If you find yourself in Romania, a visit to Sibiu would be a great day trip. My friend and I only had a few hours in the morning to wander around and check out the unique architecture, rich history, and residents on their early-morning commutes. What is there to see in Sibiu? Take a look at my favorite places to get a brief glimpse of what Sibiu, Romania has to offer!
The Journeyman’s House
Journeymen were historically young craftsmen who traveled around the world to find their purpose in life. In order to be considered true journeymen, the young apprentices had to be under age 30, childless, a bachelor, and not have any debt or other obligations.
When they left their home, the journeymen had a penny to their names and were not allowed to come within a certain distance of their homes for 3 years. They were to go from master to master, learning from the other craftsmen for up to 3 months at a time. The goal was to learn from as many mentors as they possibly could.
Legend tells a story about a young journeyman who made a deal with the devil. The journeyman wanted to be able to make an unbreakable lock…which he did…and lost his soul in exchange. As a result, journeymen would drive a nail into a tree or post to not only ward off the devil, but to remember the lost journeyman.
In 2002, a group of young journeymen visited Sibiu…the first in an extremely long time (allegedly). They restored the oldest defense tower in the city and created a new journeyman’s home. Casa Calfelor was created as a resting spot for the traveling journeymen and is said to be in use today. Just outside of the house is a pillar with intricate nails driven into it, paying homage to the legend of the lost soul.
The Bridge of Lies
Not only is the Bridge of Lies absolutely beautiful and an iconic landmark for historic Sibiu, but it has a few legends surrounding it as well (*gasp*). My favorite legend is probably the most famous (and least gruesome).
The legend of the Bridge of Lies says that the bridge itself has ears and unexplained mystical powers. The bridge listens to those who walk across it, and creaks when a lie is told. The bigger the lie, the more the bridge creaks. And if you tell the biggest lie of all, legend says the bridge will collapse.
Although the legend is fanciful, locals are still known to avoid the Bridge of Lies…so if you do travel here, take care to be truthful while walking across to the other side!
The Houses with Eyes
Sibiu was built in the 12th century by German Transylvanian Saxons and the houses in the old square have a particular unnerving feature on their roofs: eyes!
Okay, so maybe they’re not technically eyes, but don’t they look like the houses are judging you with pre-side-eye? These houses were built between the 15th and 19th centuries and the eyes serve a more practical purpose. The eye-shaped windows were added to houses to assist in cooling the attics. Ugh, so boring, right?
During the time of the evil dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, I’m sure that the houses only added to the disturbing thought that the locals were being watched, even by inanimate objects.
Although Ceaușescu has been dead for about 30 years now, the eyes are still there, always watching, never sleeping. And hey, they never blinked when I tried to photograph them!
Colorful Buildings
Everywhere you go in Romania, whether it’s to Bucharest or just passing by the small villages along the highway, you’re guaranteed to see beautifully colored buildings. Sibiu has some pretty spectacular buildings, and I know that I only got to see a mere fraction that the city has to offer!
Street Art
If you’re a long-time reader of this blog, you know that I just love finding street art. I don’t know why, but I never imagined street art in Romania. Not only did I wind up taking a tour of the street art in Bucharest, but continued to find it all over the country. Sibiu had some amazing pieces, both large and small.
City Wall and Towers
Oh, if walls could talk, the stories they could tell! As you walked around the old walls surrounding the center of Sibiu, you can’t help but wonder how many people had walked that same direction, pounding the same cobble stones.
Hundreds of years ago (and even more recently in some places), the first line of defense for medieval cities was the city wall. Strategically placed along the city wall were towers, usually managed by a workers guild: masons, clock makers, blacksmiths, etc.
Today, visitors can still walk along the old city wall, usually surrounding the now city-center/old town, as the cities have grown and expanded beyond the borders of the walls.
Hidden Alleys
Walking down the street, you might see a dilapidated door, covered in scratches, maybe some graffiti, falling off the hinge. If you’re lucky enough and the crumbling door is swung open, you might be able to catch a glimpse of Narnia at the other end.
Have you ever been to Sibiu? Is there anything else that people need to see in Sibiu?
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