'''Sibiu''' [http://www.sibiu.ro/index-en.htm] is a town in southern Transylvania, Romania 282 km from Bucharest.
The city's historical center has been recently renovated in 2006 and it looks spectacular!
Understand
Known in German as ''Hermannstadt'', and in Hungarian ''Nagyszeben'', Sibiu has always been the center of Romania's German minority since medieval times. Even today, it contains Romania's largest German community, and, due to initiatives by the local government, the Germanic feel of the area has been maintained. Sibiu also has a significant Hungarian minority, remnants of Transylvania's past as part of the Hungarian Empire and, later, Austria-Hungary. Despite this, Sibiu is also distinctly Romanian (95% of the population are ethnic Romanians) and manages to fuse these three cultures, as well as smaller minorities of Roma, Slovaks and Ukrainians into a city that is as wonderful as it is vibrant.
Today, Sibiu is one of Romania's cultural and tourism capitals, attracting tourists due to its wonderful medieval charm, excellent views of the surrounding landscapes, great food, and stunning parkland. Sibiu today is also doing excellently economically - having an income per capita higher than the Romanian average.
Much of the city has been reconstructed to a high standard. Work is still ongoing in October 2007.
Also as of 2007, the city is the European Capital of Culture, with all sorts of cultural activities taking place all the time.
Get in
By bus
Sibiu is well connected to Bucharest and Cluj Napoca. From Cluj Napoca there are bus almost every hour , provided by Dacos,Fany and Transmixt,taking around 3 hours and a half. The buses are smooth-running and very comfortable and is cheap.
By train
Despite Sibiu's location in the center of the Romania, it is quite a lot harder to get here than to other cities like Brasov and Cluj-Napoca, mainly due to Sibiu's location outside the main railway line which joins Bucharest to Hungary and beyond. However, train remains the easiest, cheapest and most comfortable way to get here. Remember, though, that from Bucharest, there are just two trains daily to Sibiu (one in the morning, one in the night). Also, Sibiu is one of the only cities of Romania not served by the modern and snazzy InterCity network from Bucharest, even though there are InterCity trains from Cluj Napoca.
From Bucharest, the train most tourists take is the day train '''A 1621''' which leaves Bucharest North at 9:45AM and arrives at Sibiu at 15:31, nearly six hours later and stopping at most towns along the way. The train is pretty uncomfortable and crowded- hopefully, however, CFR Romanian Railways will soon introduce InterCity trains on this route.
Coming from Cluj Napoca, the main city of Transylvania, is a much better opportunity to get to Sibiu. In fact, many tourists do just that, as part of their Transylvanian tour. From Cluj Napoca, there are two fairly-convenient trains a day, one at 5:41AM and one at 2:57PM, taking around 3 hours and a half. The trains are smooth-running and very comfortable.
By plane
If you're not coming to Sibiu from another Romanian town, plane is an excellent option, as there are direct connections to '''[http://www.sibiuairport.ro Sibiu International Airport]''' from many European cities, especially those in Germany and Italy.
'''[http://www.carpatair.ro Carpatair]''', Transylvania's largest airline, offers daily connections to Munich, Bergamo and Treviso, and connections three times a week to Bologna, Verona, Rome and Stuttgart.
'''[http://www.tarom.ro TAROM]''', Romania's national carrier, as well as '''[http://www.lufthansa.com LUFTHANSA]''' flies five times a week from Sibiu to Munich and also five times a week to Vienna. For those with money to splurge, there are also flights three times a week to Bucharest, even though you're better off taking the train if you're coming from inside Romania. There are frequent specials, though, so look at the TAROM website before deciding one way or the other.
'''[http://www.blueair-web.com Blue Air]''', direct low cost flights to Koln, Stuttgart and Madrid.
Get around
Sibiu, a city of 170,000 people, seems quite large for its population, even though most tourists won't have to venture outside the conveniently-walkable city central area. In fact, try to walk as much as you can, as only in this way can you sample Sibiu's more remote gems, hidden behind lanes in the middle of the city and crooked, cobbled alleys taking you a step back in history.
If you need a '''guide''' to take you on a private and personalized tour of the city and the surroundings ask at Casa Luxembourg and they will recommend reliable people. Bike rentals are available also from the info centre at Casa Luxembourg.
Public transport
If you do need to venture outside the medieval city limits, the local public transport operator '''[http://www.tursib.ro TurSib]''' offers reliable services. These services may be useful if you're staying in hotels, pensions or homestays outside the city centre or would like to visit some of the wonderful villages surrounding Sibiu, for a taste of Romanian country life and stunning Transylvanian scenery.
Taxi
During both visits to Sibiu I always enquired beforehand the price of the journey from the taxi driver.In this way rather than renting a car I could agree on a price and have the driver run me to the place I desired, some distance out of town, wait for me for about half an hour, with the mete off and start the meter again on the return journey. In this win-win situation I had the taxi at my beck and call, and the taxi firm saved on petrol from having the taxi get back empty to the city and being called again to the outlaying village. At times I was lucky in having the hotel reception finding me a taxi driver who could speak English. In particular I found one of German descent who was very courteous, knowledgeable and found him agreeable. He was a fast but safe driver, unlike another one who even had the cheek to bring along his girlfriend at one time! So be warned, they come in all sorts.
Rent-A-Car
Cars can be rented from the following operators:
'''GoodTime Rent a Car''', sos. Alba Iulia nr.59, Sibiu, tel. (+4) 0729106906; (+4) 0751514774
fax. (+4) 0269227743; rent@goodtime.ro; http://www.carsrentals.ro
'''Quattro Rent Sibiu''', Str. Gheorghe Lazar nr. 7, +4 0741 021107 ; http://www.quattrorent.com
'''Auto Partner Sibiu''' [http://www.rentacar-sibiu.com Rent a Car Sibiu] (English) [http://www.mietwagen-sibiu.com Mietwagen Sibiu] (Deutsch) [http://www.rentacar-sibiu.ro Inchirieri auto Sibiu] (Romana), Str. Gheorghe Dima nr. 8, Sibiu +40 369 80 10 60
http://www.raider-srl.ro/Rent-a-car-rental/Rent-car-special.htm
http://www.a1sibiu.com/
American Inn - Rent a Car http://www.americaninn.ro/
Many small tourism agencies also intermediate for renting cars. You can find such agencies scattered throughout the city centre.
See
'''The old town''' The old medieval town is perhaps Sibiu's main attraction, and it is indeed very beautiful. Most of the buildings in the old town were built by German settlers and merchants who came to Sibiu in the late Middle Ages. Today, the buildings remain in very good conditions, and the streets are peppered with small, secluded lanes, corner cafes and wonderful churches. The old town is divided into two parts: the '''Upper Town''', which contains most of the city's historic sights, and the '''Lower Town''', which is home to many charming buildings and cobbled squares.
'''The Citadel of Sibiu''' The Citadel of Sibiu was, in the Middle Ages, one of the best fortified in Europe and today remains very well preserved. The towers and bastions of the area are well worth a visit, but most of all, make sure you visit the wonderfully charming '''Stairs Passage''', which connects the lower part of the citadel with the upper part. If you want to splurge, dine at the '''Golden Barrel''' (''Butoiul de Aur''), the oldest restaurant in Romania, which sits at the end of the Stairs Passage.
'''Huet Square''' The Huet Square ('' Pia?a Huet'') is home to a jumble of Gothic buildings and is dominated by the Evangelical Cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Sibiu. Here, you can also find the city's only fully-German school, the '''Samuel von Brukenthal Gymnasium''', which shows the city's proud German heritage. In fact, Huet Square stands to be the most German of all places in this city which is as much German as Romanian, and, all the same, 100% Transylvanian.
'''The Brukenthal Museum''' Said by many to be the second best museum in Romania (after the National Art Museum in the capital Bucharest), the Brukenthal is '''a must see''' in Sibiu, containing 1090 paintings. The museum is named after Samuel Brukenthal, the governor of Transylvania. There are paintings from Dutch and Flemish schools, Italian schools and, of course, German, Austrian and Romanian collections. The museum also displays Governor Brukenthal's own collection dating from the 15th-18th centuries.
'''Astra Museum''' is the biggest open air museum in Europe. Not only does it have interesting and very picturesque exhibits but it also lies in a very beautiful area with a nice view of the mountains.
'''Outlying attractions=''' In addition to Sibiu's wonderful historical and cultural attractions, the city is also very picturesque in the natural dimension. Paying a visit to some more outlying attractions enables you to sample the amazing Transylvanian environment. Sibiu is a good base to explore the '''medieval fortified churches''' of Transylvania. Medias is accessible by train from Sibiu, but to see many in one day you will need your own transport or try and seek out a guide from the local travel agencies. '''UNESCO World Heritage''' sites are the villages '''Biertan''' and '''Valea Viilor'''.
'''Balea lake''', a glacier lake
Do
'''Guided enduro trips, tours and raids in the mountains, enduro bike rental possible, riding levels from tourist to hard enduro, powered by [http://www.endurotrips.ro GoodTime Xtreme Tours]
Explore Sibiu and the surroundings of Sibiu.
Hike Fagaras Mountains and Cindrel Mountains.
Guided [http://www.simpluturism.com bike tours] around Sibiu.
Go on the Transfagarasan road, that crosses the Fagaras mountains with dramatic views.
Buy
T-shirts and other souvenirs from Casa Luxemburg located in the Piata Mica.
Eat
In the old town there are many restaurants, fast foods and cafes where tourists and locals can enjoy not only good food from the local and international cuisine but also good music and cosy atmosphere.
The Small Square became in the last few years the best place to go out in Sibiu because of the big range of restaurants, cafes and pubs which also have terraces during the summer.
'''Crama Sibiul Vechi''' (The Old Sibiu Restaurant), A.Papiu Ilarian nr.3, Tel. +40-269-210461. [http://www.sibiulvechi.ro/engleza.html]. Celler/basement restaurant offering traditional Romanian cuisine at reasonable prices.
Drink
A local speciality is a "meter" of beer served in pubs.
Sleep
Grand Central Apartments. . Teclu 45. 40-722-256938. ttp://www.travelspecialist.ro. We offer accommodation in Sibiu in fully furnished apartments and studio apartments. Our apartments are centrally located, 1-10 Minutes walking distance to Sibiu Main Square (Piata Mare) and 3-10 minutes walking distance to Sibiu Bus- and Train station.
Our Sibiu apartments can comfortably accommodate up to 6 guests each, at rates sarting with '''40 EU/Apartment/Night''' and our Studio apartments in Sibiu can accommodate up to 3 guests comfortably at rates starting from '''30 EU/Apartment/Night'''. All our apartments and Studio Apartments have private bathrooms with tub and/or shower and fully equipped kitchen. For details please visit http://www.travelspecialist.ro
Apartment Facilities:
- Fully equipped Kitchen
- Fridge + Freezer
- Coffee machine
- Parking
- '''Free Wireless Internet in all locations'''</sleep>
Hostels
Sibiu Travelers Hostel/Villa Teilor. tr. Teilor nr.4" and phone="(004)07 66242874 | (004)0269 238161. 2 Euro per night, including breakfast and tea, coffee and cooled mineral water day & night and free laundry. ttp://www.sibiutravelershostel.com.
'''[http://www.sibiutravelershostel.com Sibiu Travelers Hostel]''' was opened in 2008 and received a '''two star qualification''' from the Romanian Tourist Department.
The hostel is situated in a quiet area of Sibiu close to the the train & bus station (6 minutes walk) and 15 minutes walk from the ancient center.
'''The hostel has a simple, fair & no-nonsense approach: giving shelter in a comfortable, friendly way and making you feel at home, providing a nice breakfast and a lot of other free services for a low price.'''
2 PC's and fast wireless Internet everywhere for free, personal lockers, spacious, cozy garden with wooden benches & tables and a patio curled around by wine ranks. Informative atmosphere with much (photographic) attention for the cultural & architectural heritage of Transylvania. Two comfortable and luxurious bathrooms & toilets, a fully equipped kitchen and '''free laundry'''.</sleep>
Sibiu Travelers Hostel pursuits to be just some more then a regular hostel and also tries to make people enthusiast for the '''[http://www.sibiutravelershostel.com/around.php richness of Romanian culture, history, architecture, traditions & arts in general and the rareness of the highly preindustrial character of the area]'''.
Also we strive for the creation of a '''network of hostels, pensions, simple hotels, touristic organizations and individuals''' with similar historical & cultural aims, finally resulting in some kind of '''national culture quality label'''. Feel free to contact us and of course we very much welcome to receive your comments, critics and suggestions.
The Flying Time Hostel. tr. Gheorghe Lazar nr.6. 004) 0369 730179. eds for 35 Lei/10 Euro. ttp://www.sibiuhostel.ro. Voted best hostel in Romania by Lonely Planet. Situated right around the corner from the Big Square (Piata Mare), [http://www.sibiuhostel.ro the Flying Time Hostel] offers all common services including a bar area, kitchen, laundry, wifi, internet, beautiful decorations, friendly and competent staff.
</sleep>
Old John Wheeler Hostel. ld John Wheeler. tr. Mos Ion Roata nr.9. 004)0745 061672. eds for 35 Lei/10 Euro. ttp://www.sibiuhostel.com. Located in the heart of the city, where the pedestrian area starts, the cosy hostel opened in June 2008. It can accommodate up to 24 people. The two story baroque house was build in 1873 and is complete recent renovated. Location: '''[http://www.sibiuhostel.com Old John Wheeler Hostel]''' is located just one minute walking to Piata Mica or Piata Mare, 10 minutes walking to train and bus station. General: 24-Hour Front Desk, Non-Smoking Rooms, Terrace, Newspapers, Safety Deposit Box, Heating, Luggage Storage, Small Pets welcomed, Shared Bathrooms. '''Free wireless Internet connection available in all rooms.'''
</sleep>
Joly Hostel. ilozofilor 12 . 40 369426079. ooms from 40 Lei. ttp://www.jolyhostel.com. Located very near the center of Sibiu. Breakfast is not included but you can use the kitchen all you want. Laundry is available for 2 Euros. Door rooms average about 7 beds per room
Old Town Hostel. iata Mica 26. 40 269 216 445. ooms from 50 Lei. ttp://www.hostelsibiu.ro. Located in the heart of Sibiu in a 450 year old building looking over one of the 3 main squares. Breakfast is not included but you can use the kitchen all you want. Laundry is available for 2 Euros. Door rooms average about 10 beds per room
Chess Hostel. tefan Cel Mare No 6. 04 0740096920 | 004 0724275219. rices start from 11? / Person / Night . ttp://www.chesshostelsibiu.ro/index.php. Chess Hostel is situated in the central area of Sibiu, only at a 5 minutes walk from the Piata Mare (Big Square, the main square in Sibiu) and at a 10 minutes walk from the train and the bus station.The hostel has it's location in a historical area of Sibiu, surrounded by old Saxon houses. It is a quiet residential area, and the hostel has a green relaxing garden in front where you can enjoy the sunny days drinking your coffee in the shade of the cherrytree. Internet is available in the hostel.
Hotels
Hotel Apollo. icolae Teclu 14. +40(0)269 212 485. ooms start at ?56. ttp://www.hah.ro/index_en.htm. Comfortable and modern hotel not far from the city centre. Internet is available in rooms.
Pension Santa Maria. tr. Livezii nr. 43. +40) 0269 224 451. ooms start at 132 RON. ttp://www.pensiunesibiu.ro/en_index.htm. A ten minute drive from the center of Sibiu. Rooms are well equipped and well kept. Breakfast is included. Free wireless Internet available. English speaking owners.
Hotel Continental. alea Dumbravil 2-4. +40) 0269 218 100. ooms start at 256 RON. ttp://www.continentalhotels.ro/index.php?page=hotel&id_hotel=9&id_fac=4. This 13 floor, 182 room hotel is plain but well maintained. It's rooms often have nice views. It is located a two minutes from Old Town. ''It's under renovation since November 2007. A new Continental Hotel (Continental Forum 4*) opened in 2007 instead of the former Bulevard Hotel, just at the beginning of the Old Town.''
Get out
<rdf>
place:Sibiu dc:title "Hermannstadt"@de .
</rdf>