Destination: Sibiu, Romania

While staying in Brasov during my time in Romania this past February, I also decided to take several day trips to other places in the Transylvanian region. Besides a short, half-day visit to Bran Castle, I also went to Sibiu, a city about 144 kilometers from Brasov. I’d heard that it was worth checking out and, despite the long train ride there and back, I found it to be an enriching experience.

Although I’d booked train tickets online for my journey between my base cities, I opted to play it by ear and instead purchase them from Brasov to Sibiu (and back) directly at the train station. Considering that I didn’t know if and when I could go, I chose just to buy them in-person. That said, I went to the train station the day before my trip, and I paid about 60 RON (about 13€) for a round-trip ticket. As it goes, Romania is very cheap, and I was definitely happy with such a good deal.

The only downside, however, were the train times– after all, Sibiu isn’t close to Brasov, as the fastest trains take about two-and-a-half hours to reach there. In order to maximize my time visiting the city, it required me to take a 5:30 (in the morning!) train, and then a 14:15 train back, so that I didn’t arrive back to Brasov too late. Getting up that early isn’t ideal, but the sacrifices I make to visit a city, well, it better be worth it!

I went to bed by 9:00, and I woke up sometime before 4:00 to get ready. I headed out of the hostel by 4:30, since I had to walk all the way to the train station (no local buses or public transport operated that early in the morning). Although apprehensive at first, I found it really safe walking alone that early, especially when the sun hadn’t come out yet.

Forty minutes later, I reached the train station, and I caught my train to Sibiu. The sun came out during the two-and-a-half-hour journey, and with the leftover frost from the week prior to my arrival, it was indeed a beautiful sight in the Romanian countryside. Definitely made my ride over picturesque.

The train pulled into Sibiu’s station just before 8:00. Since it was still early, many of the sites wouldn’t be open until later, so it was a matter of finding a coffee shop open to have breakfast, use the Wifi, and overall stay warm. Despite sunny weather, it was still winter, after all! I spent some time in a coffee shop in the Old Town on Strada Nicolae Bălcescu, where its wide, pedestrian street offered plenty of restaurants, boutiques, and other stores inside of the elegant Germanic architecture, as the city had been settled by the Saxons in the 12th century. Similar to the other cities I’d visited in Romania, the architecture gave off an air of royalty, as much of Romania had been under Austro-Hungarian rule back in the day.

By 9:00, I’d finished my coffee and pastry and headed out to begin exploring for the day. First stop was the Holy Trinity Cathedral just a street down. It was a towering, Byzantine structure, with a gorgeous interior that rivaled that of others I’d seen in the country. Romanians are considered quite religious, with over 81 percent identifying as Eastern Orthodox; it’s no wonder, then, that many churches are so opulent!

From there, I headed down to the Stairs Passage (Pasajul Scărilor), which is essentially a small, narrow passage that connects the Upper Town with the Lower Town. It’s also where one can see the famous houses with “eyes:” they are basically attic windows for ventilation purposes, although it’s not surprising that they look like they’re spying on you. A bit paranoid, that is to say, but also very unique and charming.

I saw more of the “eye” houses after I crossed the Bridge of Lies (named so due to the superstition that the bridge would collapsed if one told a lie on it) and made my way to the Small Square (Piața Mică). I actually liked the smaller square over the Large Square (Piața Mare), mainly because the architecture was more colorful– however, it isn’t to say that I didn’t like the larger plaza: both were lovely!

 

After buying myself a postcard in the tourism office, I passed by the Council Tower (which wasn’t open yet to visit) and arrived in Piața Mare. It was incredibly spacious, with locals, tourists, and even pigeons out-and-about enjoying the sunny weather that morning.

I’d just made a loop of the city, and I had about 90 minutes to kill until lunchtime– that said, I popped into another coffee shop located in a semi-hidden alleyway (not sketchy, though, trust me!) for a delicious hot chocolate with chili flakes. Soon enough, I went to lunch, having a filling meal inside what was essentially a tavern. No phone reception, but delicious food. I couldn’t say no to more sarmales again!

My train back to Brasov wouldn’t be until a quarter past 14:00, so I did some last-minute exploring of Sibiu before then. The Council Tower was actually opened when I passed by it again, and interestingly, the ticket office was temporarily closed for lunch. Although it required an admission fee, no one was there, and although I’m not proud to admit it, I went up the tower without paying (shhh!). My quads were absolutely burning in the end, but the views from the top were worth it.

I soon returned to the station, where I caught the afternoon train back to Brasov. Compared to the one I’d taken in the morning, this one was a regional train, which meant that it went slower– instead of taking two-and-a-half hours, it would take nearly four hours! Not the most-optimal, but it still got me back by early evening. Despite the rowdy schoolchildren and one drunkard who tried to get me to sit with him (and then yelled at me in Romanian when I refused), the train ride back was fine.

Although I spent just as much time getting to-and-from Sibiu as I visited it, I’m glad to have checked out another quaint town in Romania. It was small and compact, which made it easy to visit everything within two to three hours, and the architecture was unbelievably pretty. Long-haul day trips can be exhausted, but well-worth the journey in the end.

Stay tuned for the last installment of my travels in Romania!

 

— Rebecca