Sibiu

"I rubbed my eyes in amazement" wrote a traveler in Sibiu before the Second World War. "The town with narrow streets and old gabled house made me think of Nuremberg“, continued the same person. Sibiu also known by its German name as Hermannstadt and is located in the very heart of Romania. It is an old cultural center whose beginnings date back to 1192. The capital of Southern Transylvania, Sibiu was the most important of the seven cities established by the German colonists.

The original town was built in the fifteenth century and was protected by walls and brick towers, the buildings were joined by tunnels and narrow passageways, with heavily grated windows to cover the stairways and corners where intruders might be ambushed. Everywhere you look, there is evidence of Sibiu's historical past. In fact, the whole town breathes of history. The buildings are painted sky blue, red, apricot and pea green. And there are many cafes and restaurants, as well as a number of interesting churches and museums. Surrounding Sibiu are a number of lovely villages with fortified churches and rows of houses presenting a highly colored, but solid wall to the street."Marginimea Sibiului" - the villages around Sibiu are hidden in the mountains and the valleys. These communities are very rich in architecture, history and heritage and have resisted the ravages of time. Towards Fagaras, Tarnave and Sebes there are many wealthy Romanian and Saxon villages defended by fortified churches and with hardworking people.