Friday, August 24
We were warned that train service in Transylvania required “patience” but we decided to try our luck. We had the option of going by bus but we prefer the train whenever possible. The schedule was rather limited and we were forced to book tickets on the 6:08 am train, which meant that we would be getting up around 4:30 am.
Because we were taking such an early train we hoped to schedule a taxi the night before. Unfortunately, none of the usual apps (Uber, Taxify, etc.) support advance reservations in this area. We did try to call a taxi in the morning but none were available. Luckily for us the train station is only about 1.5 miles from our apartment so we walked. The streets were mostly quiet except for the occasional group of intoxicated youths who were just on their way home after a night of drinking.
The trip to Sibiu, a 2.5 hour trip by car, took almost four hours on the train. It stopped at every single station along the way. Still, it was a nice way to see the countryside. The scenery was mostly rolling hills and fields of corn separated occasionally by a shepherd watching over a flock of sheep all backed by the Carpathian mountains. From the station in Sibiu it was just a short walk to our destination: the old town district.
Sibiu is located about 90 miles due West of Brasov and has a similar history. In the 12th century it was the largest and richest of the so-called “Seven Cities” – the towns in Transylvania that the Saxons settled. The Upper Town, occupied by the Saxons, was protected by high walls and towers while the Romanians lived in the unfortified Lower Town. We had researched the city before setting out and were armed with a long list of things to see and do.
Upon entering the main town square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we noticed people scurrying about setting up for some sort of festival. Watching other people at work always makes us hungry (it had been more than five hours since we’d had breakfast) so we walked over to the nearby small square and ordered cake and coffee at Lilli’s Cafe. It was going to be another one of those four/five meal days. We chose well. In spite of the fact that the coffee was quite strong we liked it a lot and the homemade cakes were oh so delicious.
The first stop on our itinerary was the Lutheran Church. It’s by far the city’s largest church and is famous for its richly decorated interior. Construction began on this Gothic style church in 1351 and was completed about 150 years later. It was originally a Catholic church but has since converted to Lutheranism. The church was hosting a small exhibition on Anne Frank in the vestibule area but the main church was closed to visitors because of a two year renovation slated to be completed near the end of 2019. The bell tower, which is said to have the best view of the city, was open and we planned to come back later and see it for ourselves.
Adjacent to the church is the Bridge of Lies. This small pathway connects the Huet Square to the Small Square. It is said that if you tell a lie while standing on the bridge the bridge will know and will make noises. We stood in the middle and told some real whoppers but didn’t hear anything except the nearby cars. Maybe you have to tell your lies in Romanian to get a reaction.
Next we visited the Roman Catholic church in the main square. It’s a Baroque style building that was built in 1726. The church recently underwent renovations and is in wonderful condition. The interior is very pretty with many frescos and lots of beautiful stained glass windows.
Our third house of worship was the Orthodox Church which was just a few blocks away. Eastern Orthodox is the religion that most Romanians practice. The building was constructed between 1902 and 1906 in the neo-Byzantine style and is the second largest Orthodox Church in all of Romania. We’d seen a lot of Orthodox Churches but this was one of the most beautiful we’ve encountered. Every surface was painted with frescos of bible scenes and, as usual, there was a large wooden panel up front that held a myriad of icons.
(Orthodox Church)
After leaving the church we walked around to the East side of the city to see what was left of the original fortifications. Originally the town had 39 towers, five bulwarks, four gates and five artillery batteries. We found a street that ran alongside a long stretch of the old wall where three towers from the 15th and 16th centuries still stand and have been fully restored. We were not permitted to enter any of them. We also wandered to several locations where some of the other towers were said to have stood but nothing of them remained.
(Medieval Fortifications)
Back in the main square the medieval festival was in full swing. There were many vendors selling period style food, artisanal foods, candies and souvenirs. Near the town hall there was a display of medieval weapons. I had a chance to swing a very heavy two-handed sword. It’s hard to believe that knights laden with armor and weaponry could move at all.
(Knight Errant in Training)
Before eating lunch we went back to the Lutheran Church and climbed the bell tower. The way up was via a very steep and narrow set of rickety wood stairs. It felt like we were climbing a ladder. It might have been a difficult climb expect for the fact that there were many landings and we frequently had to wait for others to pass before proceeding on up. Along the way we encountered three large bells which are now electronically controlled. Once at the top we were able to visit windows on all four sides of the tower. We had a great view of the entire city and took lots of pictures.
For lunch we went to another restaurant in the little square called Crama Sibiana. We shared a pork fillet Sibiu style and a cabbage salad. The pork dish was similar to a cordon-bleu and came with something like a tartar sauce. It was all very tasty.
(Pork Sibiu Style)
Next was a visit to the Brukenthal Palace / Museum which is billed as Transylvania’s finest art museum. The palace was built in 1790 by Samuel Brukenthal who was then the governor of the province. The house was opened as a museum in 1817 and was one of the first museums in Romania. The museum has two permanent exhibits: The Palace & European Art Collection and a separate collection of Romanian Artists. The cost for the first exhibit was 20 Lei per person and the second part was 6. We opted to see the palace and the European collection. At 40 Lei (about $10) it was a hefty price tag for the area.
The palace was a lovely building that seemed to go on and on. We wouldn’t call it elaborate but all of the rooms had decorative ceilings with plaster medallions, gold leaf and original period furniture. The collection included works by Ruebens, van Dyck and Bruegel. Most of the works were removed to Bucharest during the communist occupation but all have since been returned. It was a very nice collection but we think some of the museums in Bucharest had higher quality works.
Upon leaving the palace we stopped to watch a blacksmith demonstration. We saw him complete a sword and watched as he hammered and twisted a flatten piece of metal into a rose. There was a large crowd and they all seemed to be having a great time.
We spent a few more hours walking around town before heading once again to the small square for some dinner at Lilli’s Cafe. We ordered two iced coffee drinks and a shrimp bruschetta. What we got were two hot coffee drinks with straws, one set of silverware and a shrimp and arugula salad with flat bread. It was not what we expected but it was all exceptionally good. The waiter, who seemed to be new, was probably better suited to another profession.
We ended the day by walking back to the train station by way of the Lower Town – the Romanian district. The area is known for its houses with eyebrow windows. By the time we got there it was after 5:00 pm and virtually all of the businesses had closed for the day and only a few restaurants were open for business.
The train back to Brasov was an express and took about three hours and fifteen minutes. We decided to call a taxi for the trip back to our apartment and arrived back to our apartment around midnight. It had been a long day.
Distance walked: 10.5 miles