The rain stopped soon after we got up but it still looked threatening. We had intended to catch the 08:55 train into Sibiu but switched off the alarm during the last thunderstorm due the amount of lost sleep. We went for the 11:05 instead, walking the 200m to the station above the campsite. The platform consists of a series of uneven and broken concrete slabs and the station building had seen better days but at least we could buy tickets – a very reasonable 2.70 lei (approx. £0.75) each for the 12km journey. Given the condition of the station and the trains that we had seen elsewhere in Romania, we were expecting an old locomotive and dilapidated rolling stock. Much to our surprise, round the bend and into the station came a very impressive modern train. The carriages had electronic doors, huge windows and seats at two different levels. We chose some forward-facing seats on the higher level and had an excellent view over the countryside.
Sibiu was European City of Culture in 2007 and more than lived up to the expectations resulting from the title. The most impressive feature of the city is the architecture, with many mediaeval buildings and much Saxon influence. It is really a city to wander around and that is exactly what we did. The railway station is only a short walk from the centre, with plenty to see on the way. There are hundreds of historic houses, each with its own plaque detailing its age and the type of building. I christened it 'The City of Eyebrows' due to the enormous number of eyebrow openings set into the roofs (see photographs). We found the Council Tower and paid a small entrance fee to climb to the top. From here there is an excellent view over the city in all directions and also down to the three intersecting squares around the tower. These are a delight and reminded us of many Italian squares that we have visited – cafés and restaurants lined the edges, outside beautiful old buildings. The spires of churches dominate the skyline and everywhere there are those eyebrows!
Sibiu is a very cosmopolitan city with large German and Hungarian speaking communities. The three largest churches in the city are of different branches of the Christian faith – Roman Catholic, Evangelical (Protestant) and Orthodox. The Baroque Roman Catholic church had services that were delivered in three different languages (Romanian, Hungarian and German) and the people working in the Gothic Evangelical church were all speaking German. These churches date back to the long period of German and Hungarian rule. We hoped to see the tomb of Vlad Tepes's son and the impressive 6002 pipe organ in the Evangelical church but these areas were closed off as they were renovating the church. The Orthodox Cathedral is quite modern but very impressive. As we entered the impression was of space – the very high domed roof and the open space below gave it a very airy feel. The frescoes were also much more open than most Orthodox paintings that I have seen and that, together with their size really caught our attention.
We tried to find typical Romanian cuisine for lunch but failed because the city is dominated by Italian cuisine. In the end, we both had pizza although my Marinara was quite different from others that I have had in Italy and elsewhere. It had a large amount of garlic scattered in amongst the tuna and capers but I must say that it was delicious – I must try to reproduce it when we get home.
After lunch we investigated the lower town and it was clear that, although much of the centre has restored and work is continuing, one only needs to move a few hundred metres away to find the more authentic city. This still has many historic buildings but they are in a poor state of repair and are inhabited by much poorer people. I suspect that. Given a few years, this area will also be 'prettified'.
We ended the day by a visit to the very good (allegedly the best in Romania) art gallery (Anthony please note!). A short walk back to the station with a stop for a long coffee on the way, and we caught the same swish train back to Baile Ocna Sibiului. The thunderstorm hit just as we left Sibiu but was nearly over by the time that we arrived. There had obviously been a lot of heavy rain at Baile Ocna Sibiului but only light rain was falling as we walked quickly back to Henrietta.
Photos: The train arrives at our local station; A view of Piata Mica and the Evangelical church from the Council Tower; A muddle of Mediaeval roofs ; The spacious interior of the Sibiu Orthodox Cathedral.
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