The Wall of Sighișoara Citadel - sections 12, 16 and 22

If Transylvania were the crown of Europe, and it very well could be, Sighișoara would surely count among its pearls, one of the most shining ones. The town was documented in the year 1280, but surely it was founded even earlier.

In its beginnings, it had a first stone fortified enclosure that protected the Church on the Hill in a similar pattern to what we still see today in many of the Saxon churches of Transylvania. Discover the ancient history of the town by strolling through the narrow streets of this area.

There are personalities of the town who had a decisive contribution such as Mayor Michael Polnar, who was rewarded in 1490 for his contribution to the construction of the walls and town towers.

Admire the Town Hall, the so-called "House with Two Rooms", now the documentary library, the Covered Staircase, the Archers' Gallery (or the Guard's Path), the Clock Tower, the Shoemakers' Tower, the Tailors' Tower with the former barbican, the Furriers' Tower, the Butchers' Tower and Bastion, the Rope Makers' Tower, the Tinsmiths' Tower and Bastion, the Coopers' Tower, the Tanners' Tower, and the Enclosure Wall. And so much more! Sighișoara is full of impressive sights. And all are easily accessible, on foot, so the visiting experience will be a relaxing one no matter what time of year you choose to explore the town.

No wonder Andrew A. Paton, an English traveler, wrote in his book, still in 1851, after visiting the town: "Sighișoara that we reached now is the most picturesque place in Transylvania! The Upper Town occupies the top of a hill, and you might think it is a corner stolen from Nuremberg and placed over the Carpathians." How true!

This pearl of Transylvania, Sighișoara, reflects very well the military organization of the Saxon towns, seats, and districts at the end of the Middle Ages. The charm of the old medieval town remains intact; in 1999, it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the only inhabited medieval citadel town in Southeastern Europe, with over 100 inhabited buildings with historical monument status, 9 still-existing defense towers, and 3 churches. Walking through the cobbled streets, you will be absolutely enchanted!

Architecturally, the construction of the citadel followed the Zwei Strasse System model, which refers to two parallel streets, around which houses and gardens were erected on both sides.

Later, the inhabitants began fortifying both terraces of the Citadel Hill. The enclosing wall is built over a length of 930 meters, reinforced with 14 towers, the result of the efforts of the entire community, over several generations.

School Street, extended through Citadel Square with Bastion Street, connects the Citadel to its main element, namely the Church on the Hill, and provides access to the Locksmiths' Tower and the Shoemakers' Tower. The road between the two main gates of the town, the Tailors' Tower in the west, and the Clock Tower in the east, is charming. Between them, you can stop and admire the medieval houses painted in bright colors.

Over time, in its over 700 years of documented existence, Sighișoara has been visited by various crowned heads, emperors and kings, princes and princesses, as well as political, military, and cultural personalities.

Follow in their footsteps! Archduke Charles of Habsburg exclaimed in 1916, at his first contact with the town: "Sehr schön, sehr schön!" ("Very beautiful, very beautiful!"). After this visit, Archduke Charles, aged 29, was crowned emperor with the name Charles I of Austria and as king of Hungary with the name Charles IV.

So, the visit to Sighișoara was auspicious! Just as it will be for you!

In Sighișoara, you can also visit the Church on the Hill, Citadel Square, the Goldsmiths' Tower, and the Rope Makers' Tower.

Moreover, if you have arrived in this area, you can make a stop in the village of Saschiz, a small settlement beloved by King Charles where there is a clock tower similar to the one in Sighișoara and a peasant medieval fortress from the 14th century. The village is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Also nearby are the Saxon village of Cloașterf, the fortified church of Brădeni, and the fortified church of Apold, presumed to date back to the 13th century.