_-_view_from_CT2.jpg/300px-Sighişoara_(Schäßburg,_Segesvár)_-_view_from_CT2.jpg) | ||
| Sighișoara Schäßburg · Segesvár | ||
| Circle (județ) | Mureș County | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 28.102 (2011) | |
| height | 380 m | |
| Tourist info web | www.sighisoara.org.ro | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
| ||
Sighișoara (spoken: sigischoara, German: Schäßburg, Hungarian: Segesvár) is a city in Transylvania. The unique historical center is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
background
Sighișoara is a foundation of the Transylvanian Saxons from the second half of the 12th century. The first documentary mention was made in 1280 in a document as Castrum sex (Sixth Fortress). This name probably refers to the meaning as one of the Seven chairs, the historical administrative units of Transylvania. The name Schespurch or Schaesbrich appears for the first time at the end of the 13th century. The first defensive walls and towers in response to the Tatar invasions also date from the 13th century. The ring wall that still exists today dates from the middle of the 14th century. In the 15th century, the fortifications were strengthened due to the threat of Turkish raids. The lower town was built in the 16th century after there was no more space in the upper town for additional residential buildings. In the 17th century the city was ravaged by catastrophes: the plague wiped out large parts of the population, and in 1676 a large fire destroyed large parts of the city. The city achieved economic splendor in the Middle Ages through its many guilds that promoted trade and handicrafts. The sometimes magnificent guild towers and bastions still bear witness to this today.
Today only a very small minority of Transylvanian Saxons still live in the city. In 1930 they were still in the majority. The gravestones in the cemetery, which mainly have German names, and the lyceum on the Schulberg, which offers a German-language Abitur, testify to the legacy. The signs in the city are trilingual: Romanian, Hungarian and German.
getting there
By plane
The nearest airports with connections to Germany are in Târgu Mureș and Sibiu.
By train
The Sighișoara station is located on the Bucharest – Kronstadt – Episcopia Bihor railway line, on which international trains also run.
The narrow-gauge line of the "Wusch" from Schässburg via Agnetheln (Agnita) to Sibiu (Sibiu) was unfortunately shut down.
By bus
In the street
The city is on the national road (DN) 13, which runs from Kronstadt leads to Târgu Mureș (Neumarkt am Mieresch).
mobility
Tourist Attractions
,_Romania,_Rumänien20120922.jpg/220px-Clock_Tower,_Stundturm,_Sighisoara_(Schäßburg),_Romania,_Rumänien20120922.jpg)
,_Romania,_Rumänien_20120922.jpg/220px-Sighisoara_(Schäßburg),_Romania,_Rumänien_20120922.jpg)
,_Romania,_Rumänien_20120922.jpg/170px-Seilmacherturm_Sighisoara_(Schäßburg),_Romania,_Rumänien_20120922.jpg)
,_Romania,_Rumänien_20120922.jpg/220px-Schulberg,_Sighisoara_(Schäßburg),_Romania,_Rumänien_20120922.jpg)
The city is divided into Upper Town - around the Schulberg and Burgplatz - and Lower Town. The historic upper town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a myriad of towers and old, winding streets that are an attraction in themselves. All major sights are located in the upper town.
Churches
- 1 Monastery church (Biserica Mănăstirii). The Protestant church is located next to the clock tower. The original Dominican monastery that belonged to it was demolished in the 19th century and the town hall was built on the site. Inside the church there are precious carpets from Anatolia from the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition, the church has a magnificent Baroque organ and a Baroque altar from the late 17th century. The bronze baptismal font is from the middle of the 15th century.
- 2 Mountain church (Biserica din deal). The church is located on the highest point in the city. The church was built in 1345 and is the only church in Transylvania to have a crypt. The church was built until the 16th century, which explains the late Gothic character of the church. The church, like the monastery church, was a Catholic church before the Reformation. In the church, the Gothic main altar from 1520 and the frescoes in the tower porch from the 15th century are worth mentioning. Next to the church is the very picturesque rope maker tower from the 13th century.
- 3 Church of the Lepers (Biserica Leproșilor), Strada Ștefan cel Mare 34. The small church from the 15th century belonged to the hospital for lepers. For this reason, there is also a pulpit outside the church so that the sick do not have to come to the church. The church is near the train station.
Castle complex
- 4 Clock tower (Turnul cu Ceas). The hour tower was built as a gate tower of the medieval city fortifications. It connects the upper with the lower town and is now one of the city's landmarks. The tower was originally built in the 14th century and is 64 meters high. After a city fire in 1676, it was rebuilt and received its current form. Over the years, the tower had various functions as a prison, city archive or ammunition store. Below the roof there is a viewing platform with a beautiful view.
- Of the City fortifications only the curtain wall around the upper town is preserved. The individual guild towers along the wall, which bear the name of the respective guild that was responsible for the tower, are well worth seeing:
- 5 Gerber Tower (Turnul Tăbăcarilor). The 13th century Gerber Tower is somewhat hidden near the Duck Market (Târgul Rățuştelor). You have to go down a few steps through the passage through the green house to see the tower.
- 6 Pewter Tower (Turnul Cositorarilor). What makes this gate tower architecturally special is that it has a square floor plan and is first pentagonal, then octagonal. The roof is again hexagonal.
- 7 Butcher Tower (Turnul Măcelarilor). From the 15th century.
- 8 Furrier Tower (Turnul Cojocarilor). Also from the 15th century.
- 9 Tailor's Tower (Turnul Croitorilor). This gate tower is originally from the 13th century.
- 10 Cobbler Tower (Turnul Cizmarilor). The current tower dates from the years after the great fire.
Buildings
- 11 Joseph Haltrich Lyceum. The German-Romanian grammar school is located on the Schulberg named after him. It is named after its former rector, folklorist and pastor Josef Haltrich.
- 12 Student stairs (Scara Școlarilor). The roofed wooden staircase with 175 steps connects the Lyceum with the Burgplatz. The staircase was laid out in the middle of the 17th century to protect the students from the bad weather.
- 13 Dracula's house (Casa Vlad Dracul). A plaque on the outside of the house indicates: This is where the historical model was found Vlad Țepeș Draculas born in 1431. Historically it is only guaranteed that Vlad III. was born during his father's exile in Sighișoara. The exact house is no longer known. Today there is a very touristic restaurant in the house.
Museums
- The following museums are located in and around the clock tower:
- 14 History Museum (Muzeul de Istorie) (Muzeul de Istorie din Sighișoara).
The history museum is located directly in the clock tower and you walk through it automatically on the way up to the viewing platform. You can see archaeological finds, a pharmaceutical collection and an exhibition on the space pioneer Hermann Oberthwho spent his childhood in Sighișoara. - Torture Chamber (Camera de Tortură), in the passage of the tower.
- Arms Museum (Muzeul de Arme), right next to the tower.
Streets and squares
_-_Clock_Tower_from_park.JPG/170px-Sighişoara_(Schäßburg,_Segesvár)_-_Clock_Tower_from_park.JPG)
- 15 Burgplatz (Piaţa Cetăţii). In the middle of the upper town is the romantic Burgplatz. It is lined with picturesque pensions and restaurants. It is worth mentioning Casa cu Cerb, which shows a deer on the corner of Burgplatz, whose antlers protrude into the square. For centuries it was owned by merchant families and today houses a guest house and a restaurant.
activities
shop
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
- There is an accommodation directory on the Community website.
