A Night Walk Around the Old Town of Sighisoara

In this destination guide we take a night walk through the old town and citadel of Sighisoara, a city in the Romanian region of Transylvania.

From Viscri to Sighisoara

After my enjoyable visit to Viscri it was time to continue my Transylvanian road trip.

While admiring the views out over the countryside from the tower of the fortified church of Viscri I however noticed that it was getting quite late and the sun already started to set.

I decided it was time to drive on to the city of Sighișoara, where I had booked a room for the night.

It’s an easy 45-minute drive from Viscri to Sighisoara, although I made a slight detour through the towns of Dacia and Rupea as I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of my Dacia Sandero with the Dacia town sign.

The sunset views on the road to Sighisoara were absolutely superb and it turned out to be lovely drive.

viscri saxon fortified church
View from the fortified church in Viscri over the village and countryside. ©Paliparan
dacia sandero
My Dacia Sandero rental car in the village of Dacia. ©Paliparan
dacia village
Time to leave the village of Dacia again. ©Paliparan
transylvania scenery
Typical Transylvanian scenery on the road between Viscri and Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
romania road
The sun was slowly setting during my drive to Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
sunset transylvania
Beautiful sunset skies. ©Paliparan

Into the citadel

Sighisoara, founded by Saxon settlers in the 12th century, is your quintessential Transylvanian city and is one of Romania’s loveliest places to visit.

The German name for Transylvania is Siebenbürgen, which literally translates as ‘Seven Castles’.

Sighisoara (German: Schässburg) is one of the seven fortified cities after which Siebenbürgen was named, the others being Sibiu (Hermannstadt), Brasov (Kronstadt), Cluj (Klausenburg), Bistrița (Bistritz), Sebeș (Mühlbach) and Orăștie (Broos).

Although I’ve visited Sighisoara many times before, I’m always happy to return to the city even though this time it was just for a relatively short night.

When I entered Sighisoara’s walled old town centre (better known as the citadel) from the west through the Tailors’ Tower, dusk had already fallen.

schassburg
Walking towards the Tailors’ Tower. ©Paliparan
sighisoara tailors towers
The Tailors’ Tower – called the Turnul Croitorilor in Romanian or Schneiderturm in German – is one of the gate towers that give access to the citadel. ©Paliparan
tailors tower sighisoara citadel
Entering the citadel of Sighisoara through the Tailors’ Tower. ©Paliparan
sighisoara old town night
The old town streets inside the citadel of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan

Cobblestoned streets

One of the biggest delights of Sighisoara is simply walking the cobblestoned old town streets.

With its pastel-coloured houses and low-key vibe, Sighisoara feels especially delightful in the late evening or early morning hours.

At these hours, the wee bit of daylight reflects beautifully on the cobbles and the façades, creating a gorgeous glow.

Besides, the city is bereft of day trippers, making it even more sedated than it normally already is.

sighisoara night citadel
Streets inside the citadel of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
clock tower sighisoara
The iconic clock tower used to be the main entrance gate to the citadel of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
sighisoara old town dusk
The old town centre of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
cat
Cute cat in one of the old town streets. ©Paliparan

Check-in

For my one-night-stay in Sighisoara I had booked a room at Casa Wagner right in the heart of the old town.

I will review Casa Wagner in full in the next chapter of this trip report.

After dropping off my bag in my room and grabbing some dinner at the hotel, I decided to explore more of the city by night.

casa wagner sighisoara
My room at Casa Wagner. ©Paliparan

Night walk

Even when you have already explored the old town of Sighisoara in daylight hours, I would still highly recommend you take another walk at night.

In darkness, the city has a entirely different charm than during the day.

Some of the buildings in the  town are beautifully illuminated, while darker corners of Sighisoara’s citadel have a mysterious vibe.

Of course, Sighisoara is the place where Vlad Țepeș was born.

Vlad Țepeș – better known as Vlad the Impaler – was a 15th century Wallachian ruler who formed the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s character Dracula.

central square sighisoara
Sighisoara’s central square at night. ©Paliparan
old town
Old town houses. ©Paliparan
clock tower
The clock tower at night. ©Paliparan
sighisoara old town
Some of the old town streets are beautifully illuminated while others are a bit more dark. ©Paliparan

Up the stairs

For the darkest and most mysterious corners of Sighisoara you have to walk up the hill to the highest point of the citadel.

From the old town centre you can take the covered wooden staircase (called the Scholars’ Stairs) which links the lower and upper parts of the citadel.

The stairway is named after the School on the Hill, a high school which dates back to the early 17th century.

However, the 15th century Church on the Hill (German: Bergkirche) is the main building in the upper part of the citadel.

Especially when you walk across the hillside graveyard behind the church you don’t need much fantasy to imagine a couple of vampires lurking in the dark behind the tombstones or trees.

covered stairway
The covered stairway. ©Paliparan
school sighisoara
School building on top of the hill. ©Paliparan
church on the hill
The Church on the Hill. ©Paliparan
sighisoara city wall
View from the hill over the Sighisoara city walls and defensive towers. ©Paliparan

Lower town

Fortunately, there were no vampires to be seen in the upper part of the citadel.

Having escaped a fatal bite in my neck I headed back down towards the heart of the citadel where I began my walk.

However, this time I headed even further down, walking underneath the clock tower out of the citadel towards the lower town.

The lower town, which is located in the Târnava Mare river valley, also has a number of historic buildings and charming streets.

At night, you are much more likely to find open restaurants and pubs in this part of town than you would inside the citadel, as the places inside the walled old town tend to close soon after dinnertime.

Moreover, from the lower town you have some fabulous views of the hilltop citadel.

sighisoara old town night
Sighisoara’s old town streets at night. ©Paliparan
clock tower path
Walking underneath the clock tower towards the lower town. ©Paliparan
lower town sighisoara
The lower town. ©Paliparan
lower town sighisoara
Colourful street in the lower town of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
sighisoara citadel
The citadel of Sighisoara as seen from the lower town. ©Paliparan

Back up again

After a quick beer in one of the lower town cafés, I headed back up into the citadel.

Before I returned to the hotel, I stopped at a viewpoint next to the Monastery Church and Ironsmiths’ Tower to admire the fine views over the lower town and the valley.

clock tower sighisoara citadel
The passage underneath the clock tower links the lower town with Sighisoara’s citadel. ©Paliparan
viewpoint
View over the lower town and the valley. ©Paliparan
sighisoara viewpoint night
The modern-day town of Sighisoara and main Orthodox church as seen from the viewpoint. ©Paliparan
street citadel
Empty streets at night inside the citadel. ©Paliparan
main square
Main square inside the citadel. ©Paliparan
square
Some last night-time impressions . ©Paliparan

Conclusion

The small city of Sighisoara is a must-see destination on any trip through Transylvania.

This city – originally founded by the Transylvanian Saxons – is full of charm and history and has maintained its original character.

When you walk through the walled old town streets of Sighisoara’s citadel you are warped centuries back in time.

Besides, there aren’t many towns and cities in the world that are so special as Sighisoara when it comes to night-time walks.

Partly thanks to its links with Bram Stoker’s fictitious character Dracula, there is just something mysterious about this town.

Whatever the reason is behind your visit, Sighisoara’s special charm and character will certainly amaze you!

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Visiting the Saxon Fortified Churches of Transylvania‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. The Fortified Church of Harman (Honigberg), Brasov County
2. The Fortified Church of Prejmer (Tartlau), Brasov County
3. The Fortified Church of Feldioara (Marienburg), Brasov County
4. A Visit to Rupea Fortress
5. The Fortified Church of Homorod (Hamruden), Brasov County
6. Racoș: Exploring an Extinct Volcano and Abandoned Castle
7. In the Footsteps of King Charles: A Visit to Viscri, Romania
8. A Visit to the Fortified Church of Viscri, Brasov County
9. A Night Walk Around the Citadel and Old Town of Sighisoara (current chapter)
10. Review: Hotel Casa Wagner, Sighisoara, Romania
11. The Fortified Church of Saschiz (Keisd), Mureș County
12. The Fortified Church of Cloasterf (Klosdorf), Mureș County
13. The Fortified Church of Mesendorf (Meschendorf), Brasov County
14. The Fortified Church of Crit (Deutsch-Kreuz), Brasov County
15. The Fortified Church of Biertan (Birthälm), Sibiu County
16. The Fortified Church of Hosman (Holzmengen), Sibiu County
17. Review: Brukenthal Palace Hotel, Avrig
18. A Visit to Sambata de Sus and the Brancoveanu Monastery
19. Into the Carpathians: A Beautiful Drive to Moieciu de Sus

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Koen

Koen works as a freelance journalist covering south-eastern Europe and is the founding father and editor-in-chief of Paliparan. As a contributor to some major Fleet Street newspapers and some lesser known publications in the Balkans, he travels thousands of miles each year for work as well as on his personal holidays. Whether it is horse riding in Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, exploring the backstreets of Bogotá, or sipping a glass of moschofilero in a Greek beachside taverna, Koen loves to immerse himself into the local culture, explore new places and eat and drink himself around the world.

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2 thoughts on “A Night Walk Around the Old Town of Sighisoara

  • July 26, 2022 at 7:37 pm
    Permalink

    Another fab report as always, Sighisoara looks even more beautiful then I expected! I’ve booked myself a cheap flight to Cluj and can’t wait to visit Romania again and I’ll be going through all your articles for ideas!

    Reply
  • March 14, 2024 at 5:37 pm
    Permalink

    Thank you! I loved to walk with you at night through the streets of my hometown. Really miss it!

    Reply

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