Sighişoara

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Sighişoara in County Mureş

Sighişoara (German: Schäßburg; Hungarian: Segesvįr; Latin: Castrum Sex) is a city and municipality on the Tārnava River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 32,287 (2002).

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Sighisoara Citadel, a 12th Century Saxon edifice, is the historic center of the city. Still occupied, the citadel is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Clock Tower - Built in 1360 and standing at 60 meters tall atop the citadel hill. Inside is a museum that finishes in a great view from the top.

The town in itself is quite small, so one day to visit it is enough. In any case, you can consider staying more to visit the surroundings. It's such a small town that you will have no problem in going around walking.

If you need any suggestion there is a tourist information office inside the Café International and Family Center located in the main square Piata Cetatii; they will help you reaching the fortified churches in the surrounding.

Hike or cycle up to the great Oak forest on the Breite plateau - a wonderful walk in nature.

Visit the beautiful fortified churches in the surroundings:

The fortified church of Biertan has been nominated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is about 30 km away from Sighisoara. There is no public transport going there, you can rent a car or ask somebody to plan the trip for you. Another choice is to go to Dumbraveni by train and continue hitchhiking. For more information, go to the Café International information office. Biertan is a small town that was built next to the church. There is nothing to see there but the church, though. On the way back you can consider stopping at Dumbraveni; it's a small and poor town, but in the main square there is a nice church, it's worth spending some time there.

Sighişoara is a popular tourist destination, due to its well-preserved walled old town. The landmark of the city is the Clock Tower, a 64m high tower built in 1556. It is today a museum of history.

The 14th century medieval citadel

The House attributed to Vlad Ţepeş, close to the Clock Tower, today a restaurant.

Transylvania runs in my blood

An ardent supporter of conservation of the cultural and natural heritage in Transylvania, HRH Prince of Wales arrived on a hill in Saschiz, in County Mureş on 7 May 2008, around mid day, to meet local agricultural producers and taste some of the local traditional delights.

HRH Prince of Wales The heir to the British Royal Crown declared himself delighted with the lamb pastrami with polenta, of which he tasted next to an iron kettle, and with the different cheeses, honey and rhubarb jam.

As he was sitting down at a table with the press, Prince Charles declared that he feels a special bond with Transylvania, saying that the place is probably in his blood. This was a reference to the fact that his great-great-great-grandmother, Countess Claudia Rhedley, lived in the area and is buried at St. George of the Forest (Sāngeorgiu de Pădure).

 Beyond the family ties, he said he has a special interest in this place, in particular the Carpathian zone "which is almost untouched".

Taking time to speak with the people, the Prince was told in details how many animals the farmers have, and how they take care of them. The heir was interested if the producers associated themselves to sell better and if they participate at markets and expositions.

This way he found out that the producers go to Bucharest, at the Romanian Farmers' Market, to display organic produce. This is the seventh visit Prince Charles makes (five private, two official) after 1990.

Charles is a supporter of the Romanian ecological agriculture, through his foundation Transylvania Authentica.

The organization proposes to promote a so-called "Transylvanian brand" and to encourage small local producers to continue traditional agriculture. Transylvania Authentica is a joint initiative of the Foundation for Partnership from Miercurea Ciuc and of the foundation The Prince's Charities from Great Britain.  

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==HISTORY===================================

Early Sighişoara History

A Dacian settlement near Sighişoara known as Sandova dates as far back as the 3rd century BC. It was the site of an Imperial Roman castrum and legion base from the 2nd century. During the 12th century, German craftsmen and merchants known as the Transylvanian Saxons were invited to Transylvania by the King of Hungary to settle and defend the frontier of his realm.

The chronicler Krauss lists a Saxon settlement in the actual Sighişoara by 1191. By 1280 it was known by the Latin name of Castrum Sex, and by 1298 by the Saxon name of Schespurch resp. Schaesbrich. By 1337 Sighişoara had become a royal center for the kings, who awarded the settlement urban status in 1367 as the Civitas de Segusvar.

The city played an important strategic and commercial role at the edges of Central Europe for several centuries. Sighişoara became one of the most important cities of Transylvania, with artisans from throughout the Holy Roman Empire visiting the settlement. The German artisans and craftsmen dominated the urban economony, as well as building the fortifications protecting it. It is estimated that during the 16th and the 17th centuries Sighişoara had as many as 15 guilds and 20 handicraft branches. The Baroque sculptor Elias Nicolai lived in the city. The Wallachian prince Vlad Ţepeş, probably born near Sighişoara in 1431, minted coins in the city and issued the first document listing the city's Romanian name, Sighişoara.

The city was the setting for George I Rįkóczi's election as Prince of Transylvania and King of Hungary in 1631. Sighişoara suffered military occupation, fires, and plagues during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The nearby plain of Albeşti was the site of the Battle of Segesvįr, where the revolutionary Hungarian army led by Józef Bem was defeated by the Russian army led by Luders on 31 July 1849. A monument was constructed in 1852 to the Russian general Skariatin, who died in the battle. The Hungarian poet Sįndor Petőfi is generally believed to have been killed in the battle, and a monument was constructed in his honor at Albeşti in 1897.

After World War I Sighişoara passed with Transylvania from Austria-Hungary to the Kingdom of Romania.

Central Sighişoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city, it has been listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year, a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July.

Owing to its connection to the myth of Dracula through Vlad Ţepeş, the construction of a Dracula theme park in Sighişoara was considered but ultimately rejected, as it would have detracted from the medieval style of the city.