Back in 2007, Romania joined the European Union. That news, monumental as it was, had to share the country's headlines with another big story. Sibiu, a small medieval city in the northern part of Transylvania, had been named the European City of Culture for the year. The city formerly known as "Sibiu", now became known as "Sibiu...you know it's the the European City of Culture" in everyday casual conversation. The least patriotic Romanian was incapable of holding back his pride when the topic of Sibiu came up. Of course, as a frequent visitor and huge fan of Romania, I bragged right along with them. Only, there was a slight problem. I had never been to Sibiu.
There are clean, punctual high-speed trains that traverse most of the country and I am certain that if the people who designed the railway lines had had the foresight to see what Sibiu would become in 2007, they would have seen fit to create a line connecting it directly to Bucharest. Alas, they did not, so anyone wanting to visit by train is looking at a minimum of 6 hours. This is hardly horrible, but if someone has very limited time, like I usually do, it is just long enough to prevent a visit, cultural capital or not.
I had come close to going many times, but my plans were always thwarted due to one reason or another. Last week was my last such attempt, difference being that this time, success was in the cards. I made it! I opted to fore go the train since work on the lines was bound to make the journey even longer than usual. Instead, I took the bus, which I expected to be a minivan/ jitney type thing, but turned out to be a real, bathroom and all bus. The travel time was supposed to be 5 1/2 hours, but was less going both ways. Also, contrary to what my friend Laura might say, the bus depots on both ends were perfectly serviceable and were not, I repeat, were not run by Fred Flinstone or any other Bedrock-era individual.
My first surprise in Sibiu came when I saw how small the city is. For some reason, I equated City of Culture with City of Size. My initial fear that 2 days was not going to be sufficient to see everything evaporated almost instantly. Not to say that there was not much to see, the city showed all the freshness and polish one would expect from a city that had recently undergone extensive renovations. I was able to count three separate tourist information offices, all offering a varied list of tours in the high season (yet none in the low season). There is a world class museum, which I foolishly left for my second day, when it was closed. There were enough gorgeous buildings and squares to keep the owner of a brand new camera, such as myself, occupied for hours. Two days was enough, but three would have been ok, too, even if all I really did was just casually walk its streets.
Sibiu, or Hermannstadt as it is still known by its German inhabitants, has an almost infectious mellowness to it. Tourists and locals alike lounged in outdoor cafes. Families strolled through the winding streets enjoying the last few days of summer. No one seemed rushed. It is the kind of place where I imagine you have to make an effort in order to be stressed out. The tranquility of the city carried perfectly into the Felinarul Hostel. Owned and operated by an Irish woman and her Romanian husband, they managed to hit all the right notes in creating a homey, welcoming environment that made it easy to meet fellow travelers. Also worth noting was her home-made granola which was good enough to temporarily turn me into a breakfast person.
In the end, I am not really sure what criteria goes into determining if a city qualifies as a European City of Culture. I could not even tell you who the current one is. But if having a picturesque, relaxing city, with some seemingly great museums thrown in, is enough, then Sibiu proved itself more than worthy of both the title and the bus ride.
Piata Mica aka The Little Square
Remaining towers and city wall
Night time in the Piata Mare aka The Big Square
The Liar's Bridge: legend states that if someone tells a lie while standing upon this bridge, it will collapse.
The Carytid House
The Orthodox Church
Inside the Orthdox Church
The Stairs Passage
Written by 2Machupicchu
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