and monastery are 1km south of Șinca Veche village, itself 30km east and south from Făgăraş town (take the E68).
Sâmbăta
Mountain-backed meadows and an impressive monastery have turned placid Sâmbăta into a surprise tourist hit. The region rolls south from the E68 highway between Sibiu and Făgăraş town; the turn-off is at Sâmbăta de Jos. Thereafter, a gloriously scenic drive bypasses acres of cornfields, with the Făgăraş Mountains beckoning behind them. First you'll reach Sâmbăta de Sus village (6km); another 7km south is the touristic complex, where stately Brâncoveanu Monastery (one of Romania's wealthiest) stands peacefully amid pensiunes and cafes.
1Sights
Brâncoveanu MonasteryMONASTERY
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0730-556 342; www.manastireabrancoveanu.ro; Sâmbăta de Sus; h8am-6pm)F
Wondrously decorated with carved columns, apocalyptic frescoes and gardens with barely a petal out of place, Brâncoveanu Monastery is as pristine as its mountain backdrop. Named after its original founder, Wallachian prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714), a few dozen monks still live here, meditating in the glittering Orthodox church and fashioning the glass icons for which Sâmbăta is famous. Ask for entry to the onsite Glass Icon Museum to see examples.
Founded in 1696, Brâncoveanu Monastery has been a lightning rod for spirituality in the Făgăraş Mountains ever since. Restorations between 1929 and 1936 polished up the belfry and added stone colonnades. Today it's popular with Romanian visitors. Bring a bottle to fill with holy water from the marked urns, if you want to take a splash of spirituality home with you.
Castelul de Lut Valea ZanelorARCHITECTURE
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0721-298 207; www.valeazanelor.ro; Porumbacu de Sus; 5 lei; h10am-7pm)
Resembling a gnome village, the Castelul de Lut complex has been created from clay, sand and pure whimsy. The self-styled 'clay castle of pixie valley' was built in the midst of tumbledown Porumbacu de Sus village, 26km west of Sâmbăta. When we stopped by to admire its charming towers and undulating roofs, it hadn't yet opened for overnight stays. But plans were underway to allow visitors to sleep in this weird and wonderful place. You'll need your own wheels to visit.
4Sleeping
Sâmbăta has plenty of guesthouses, and there are some charming options around Lake Bâlea, the finish point of the Transfăgărăşan Rd. Overnight in Făgăraş town if you must (after all, it has most of the region's amenities and public transport) but its humdrum pensiunes aren't likely to prolong your stay.
Făgăraș town has the biggest choice of cafes and fast food, followed by Sâmbăta. In general, dining choices are unreliable (especially outside summer) so stock up, especially for road trips or hikes.
Casa MartaPENSION$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0764-141 414, 0760-454 533; [email protected]; Sâmbăta de Sus; r 225 lei; p)
Around 250m from the Brâncoveanu Monastery, this agreeable pension feels a little 1970s, but in the most comforting way. Satellite TVs, decent bathrooms and a peaceful garden are among Casa Marta’s simple perks.
Cabana Bâlea CascadăHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0724-244 463; www.balea-turism.ro; s/d/tr 130/160/195 lei; pW)
Right near the cable car up to Lake Bâlea, this lodge offers roomy but simply furnished rooms with dreamy views of the mountains.
Cabana Bâlea LacROMANIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0745-072 602; www.balealac.ro; mains 15-35 lei; v)
Bordering Lake Bâlea, this cabin and restaurant has seasonal cuisine from soups and cheese plates to mushroom stews. It's the perfect finish after a thrilling drive along the Transfăgărăşan Rd.
8Getting There & Away
Drivers rule the Făgăraş Mountains. Main draws are the Transfăgărăşan Rd and poorly connected Sâmbăta, so private transport is ideal. You can hire a car in Sibiu or Braşov (www.autonom.ro).
The main public transport hub is Făgăraş town, 13km east of the turn-off to Sâmbăta and 25km east of the start of the Transfăgărăşan Rd. Buses and maxitaxis pass Făgăraş from Braşov (15 lei, 1½ hours, 12 daily) on their way to Sibiu (15 lei, 1½ hours, 12 daily).
Făgăraş’ train station sends direct trains to Braşov (9 to 22 lei, 1½ hours, 11 daily), Sibiu (12 to 28 lei, two hours, eight daily) and Bucharest (60 lei, 4½ hours, two daily).
THE TRANSFăGăRăşAN ROAD
The Transfăgărăşan Rd (the 7C) is Romania’s highest asphalted road. Driving its hairpin bends is a white-knuckle adventure: along some stretches, you're hemmed in by sharp cliffs and forest. After a few twists and turns, these abruptly give way to breathtaking mountain views. The two-lane 'road to the clouds' sometimes has the narrowest of shoulders separating it from the edge of a cliff. Voted by TV's Top Gear as the world's best road, it provides an unforgettable experience behind the wheel.
Ceauşescu’s most celebrated project was built in the 1970s over the course of 4½ short years – 6 million kg of dynamite was used to blast out 3.8 million cu metres of rock, and at least 38 overworked soldiers died in accidents during its hasty construction. Though other routes east and west of here cut an easier north–south route, Ceauşescu thought it wise to secure the Carpathian crossing at the traditional border between Wallachia and Transylvania, in case of invasion.
How to tackle it: The Transfăgărăşan Rd is most commonly accessed from the northern end, where a 35km drive will take you south from Hwy 1 to the haunting glacial Lake Bâlea (2034m). No public transport follows this route, parts of which are closed from October to May (roughly). Driving here isn't permitted at night.
&nb
sp; Starting from Hwy 1 in the north, the drive gets interesting at Km12, when the road begins a series of jagged turns through forest. As you keep climbing, the trees start to thin, their veil replaced by unfolding views of sheer rock face. By Km20, your ears are popping. At Km22, you arrive at the cascadă (waterfalls). The 360-degree views here are stunning: walls of mountains surround the area, and the distant waterfalls’ slash of white appears like a lightning bolt in a grey sky. There are souvenir stands, a restaurant and the Cabana Bâlea Cascadă as well as the Telecabina Bâlea ( GOOGLE MAP ; one-way adult/child 30/15 lei; h9am-5pm), a cable car that whisks you up to Lake Bâlea. Alternatively, follow the scenic blue-flecked trail (2½ to three hours). The remaining 13km up to Lake Bâlea is a maze of razor-sharp zigzags hanging over precipices framing breathtaking views.
The crowning glory: Lake Bâlea hovers like a mirror among the rocks, sometimes totally enshrouded by clouds that come billowing over the peak above it. Cabana Bâlea Lac is here, a chalet and restaurant with seasonal cuisine from soups and cheese plates to mushroom stews. To get here during snow, you’ll have to park at Cabana Bâlea Cascada and take the cable car the rest of the way. And remember, temperatures here can be very cold even if it’s boiling at the foot of the mountain, so wrap up.
Dedicated road trippers can continue an additional 118km south to Piteşti, via Curtea de Argeş. After an 887m-long tunnel through rock under the Palţinu ridge, the road descends the less impressive south side along the Argeş Valley. After re-entering forest, just when you think the fun is over, the road suddenly hugs the shores of the picturesque Lake Vidraru and crosses a 165m-high arched dam (1968). Beyond the lake, just off the road, is the Poienari Citadel, the real Dracula’s castle (where Vlad Ţepeş ruled).
Sibiu
Pop 154,890
Sibiu is awash in aristocratic elegance. Noble Saxon history emanates from every art nouveau facade and gold-embossed church. Renowned composers Strauss, Brahms and Liszt all played here during the 19th century, and Sibiu has stayed at the forefront of Romania’s cultural scene through its festivals of opera, theatre and film, as well as rock, jazz and more. The country's first hospital, school, library and pharmacy were all established here, and locals are justly proud of the spirit of enterprise that endures to this day.
Beyond its grand architecture, Sibiu has a good dose of bohemian flair. Houses with distinctive eyelid-shaped windows (imagine a benign 'Amityville Horror' House) watch a cast of artists and buskers bustling below them. Cafes and bars inhabit brick-walled cellars and luminously decorated attics. Sibiu's soul lies somewhere in between genteel coffee culture and unbridled creativity; go find it.
History
Founded on the site of the former Roman village of Cibinium, during the peak of Saxon influence, Sibiu had some 19 guilds (each representing a different craft) within the sturdy city walls protected by 39 towers and four bastions. Under the Habsburgs from 1692 to 1791 and again from 1849 to 1867, Sibiu (Hermannstadt in German) served as the seat of the Austrian governors of Transylvania. A great deal of Sibiu's architecture has roots in this colourful history. In 2000 Johannis Klaus of the German Democratic Forum was elected mayor, remaining hugely popular until the end of his tenure in 2014, when he moved on to become Romania's president.
Sibiu
1Top Sights
1St Mary's Evangelical ChurchB2
1Sights
2Banca AgricolăB2
3Bridge of LiesB1
4Brukenthal PalaceB2
5Carpenters' TowerC4
6Council TowerB2
7Franz Binder Museum of World EthnologyB2
8Haller BastionD3
9History MuseumA2
10Natural History MuseumC3
Pharmaceutical MuseumB1
11Potters' TowerB4
12Roman Catholic CathedralB2
2Activities, Courses & Tours
13Carpathian Travel CentreC2
4Sleeping
14Am RingC2
15Casa LuxemburgB1
16Hotel Împăratul RomanilorB3
17Old Town HostelB1
18PanGeeaC2
19The CouncilB1
20Welt KulturB3
5Eating
21Crama SibianăB2
22Crama Sibiul VechiB3
23KulinariumB2
24PasajA1
25WeinkellerA1
6Drinking & Nightlife
26Cafe WienA2
27EspresseeB3
Geea CaffeC2
28Imperium ClubA4
29Music PubB1
3Entertainment
30Agenţia de TeatralăB3
31State PhilharmonicC3
7Shopping
32Gossip TreeA1
33Librăria HumanitasB3
34Souvenir MarketB3
1Sights
oSt Mary's Evangelical ChurchCHURCH
(Catedrala Evanghelică Sfânta Maria; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Huet; adult/child 5/2 lei, with tower 8/3 lei; h9am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-8pm Sun)
Sibiu's Gothic centrepiece rises more than 73m over the old town. Inside, marvel at ghoulish stone skeletons, 17th-century tombs and the largest organ in Romania, all framed by a magnificent arched ceiling. Built in stages from the mid-1300s to 1520, the church was planted atop the site of an older 12th-century sanctuary. The four turrets on its tower once signified the right of the town to sentence criminals to death.
The tomb of Mihnea Vodă cel Rău (Prince Mihnea the Evildoer), son of Vlad Ţepeş, is behind the organ. The prince was murdered in front of the church in 1510.
Brukenthal PalaceGALLERY
(European Art Gallery; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-217 691; www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/europeana; Piaţa Mare 5; adult/student 20/5 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun summer, closed Tue winter)
Brukenthal Palace is worth visiting as much for its resplendent period furnishings as the European art within. Duck beneath the Music Room’s chandeliers to admire colourful friezes and 18th-century musical instruments, before sidling among chambers exhibiting 17th-century portraits amid satin chaise longues and cases packed with antique jewellery. Sumptuously curated.
History MuseumMUSEUM
(Casa Altemberger; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/istorie; Str Mitropoliei 2; adult/child 20/5 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm Wed-Sun Nov-Mar)
This impressive museum begins with reenactments of cave dwellers squatting in the gloom and dioramas of Dacian life. Out of these shadowy corridors, the museum opens out to illuminating exhibitions about Saxon guilds and local handicrafts (most impressive is the 19th-century glassware from Porumbacu de Sus). There's plenty of homage to Saxon efficiency: you could expect a fine for improperly crafting a copper cake tin.
Pharmaceutical MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.brukenthalmuseum.ro; Piaţa Mică 26; adult/student 10/2.50 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm Wed-Sun Nov-Mar)
On the site of Sibiu's first documented apothecary, this museum delves into the herb-scented history of medicine. More than 6600 items such as microscopes, mortars and pestles, pills, powders and shudder-inducing suppository moulding kits and surgical kits are presented around the three rooms of this 1568 building.
Bridge of LiesBRIDGE
(Podul Minciunilor; MAP GOOGLE MAP )
The 1859-built iron bridge is nicknamed the Bridge of Lies. Depending on who you ask, it stems either from tricky merchants who met here, or young lovers swearing their undying affection (or virginity). If you tell a lie upon it, it's supposed to creak.
Roman Catholic CathedralCHURCH
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Mare; h9am-6pm)
The inside of this baroque church, built between 1726 and 1738, gleams with gold decoration and bright frescoes.
Franz Binder Museum of World EthnologyMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.franzbinder.sibiu.ro; Piaţa Mică 11; adult/child 20/10 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun Jun-Sep, 9am-5pm Tue-Sun Oct-May)
Named for a 19th-century collector from Sibiu, the Franz Binder Mu
seum of World Ethnology was undergoing a revamp when we passed through. A scattering of musical instruments and a mummy were on display, but a reopening of its vast, global collection of objets d'art was imminent.
Banca AgricolăLANDMARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Mare 2)
Banca Agricolă is one of Piaţa Mare’s most impressive sights; the art nouveau building, dating to the early 20th century, now houses the town hall and tourist information centre.
ASTRA National Museum ComplexMUSEUM
(Muzeul Civilizaţiei Populare Tradiţionale ASTRA; GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-202 447; www.muzeulastra.ro; Str Pădurea Dumbrava 16-20; adult/child 17/3.50 lei; h8am-8pm May-Sep, 9am-5pm Oct-Apr)
Five kilometres from central Sibiu, this is Europe's largest open-air ethnographic museum, where churches, mills and traditional homes number among 400 folk architecture monuments on site. In summer, ASTRA hosts numerous fairs, dance workshops and musical performances, so it's worthwhile checking the website for events. There’s also a nice gift shop and restaurant with creekside bench seats. Get there via bus 13 from Sibiu's train station.
DON'T MISS
CITY WALLS
South of Piaţa Mare, Str Cetăţii lines a section of the old city walls, constructed during the 16th century. As in Braşov, different guilds protected each of the 39 towers. Walk north up Str Cetăţii past a couple – the Potters' Tower (Turnul Olarilor; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Cetății) and Carpenters' Tower (Turnul Dulgherilor; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Cetăţii) – to reach the Natural History Museum ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-436 545; www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/naturale_en; Str Cetăţii 1; adult/child 13/3.25 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun summer, closed Tue winter), which has an average collection of stuffed animals that dates from 1849, and frequent temporary exhibitions. Further north, the street curls around the Haller Bastion ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Onofreiu). When Sibiu was hit by the plague, holes were drilled through the walls to enable corpses to be evacuated more quickly from the city.
Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria Page 18