Welcome to Sibiu: The City with Eyes
Tucked away in Romania’s Transylvania region, Sibiu is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This charming city boasts a rich history, stunning architecture, and a vibrant cultural scene that is sure to leave a lasting impression. One of our favorite things to do in Sibiu was simply wandering its cobblestone streets and marveling at the well-preserved city walls, charming squares, and beautiful pastel-colored buildings. There’s certainly not a ton of things to do within the city of Sibiu – you can probably see everything the city has in one day – but we urge you to stay for a few days to fully enjoy the amazing vibe of this city (and its great cafe scene!). In this post we’ll go over the best things to do in Sibiu as well as the best day trips!
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Best Things to Do in Sibiu
1. Explore Sibiu’s Historic Center
The best way to get to know this city is by wandering around on foot. If you have the time, we recommend doing this walking tour to learn more about the city and get tips from a local for how to best enjoy your time there!
Some top spots to hit around the historic center:
- Great Square (Piata Mare)
- Little Square (Piata Mica)
- Bridge of Lies
- Passage of Stairs
- Old City Walls
While exploring Sibiu, make sure to look up and see the “eyes” of the buildings that make this city unique. These were originally used for ventilation purposes, but of course there are legends that they were meant to scare people into thinking they were under constant surveillance. These eyes have earned Sibiu the nicknames “The City with Eyes” or “Seebiu.”
2. Climb the Lutheran Cathedral of Saint Mary
For the best view of Sibiu from above, head up into the tower of the Lutheran Cathedral of Saint Mary. There are multiple turrets from which you can get amazing 360 views of the city from. You can also climb up the Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului) for city views, but the views from up there aren’t as good as they are from the cathedral.
It costs 10 RON to enter the church and an additional 5 RON to access the tower (in total, this is about 3.25 USD).
3. Brukenthal National Museum
Brukenthal National Museum is a complex comprised of six different museums:
- Brukenthal Palace (European Art Gallery and Romanian Art Gallery)
- Museum of History
- Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Pharmacy
- Museum of Hunting
- Museum of Contemporary Art
Regardless of what you’re into, there is bound to be something here for you! With numerous impressive exhibits, exploring these museums is a great way to spend some time in Sibiu.
Brukenthal Palace is Wednesday-Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and all other museums are open Wednesday-Sunday from 9am to 5pm.
Find more information about the museums and current exhibits!
4. Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral
From the outside, this cathedral may not be as striking as Saint Mary’s, but the inside is definitely something worth seeing. The colors and intricate designs are very impressive, and entry is free!
Day Trips from Sibiu
1. Transfăgărășan
The Transfăgărășan is one of the most impressive roads in the world. This famously windy road is 94 miles or 151 kilometers long and filled with absolutely crazy scenery and viewpoints. This is a top spot to visit from Sibiu due to its proximity; Sibiu is about a 1.5 hour drive from Bâlea Lake, which is a stunning glacier lake along the Transfăgărășan.
To get to the Transfăgărășan, you can either rent a car or go with a tour. If you decide to go with a tour, we suggest this full day tour. You’ll spend the day learning about and driving the Transfăgărășan with stops at Bâlea Lake, Vidraru Dam, and the Fairy Tale Clay Castle (this looks so cool).
If you visit in the winter, do not miss staying overnight in the Hotel of Ice at Bâlea Lake. It’s built each year with a different theme when the lake freezes and looks like an incredible experience. This is definitely a bucket list item for Transylvania!
2. Corvin Castle
When in Romania, you should not miss a trip to Corvin Castle. This castle – the largest in Transylvania – is super impressive and located a 1.5 hour drive from Sibiu. The castle is most easily reached with a rental car or through a tour, but it’s also possible to do with public transportation.
If you decide to go as part of a tour, we recommend this tour, which includes a stop in Alba Iulia. Alba Iulia is a really unique town close to Sibiu; its main attraction is its citadel, which is shaped like a seven-point star from above.
We don’t recommend using public transportation to get to the castle as it will take about 4 hours each way, but we also totally understand being on a budget and wanting to do things as cheap as possible! To get from Sibiu to Corvin Castle, you’ll first take the train from Sibiu to Deva, which will take about 3 hours. From there, grab a minibus to Hunedoara. These minibuses run frequently and the ride takes about 30 minutes. Lastly, you can either taxi or walk 20 minutes to the castle. This is definitely the cheapest way to get to the castle, but I would urge you to do a tour or rent a car instead to save a ton of time!
3. Salina Turda
Salina Turda is another must-see sight in Romania – this amazing place is an old salt mine that’s been converted into a theme park! Though the park is most easily visited from Cluj, it’s definitely possible to do from Sibiu (we did it ourselves!).
Check out our Guide to visiting Salina Turda
Once again, the best way to visit the park is with a rental car, but we used public transportation to get there and it wasn’t too bad!
To get to Salina Turda from Sibiu using public transportation, you’ll first want to take a bus to Turda, which takes about 3 hours. From where you’re dropped off, you can either get a taxi to the main entrance of the mine or walk a half hour to the alternative entrance (to find this, search for “Intrare Salina dinspre oras“ on Google Maps).
If you decide to go to Salina Turda by bus, check out the bus schedules. When choosing your bus, make sure you check which bus station in Sibiu the bus will be leaving from. There are two bus stations in Sibiu – the main one is Autogara Transmixt, which is right near the main Sibiu train station. The second is Autogara Turnisor, which is located on the other side of the city.
Best Time to Visit Sibiu
Sibiu is a great city to visit year-round – the best time for you to visit just depends on what you’re looking for!
In the summer, weather is perfect in Romania. This is also a great time to visit Sibiu to attend the International Theatre Festival, which is held each year in June!
Did you know that Sibiu has its own Christmas markets? If you’re visiting in the winter, be sure to time it around when the Christmas market is in full swing. This is certainly one of Europe’s smaller Christmas markets, but it feels more intimate that way (and it’s one of the cheapest ones to visit!).
Where to Stay in Sibiu
When in Sibiu, the best place to stay is in the historic center. This area is the most beautiful area of Sibiu and really nice to explore. You can stay in either the upper town or the lower town; then you’ll be in walking distance to all of the top Sibiu sights as well as the train and bus stations.
Sibiu Accommodations
How to Get to Sibiu
Sibiu is extremely easy to get to via any mode of transportation! If you have the means, we recommend using a rental car to explore Transylvania so you can get off the beaten path easily, but if you don’t rent a car, Romania is still very easy to navigate.
How to Get to Sibiu by Plane
Sibiu actually has its own airport (SBZ) which is serviced by direct flights from London, Vienna, and Munich (as well as a couple other smaller towns in Germany). At this point, you cannot fly directly from within Romania to Sibiu, so if you plan to visit Sibiu from inside of Romania, going by train or bus is the better option.
Check out Cheap Flights to Sibiu on Skyscanner
How to Get to Sibiu by Train
Sibiu Railway Station is well connected to major Romanian cities and neighboring countries. Trains offer a comfortable and scenic way to travel around Romania – we did most of our Romania traveling with trains and it was lovely! Popular train itineraries:
- Sighișoara to Sibiu: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Brașov to Sibiu: 3-4 hours
- Bucharest to Sibiu: 5.5 – 6 hours
- Cluj-Napoca to Sibiu: 4.5-6 hours
Check your Train Itinerary and Buy Tickets on CFR
How to Get to Sibiu by Bus
We recommend using the trains over the buses for a more pleasant experience, but sometimes bus schedules work out better! Sibiu is very easy to get to by bus from most Romanian cities and towns.
Check Bus Schedules on Autogari
Keep Exploring Romania….
- Brașov and Sinaia: The Best Four Day Transylvania Itinerary
- The 10 Best Things to Do in Bucharest
- Sighișoara: A Charming Transylvanian Town with a Rich History
- Therme Spa: The Ultimate Guide to Bucharest’s Luxury Oasis
- Salina Turda: The World’s Most Exciting Salt Mine
Our Favorite Travel Resources
Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.
Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
