The story of Historic Centre of Sighișoara

You are walking inside a medieval citadel that people still live in. Saxon settlers built it in the 12th century under the Latin name Castrum Sex, and in 1999 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as an 850-year-old testament to the history and culture of the Transylvanian Saxons. It sits on a hillside above the Târnava Mare river, on two terraces: the Citadel Hill below and the School Hill above, 429 metres above sea level.

Between the 14th and 17th centuries a wall rose against Turkish attacks, at first about four metres high and later up to 14 metres in places. It had 14 towers, and 9 survive. Each served as the headquarters of a craft guild: tailors, shoemakers, tinsmiths, furriers, butchers and more.

The Clock Tower, 64 metres tall, guards the main gate. Sighișoara is also the birthplace of Vlad III the Impaler, and every year it hosts a medieval festival.