Sleepy Sighisoara

Eastern EuropeEuropeTravel

Feb 27

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Our Transylvania Roadtrip

If you want to read about our excellent roadtrip, here are our other days:

Days 3-4: Brasov to Sighisoara

As most travel itineraries recommend, we finally moved onto Sighisoara, but with big stops planned along the way at Rupea Castle, Visteri, and Saschiz.

Lodging

Nestled in the Transylvanian mountains, Sighisoara is a quiet, romantic getaway. Because there are not many lodging options, we settled for the Doubletree by Hilton. Compared to normal Hiltons, this one was quiet unique has it was a loft concept. While we did not like the climb up and down for the bathroom, it was a fairly decent room especially at an affordable price! Plus, we had free breakfast and I was able to workout in the gym.

Food & Drinks

Gasthaus Post Office: Whilst there were other similar options, I much preferred the post office because it did not seem as touristy compared to the Dracul restaurant in town. Plus, the food was quite tasty! On our first night here, I had a warm bowl of Hungarian goulash. Mixed with beef, the soup was spicy and thick with a yummy taste! Perfect for a cold night in a tiny village.

On our second night, we splurged and split a few items - one traditional and one very not so much! Mary Frances wasn't feeling that hungry so she ordered the traditional Romanian dish - polenta with sour cream and cheese. It was expected... Meanwhile, I took advantage of their brick oven and had a delicious pizza!

Other Top Choices

Vlad Dracul Restaurant: Whilst we did not eat here, this restaurant is very popular amongst tourists. I just couldn't bear to eat here although people said it had decent food near Vlad's birthplace.

House on the Rock: Located in the middle of town square, House on the Rock is a terrific boutique cafe serving warm drinks and tasty treats! I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon treat!

Rupea Castle

On the way to Sighosiara lies the towering ruins of Rupea Citadel, one of the oldest Romanian archeological sites. Dating to 1324, the citadel has protected many people throughout the ages, primarily from the Turks, but not that successfully! Because the citadel sits on one of the largest hills in the area, the views are outstanding of the surrounding valleys. This being said, the height meant the castle was very cold and windy.

Throughout the citadel are peasant homes describing the day to day life of the people in the middle ages. However, all the houses were empty leaving us to our imagination on what they actually meant. Plus, all the signage said they were guessing on what occurred in this room so who knows what was right! Either way, we stopped primarily for the views rather than reading signs on a cold, windy hill.

Visteri

Next on our Romanian road trip is the rural medieval Saxon village of Visteri. In order to get to the village though, we didn't fully appreciate the guide book's definition of "rural." Within 3 minutes of leaving the main road, we were on dirt roads passing sheep and cows while the houses went from concrete to mud and tarps. We were not expecting this!

Once we arrived at Visteri, either we took a wrong turn or our expectations were really wrong. Because of the recent rain, the roads were muddy and the village people kept pointing at our car. So, being foreign and confused, we left...

Saschiz Fortress

Our next stop would surely be more successful! At Saschiz Fortress, it would be similar to Rupea as it protects the valley from invaders. However, unlike Rupea, the fortress was under construction as we drove through the town of Saschiz so we could only look high on the mountain to see the fortress. We just don't have much luck today!

An Evening at Sighosiara

Because we whiffed on two of our three planned road trip stops, we arrived in Sighosiara before the sunset!

Thankfully, we had a perfect sunny day outside to explore the amazing little village on a hill. From the Doubletree, we had very easy access to the town! To celebrate, I went to the Hill on the Rock to both people watch and plan what I should do.

Since there are many appears-to-be-a-tourist trap museums or exhibits, I chose to wander. Boy, was it the right decision! The streets are enchanting away from the main village square. Straight from the fairytales, the views are astounding as the curves of the cobble stones blends very well with the terrific views. I found the ancient city walls and walked the entire length and enjoying the great views.

Stay at Sighosara

Whilst most travel blogs recommend moving onwards, we decided to stay here as we wanted to extend our time in the mountains. However, in hindsight, this may not have been the best place to spend an extra day, especially on a Sunday!

Exploring a Fairytale

Because the city is incredibly small and slows life's pace, our experience was very different compared to other Romanian cities - especially on a Sunday! Similar to most Western European cities, most places are closed so we (again) explored the town but this time with Mary Frances. Unsurprisingly, she liked the little village!

Up The Staircase

In the middle of the village is one of the oldest wooden staircases in the world! Dating to the 1400s, the many stairs lead to the schoolhouse, church, and a very high hilltop. Whilst we did not enjoy the stair workout, we were immediately glad that we did because the views were incredible! The church itself was worth the trek but the long view of the river and village were better!

Another Relaxing Visit to the Post Office

Because I enjoyed my meal at the post office so much and my aversion to total touristy places, we went back to the post office for a relaxing meal. Yes, those are words that I did not expect to be together! Upon reflection, a quiet village life might not be so bad if that is all you want in life!

Next Time...

Now that you've read this chapter of our Transylvania Roadtrip, click below to continue onwards, or head back to another day!