Things To Do in Sibiu

Sibiu's interesting bits stretch between Piata Mica in what is known as "Lower Town," and Piata Unirii, situated at the junction of Sibiu's charming medieval heart and pulsing modern city. Piata Mica ("small" square), once the commercial center of the city -- Casa Artelor at the northern end of the square originally dates from 1370 when it was a market hall -- is surrounded on all sides by a lovely collection of buildings freshly coated in a palette of flash pastels. Of the prettiest is Casa Luxemburg, now occupied by several decent bars, a tourist shop, and guesthouse, and right near the famous Liar's Bridge -- so named because (among other fanciful reasons) it will apparently collapse if you tell a fib while standing on it; apparently no one has dared test the theory since it was constructed in 1859. The bridge links Piata Mica to adjacent Piata Huet, at the center of which stands the monumental Evangelical Cathedral. Piata Huet's southern end is in turn linked with Piata Mare, the "big" town square and once the social hub of the original walled city, where -- among other crowd-pulling activities -- executions were held. This marks the end of Lower Town.

Set aside an hour to explore the city's top attraction, located on Piata Mare -- the Brukenthal Palace, with its famous art museum -- as well as the Roman Catholic Cathedral, built by the Jesuits (1726-33) in the baroque style (the statue out front memorializes the peasants who fought in the uprisings of 1848). Between the palace and the church is the gorgeously impressive headquarters of the Banca Agricola, and in the northwestern corner of the square, the Council Tower (1588).

Stretching southwest of Piata Mare is pedestrianized Strada Nicolae Balcescu, established in 1492 and lined with shops, cafes, galleries, and a couple of side streets worth wandering for a sense of medieval back-alley life. Lined with Renaissance-style architecture, Strada Balcescu eventually collides with modern Sibiu, a sudden time-shifting shock as you hit newly restored Piata Unirii (where you'll find Crama Sibiul Vechi, the city's highly rated restaurant). Along the southeastern periphery of the old center, much of the original defensive wall still stands, dotted with a few of its guild-sponsored watchtowers.

Upper Town's most attractive stretch is Strada Avram Iancu, which runs between the Council Tower building and the Ursuline Church; along the road is Sibiu's oldest residence, known as Casa Bobel, which has apparently retained the same appearance for half a millennium. Midway between the square and the church, you should come upon the steep Pasajul Scolii (School Passage), which leads to the cobbled depths of Strada Movilei.

The Ursuline Church is a huge edifice with a sculpted effigy of St. Ursula above the entrance; it was built in 1474 and was originally a Dominican monastery, but was closed in 1543 when the Reformation converted the Saxon population to Lutheranism; in 1733 it was taken over by the Ursuline nuns, who converted the original Gothic interiors to the baroque -- get here at 8am to hear women in the church singing and chanting with great solemnity. Baroque flourishes define the city's Franciscan Church on Strada Selarilor, situated in a quiet corner, and linked to Strada General Magheru by a narrow passageway. It was built in 1716 and the white-and-pastel interior includes such high kitsch as a Madonna statue framed by a rockery.

At the edge of the old city near the Powder Tower is the neoclassical Sala Thalia on Strada Cetatii, the home of the State Philharmonic (established in 1788). Farther along Strada Cetatii is the Natural History Museum (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm), founded in 1895.