Sighisoara and Viscri

In the morning we will depart from the hotel and drive for a couple of hours towards Sighişoara. We will drive through many small villages that have always been inhabited by a vast number of ethnics: Romanians, Hungarians, Germans, Jews and Romany. We will eventually reach Sighişoara, a medieval city founded by German colonists in the 13th century and placed strategically on the top of a hill to protect it from the invading enemy troops. Most of the fortification was kept intact and armed towers still guard the city. The Clock Tower, the former Benedictine monastery, the Lutheran Church from the upper part of the city, the narrow streets, but also the supposed birthplace of Count Dracula, give the town its enchanting medieval atmosphere. We will visit the museum inside of the Clock Tower, which hosts a medieval clock mechanism that is based on small wooden statues, representing Roman gods, who move every night.

Leaving Sighişoara behind, we head towards Viscri.. The village has become well known due to the involvement of several charitable foundations in the preservation of the local culture and historical heritage of the area. One of these foundations, “the Mihai Eminescu Trust” is under the patronage of HRH Prince Charles. The highlight of the village is for sure the fortified church, dating back to the 12th century, which was later fortified with big walls and towers to protect the villagers from the enemies. Nowadays, the old towers have been turned into an interesting museum of the village. Not only the church, but also the village itself is are under UNESCO patronage. Almost all of the houses were built in the 15th and 16th century, so bible quotations, proverbs and family coat of arms can be seen on the facades. All restoration works were carried out with local labor and materials. We invite you to take a walk through the most beautiful village ensemble in Transylvania, to visit the fortified church and take a journey into an almost forgotten world…

In the evening we will return to Cluj.