Sibiu European Capital of Culture Tour

Once invited to Transylvania 8 centuries ago, in order to strengthen Hungarian rule up to the Carpathians, the settlers from Germany and Flanders calling themselves 'Sachsen' or Saxons established seven fortresses or boroughs, a very important one being Hermannstadt, also called Sibiu by the Romanian countrymen of the surroundings. From here, the newcomers managed to achieve their task: developing trades and handicraft, organizing themselves on guilds, which made Sibiu and the entire Transylvania flourish all through the Middle Ages. Although most Saxons left back to their old homelands after World War II and communism, it's this medieval something in the air that so many tourists find in this city, rightfully declared European Capital of Culture in 2007. Come and take your share of Transylvanian peace and charm in this city, being left with memories to cherish from then on. As a local guide, passionate about history, I will help you experience and achieve just that! And more. . .

Setting off from Brasov, we head for Fagaras, an old town dominated by the majestic presence of the Fagaras Fortress, dating back to the 14th century, encircled by a moat, now host of a museum. We reach Sibiu, a treasure of old Saxon architecture, the tour of which starts with the bulwarks of the old defense walls, continuing with the main pedestrian street leading to the three squares around which the Old Town was built: the vast Large Square, with the Baroque Council House and the Council Tower, offering a great bird's-eye view, the Small Square, with the Liars' Bridge, and the Huet Square, guarded by the impressive Evangelic Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece. The Bruckenthal Arts Museum displays some of Romania's most precious paintings, the first building ever errected in present-day Romania to be a museum, by the Transylvanian Governor, Baron von Bruckenthal, in the early 19th century. Lunch in a cosy location.