Self-guided tour in Sighisoara
Sighisoara, the medieval jewel of Romania and the only continuously inhabited citadel in Europe hides many legends. It was built with a defense role. The Citadel housed the headquarters and workshops of the city's largest guilds: Goldsmiths, Tailors, Carpenters, Locksmiths, etc. In the Citadel there were 8 extremely deep wells (35-40m) and grain pits (Kornkaule). In the basements of the main square were the city's more than 100 pits, each with a capacity of 100 buckets of wheat. Today you are invited to discover its secrets in a unique tour that will show you the medieval heritage still preserved.
How will the tour be conducted? At each step you can read in the app interesting details about where you are at that moment. On the next page you will find instructions to discover the next clue. Once you have followed those instructions and reached the location of the next clue you have a task to solve. Type the solution to that task in the Answer field, in capital letters, and press the "Next" button. If the solution is correct, the next page will reveal to you what the place is and a short history. If you can't find the right answer, you can always use the hints below the question or press the "Show me the answer" button.
The tour takes about 1.5 hours, but you can stop at any time, either for a break or to continue it another day. Use the "Save for later" button and keep the code received from the app in a safe place. It will ask you for it when you want to continue!
Starting point: Hermann Oberth Square
Final point: Cetății Square
Route length: approx. 2 km
Route duration: 1.5 hours
You need: Internet and mobile phone
Let's go!
Sighisoara, the medieval jewel of Romania and the only continuously inhabited citadel in Europe hides many legends. It was built with a defense role. The Citadel housed the headquarters and workshops of the city's largest guilds: Goldsmiths, Tailors, Carpenters, Locksmiths, etc. In the Citadel there were 8 extremely deep wells (35-40m) and grain pits (Kornkaule). In the basements of the main square were the city's more than 100 pits, each with a capacity of 100 buckets of wheat. Today you are invited to discover its secrets in a unique tour that will show you the medieval heritage still preserved.
How will the tour be conducted? At each step you can read in the app interesting details about where you are at that moment. On the next page you will find instructions to discover the next clue. Once you have followed those instructions and reached the location of the next clue you have a task to solve. Type the solution to that task in the Answer field, in capital letters, and press the "Next" button. If the solution is correct, the next page will reveal to you what the place is and a short history. If you can't find the right answer, you can always use the hints below the question or press the "Show me the answer" button.
The tour takes about 1.5 hours, but you can stop at any time, either for a break or to continue it another day. Use the "Save for later" button and keep the code received from the app in a safe place. It will ask you for it when you want to continue!
Starting point: Hermann Oberth Square
Final point: Cetății Square
Route length: approx. 2 km
Route duration: 1.5 hours
You need: Internet and mobile phone
Let's go!
Welcome to Hermann Oberth Square. This is where your tour in Sighisoara begins. This square is actually a park surrounded by streets.
On the busiest side of the square, a tourist building has a name inscribed on the facade. What is the first name?
Look for the building that is today a hotel. What name do you see on it? What is that person's first name?
That is correct! Josef B. Teutsch was the son of a famous Saxon merchant, who had stores all over Transylvania, from Brașov, Sibiu, Târgu Mureș to Sighisoara, a grocery chain with everything.
But Josef was not interested in business, he had a more artistic nature. He loved art and especially literature. He would have liked to sit and read all day, even to become a writer. But his father, an ambitious and pragmatic man, scolded him for not following him, that he was wasting money and that he was incapable of anything, and that you cannot make a living from art, you cannot make money. Well, Josef took that as a challenge.
He wanted to prove his father wrong, that money will come if you really want to do business, but that it deserves to be invested in art, in the work of talented and gifted people. So he came up with a brilliant idea: to import spices and silks from Asia and the Middle East.
He brought luxury goods to the heart of Transylvania and delighted his aristocratic clientele of the time with top goods. He did so well, that with the money he earned he built this residence in 1897. Of course it housed impressive collections of books, paintings and works of art. And also from the money of his business he donated considerable sums for the Museum of the Saxons in Brașov and other buildings with the role of promoting the Saxon culture.
His name was inscribed on the facade not necessarily out of community pride, but especially for his father. He wanted to remind him, every day as long as he lived, that he, Josef B. Teutsch, had succeeded in life by being motivated by his love for art.
That is correct! Josef B. Teutsch was the son of a famous Saxon merchant, who had stores all over Transylvania, from Brașov, Sibiu, Târgu Mureș to Sighisoara, a grocery chain with everything.
But Josef was not interested in business, he had a more artistic nature. He loved art and especially literature. He would have liked to sit and read all day, even to become a writer. But his father, an ambitious and pragmatic man, scolded him for not following him, that he was wasting money and that he was incapable of anything, and that you cannot make a living from art, you cannot make money. Well, Josef took that as a challenge.
He wanted to prove his father wrong, that money will come if you really want to do business, but that it deserves to be invested in art, in the work of talented and gifted people. So he came up with a brilliant idea: to import spices and silks from Asia and the Middle East.
He brought luxury goods to the heart of Transylvania and delighted his aristocratic clientele of the time with top goods. He did so well, that with the money he earned he built this residence in 1897. Of course it housed impressive collections of books, paintings and works of art. And also from the money of his business he donated considerable sums for the Museum of the Saxons in Brașov and other buildings with the role of promoting the Saxon culture.
His name was inscribed on the facade not necessarily out of community pride, but especially for his father. He wanted to remind him, every day as long as he lived, that he, Josef B. Teutsch, had succeeded in life by being motivated by his love for art.
The park you are in is shaped like a triangle. Cross the park and exit right through the top of the triangle on the other side of the hotel. Here, a cobblestone street climbs up to the old citadel. Go on it and pass under the first gate. Look at the tower now rising before you.
Task
Just below the clock, the buttresses are separated by long windows. How many of them remain uncovered?
Count the long windows that can still be seen broken in the wall, just below the clock. How many are they?
Exactly, 7 windows are still uncovered!
The Clock Tower, the largest of Sighisoara's defense towers, frames the main entrance gate to the citadel. It belonged to the entire community, unlike the other towers that were guarded by a certain guild. It was also called the Gate Tower or the Town Hall Tower.
From the middle of the century From XIV to 1556, the town hall of Sighişoara and later the court fun
The Clock Tower is 64 m high and has 6 levels (ground floor, five floors and roof). The walls of the ground floor are 2.35 m thick, and those of the 1st and 2nd floors are 1.30 m thick, being built of river stone around the middle of the XIV century. The 3rd, 4th and 5th floors, protected by the roof, were built at the end of the XVI century. The access between floors was made with the help of wooden stairs.
On the 5th floor there is an observation gazebo, hexagonal in shape. On the 4th floor is the complex mechanism of the medieval fortress clock, the one that gives the tower its name.
The first documentary mention of the clock in the tower was made in 1648, when it was repaired and modernized. The clock is known for the wooden figurines that decorate it.
Towards the fortress it has the Goddess of Peace, the Goddess of Justice, the Goddess of Justice, the two angels (Day and Night), and the drummer with his bronze drum. Towards the city, the clock has as figurines the Executioner, who in the past carried an ax and the second drummer.
Inside, the clock has a rotating mechanism with the days of the week, each day being represented by a painted wooden doll, symbolizing Greco-Roman divinities and wearing symbols from medieval alchemy on its head.
The four turrets crowning its roof were the signs of jus gladii (jurisdictional autonomy of the city which, through its Council, could apply capital punishment). It was a right of authority and prestige that only the important cities of Transylvania had.
The roof of the tower was rebuilt in 1677, after the great fire. The last major restoration of the tower took place in 1894 when multicolored glazed tiles were laid, new documents were placed in the large gilded globe at the top, the inscription and the two emblems were painted, with a rotating tin rooster at the top , depending on the wind direction.
The tower has a gilded, copper sphere near the top, which contains copies of various old documents of the Saxons in the citadel, and which after 100 years is enriched with contemporary documents, fun
If you want, you can visit the tower to see the clock mechanism and the objects on display.
Exactly, 7 windows are still uncovered!
The Clock Tower, the largest of Sighisoara's defense towers, frames the main entrance gate to the citadel. It belonged to the entire community, unlike the other towers that were guarded by a certain guild. It was also called the Gate Tower or the Town Hall Tower.
From the middle of the century From XIV to 1556, the town hall of Sighişoara and later the court fun
The Clock Tower is 64 m high and has 6 levels (ground floor, five floors and roof). The walls of the ground floor are 2.35 m thick, and those of the 1st and 2nd floors are 1.30 m thick, being built of river stone around the middle of the XIV century. The 3rd, 4th and 5th floors, protected by the roof, were built at the end of the XVI century. The access between floors was made with the help of wooden stairs.
On the 5th floor there is an observation gazebo, hexagonal in shape. On the 4th floor is the complex mechanism of the medieval fortress clock, the one that gives the tower its name.
The first documentary mention of the clock in the tower was made in 1648, when it was repaired and modernized. The clock is known for the wooden figurines that decorate it.
Towards the fortress it has the Goddess of Peace, the Goddess of Justice, the Goddess of Justice, the two angels (Day and Night), and the drummer with his bronze drum. Towards the city, the clock has as figurines the Executioner, who in the past carried an ax and the second drummer.
Inside, the clock has a rotating mechanism with the days of the week, each day being represented by a painted wooden doll, symbolizing Greco-Roman divinities and wearing symbols from medieval alchemy on its head.
The four turrets crowning its roof were the signs of jus gladii (jurisdictional autonomy of the city which, through its Council, could apply capital punishment). It was a right of authority and prestige that only the important cities of Transylvania had.
The roof of the tower was rebuilt in 1677, after the great fire. The last major restoration of the tower took place in 1894 when multicolored glazed tiles were laid, new documents were placed in the large gilded globe at the top, the inscription and the two emblems were painted, with a rotating tin rooster at the top , depending on the wind direction.
The tower has a gilded, copper sphere near the top, which contains copies of various old documents of the Saxons in the citadel, and which after 100 years is enriched with contemporary documents, fun
If you want, you can visit the tower to see the clock mechanism and the objects on display.
Go under the clock tower and immediately turn right after it. Walk along the iron railing admiring the city below. Pass another old tower and turn left after the church.
Task
A door lets you into the church, but it's locked. How many key locks do you have to unlock to get in?
Get close to it and see that it's not just the main lock that has a key lock. How many are there in total on the door?
Exactly, 3 key locks are on the little door on the side of the church. This is the Monastery Church.
The Church of the Dominican Monastery was documented in 1298. The buildings of the Monastery of the Dominican Monks and the Monastery of the Dominican Nuns, from which the church took its name, were built in the fortress. The current shape of the church is the result of the changes that occurred between 1484 – 1677 and later after the great fire of 1676. From 1556, after the expulsion of the Dominican monks and the conversion of the Saxons to Lutheranism, it became the main church of the Citadel and has remained so until today.
The Blacksmiths' Tower in the churchyard was built in 1631 by the mayor M. Eisenburgher to replace the old Barbers' Tower, demolished in the same year. It was destroyed in the fire of 1676, but then rebuilt in order to protect the Monastery Church in case of siege. The tower is equipped with consoles, fuel nozzles and firing holes.
The imposing gray building next to the church is the town hall.
Exactly, 3 key locks are on the little door on the side of the church. This is the Monastery Church.
The Church of the Dominican Monastery was documented in 1298. The buildings of the Monastery of the Dominican Monks and the Monastery of the Dominican Nuns, from which the church took its name, were built in the fortress. The current shape of the church is the result of the changes that occurred between 1484 – 1677 and later after the great fire of 1676. From 1556, after the expulsion of the Dominican monks and the conversion of the Saxons to Lutheranism, it became the main church of the Citadel and has remained so until today.
The Blacksmiths' Tower in the churchyard was built in 1631 by the mayor M. Eisenburgher to replace the old Barbers' Tower, demolished in the same year. It was destroyed in the fire of 1676, but then rebuilt in order to protect the Monastery Church in case of siege. The tower is equipped with consoles, fuel nozzles and firing holes.
The imposing gray building next to the church is the town hall.
From this side door go further between the church and the town hall and you will come across the statue of Vlad the Impaler. Pass it and immediately turn right, arriving in front of the town hall. Continue down the cobbled street without turning as it turns, keeping an eye on the silver-roofed tower with a cross at the top rising between the houses. When you approach it you will discover that it belongs to another church.
Task
3 moments are mentioned on its facade. Reverse the order of history and read only their last digit. What number did you get?
Find the years mentioned and put them in descending order. Then read the last digit of each.
You are right! 436 is the correct answer. If you order the 3 years in descending order and read the last digit of each, you will get this number.
2 centuries ago the Tower of the Locksmiths was located here. In 1834, the Locksmiths' Tower was demolished, and the Roman Catholic Church was built in 1894 on its place and on the little Franciscan monastery church.
The place of worship became the parish church of the Catholics in Sighisoara. It has an architectural style with neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic elements.
The church is 30 m long, 20 m wide, and the height of the bell tower is 25 m.
If you want, you can go inside to see its interior.
As you face the entrance to the church, on the left you can see another tower.
The Shoemakers' Tower, the northern tower of the fortress, is documented from 1521, but it seems to have been originally built in the second half of the 14th century. In its current form, it is one of the recent towers, betraying some influences of Baroque architecture.
The tower has a hexagonal shape with unequal sides. The fire of 1676 completely destroyed it, exploding due to the gunpowder stored inside. It was rebuilt from the ground up and acquired its current appearance with baroque influences in 1681.
Today it houses the headquarters of the local radio station.
Next to the Shoemakers' Tower, an artillery bastion was built in 1658, the Bastion of the Shoemakers or the Franciscan Nuns, but it was demolished in 1846. In the bastion, a stone was discovered on which was engraved the first coat of arms of the city and its motto "Nomen Domini Turiis Fortissima" ("God's name, the strongest tower"). This stone is exhibited today in the Museum of History in the Clock Tower.
You are right! 436 is the correct answer. If you order the 3 years in descending order and read the last digit of each, you will get this number.
2 centuries ago the Tower of the Locksmiths was located here. In 1834, the Locksmiths' Tower was demolished, and the Roman Catholic Church was built in 1894 on its place and on the little Franciscan monastery church.
The place of worship became the parish church of the Catholics in Sighisoara. It has an architectural style with neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic elements.
The church is 30 m long, 20 m wide, and the height of the bell tower is 25 m.
If you want, you can go inside to see its interior.
As you face the entrance to the church, on the left you can see another tower.
The Shoemakers' Tower, the northern tower of the fortress, is documented from 1521, but it seems to have been originally built in the second half of the 14th century. In its current form, it is one of the recent towers, betraying some influences of Baroque architecture.
The tower has a hexagonal shape with unequal sides. The fire of 1676 completely destroyed it, exploding due to the gunpowder stored inside. It was rebuilt from the ground up and acquired its current appearance with baroque influences in 1681.
Today it houses the headquarters of the local radio station.
Next to the Shoemakers' Tower, an artillery bastion was built in 1658, the Bastion of the Shoemakers or the Franciscan Nuns, but it was demolished in 1846. In the bastion, a stone was discovered on which was engraved the first coat of arms of the city and its motto "Nomen Domini Turiis Fortissima" ("God's name, the strongest tower"). This stone is exhibited today in the Museum of History in the Clock Tower.
Go to the Shoemaker's Tower. Further on, the cobbled road turns left, near the wall, with the old houses on the left and the view of the new town on the right, at the foot of the hill. Continue on it and stop when you reach another exit from the fortress, guarded by a tower and used today also by cars.
Task
Stand next the tower and look at the houses in the fortress. A singer frozen in time is seen on top. What instrument does he play?
Look on the roofs of the houses for an iron figure representing a singer. What instrument does he play?
Flute
Exactly, this one plays the flute.
The second access gate to the citadel is framed by the Tailors' Tower, built in the 14th century and located on the opposite side of the Clock Tower.
Initially, the two towers had the same shape, but during the great fire, the gunpowder stored in the Tower of the Tailors exploded and destroyed the tower, the warehouse of armaments, raw materials of the tailors and wheat of the fortress. The tower was later rebuilt with a lower height. The two upper floors have windows for shooting (for bows, crossbows, rifles) and throwing (boiled water, burning pitch).
The tailors' guild, the one that built the tower, was one of the most powerful guilds in Sighisoara. The tower is pierced by two gangs provided in the past with iron grills and fenced wooden gates.
Exactly, this one plays the flute.
The second access gate to the citadel is framed by the Tailors' Tower, built in the 14th century and located on the opposite side of the Clock Tower.
Initially, the two towers had the same shape, but during the great fire, the gunpowder stored in the Tower of the Tailors exploded and destroyed the tower, the warehouse of armaments, raw materials of the tailors and wheat of the fortress. The tower was later rebuilt with a lower height. The two upper floors have windows for shooting (for bows, crossbows, rifles) and throwing (boiled water, burning pitch).
The tailors' guild, the one that built the tower, was one of the most powerful guilds in Sighisoara. The tower is pierced by two gangs provided in the past with iron grills and fenced wooden gates.
Go past the tower and continue up the street that brought you here. At the end of it you will reach another old tower, guarded by an old walnut tree.
Task
Go past the walnut tree and sit by the tower. Few houses in the citadel have numbers, but from this tower you can actually see the number of one. What number is it?
To see it better, position yourself next to the stairs going up in the tower, with your back to it. What number do you see on the house?
9
You are right! The number 9 can be seen on one of the houses.
The Furriers' Tower that you are standing next to is one of the two defense towers of the Törle gate, another access route to the fortress. The Törle gate was the gate where, in the old days, the herds were divided every evening.
The Furriers' Tower was built in the 15th century and defended by the Furriers guild. The fire of 1676, which devastated almost half of Sighisoara, also destroyed the tower, which was repaired to take on its current form. The last level has shooting mouths, initially for bows and crossbows, then for firearms.
Between the Furriers' Tower, where you are now, and the Tailors Tower, from which you came, there was another one, the Weavers Tower, which played the role of a military prison. But it was demolished in 1858.
Continuing the defensive wall, after the Furriers' Tower, you can see the Butchers' Tower.
The Butchers' Tower was built later, probably in the 15th century, and it is hexagonal in shape. For its protection, a century later, the artillery bastion was built in front of it, with cannons placed on an open platform. The bastion can be seen from outside the fortress. Go out the gate to get a better look at it, but return to the citadel afterwards.
You are right! The number 9 can be seen on one of the houses.
The Furriers' Tower that you are standing next to is one of the two defense towers of the Törle gate, another access route to the fortress. The Törle gate was the gate where, in the old days, the herds were divided every evening.
The Furriers' Tower was built in the 15th century and defended by the Furriers guild. The fire of 1676, which devastated almost half of Sighisoara, also destroyed the tower, which was repaired to take on its current form. The last level has shooting mouths, initially for bows and crossbows, then for firearms.
Between the Furriers' Tower, where you are now, and the Tailors Tower, from which you came, there was another one, the Weavers Tower, which played the role of a military prison. But it was demolished in 1858.
Continuing the defensive wall, after the Furriers' Tower, you can see the Butchers' Tower.
The Butchers' Tower was built later, probably in the 15th century, and it is hexagonal in shape. For its protection, a century later, the artillery bastion was built in front of it, with cannons placed on an open platform. The bastion can be seen from outside the fortress. Go out the gate to get a better look at it, but return to the citadel afterwards.
Start on the street that comes under the Törle gate and go up into the fortress, don't leave it! Take the first right (not the alley that ends in the Butchers' Tower) and stop when you reach a lively descending street on the left and a covered staircase on the right.
Task
At the entrance to the covered staircase, a newer plaque has 2 repeating letters on it. What letters are we talking about? (capitalize both)
One of the letters is written normally, but the other is upside down and you have to bring it back to its classic form. Did you spot them at the bottom of the stairs? What letters are they?
That's right, V and L are the 2 letters that appear on the repeating plate.
Between 1660 and 1662, to facilitate access to the Gymnasium and the Hill Church, especially in bad weather, the "Student Staircase" or "Covered Staircase" was built. It has 173 wooden steps and a roof covered with shingles.
It originally had 300 steps, but then flat platforms were added and the number of steps reduced. Go up the covered staircase to the end and then take it to the left. A few steps further you will come across the high school.
In the XVII-XVII centuries, the Hillside School was one of the 5 German schools in Transylvania (along with those in Sibiu, Braşov, Mediaş, Bistriţa) supported by the Transylvanian Evangelical Church Synod. Philosophical theology, Latin and Greek, music, mathematics and astrology were taught here. In 1867, the Romanian language was also introduced into the school curriculum.
In the 18th century, the construction of a new school building began. Later, the third building of the school appeared, initially only with the ground floor and the 1st floor. On its frontispiece an inscription in Latin was chiseled meaning "To the sons of the Fatherland/Sighisoara community, who dedicate themselves to virtue and wisdom, may the school building be a sacred place". In 1901, the school is renovated in baroque style and the 2nd floor is added. Currently, the theoretical high school "Joseph Haltrich" operates in the building.
That's right, V and L are the 2 letters that appear on the repeating plate.
Between 1660 and 1662, to facilitate access to the Gymnasium and the Hill Church, especially in bad weather, the "Student Staircase" or "Covered Staircase" was built. It has 173 wooden steps and a roof covered with shingles.
It originally had 300 steps, but then flat platforms were added and the number of steps reduced. Go up the covered staircase to the end and then take it to the left. A few steps further you will come across the high school.
In the XVII-XVII centuries, the Hillside School was one of the 5 German schools in Transylvania (along with those in Sibiu, Braşov, Mediaş, Bistriţa) supported by the Transylvanian Evangelical Church Synod. Philosophical theology, Latin and Greek, music, mathematics and astrology were taught here. In 1867, the Romanian language was also introduced into the school curriculum.
In the 18th century, the construction of a new school building began. Later, the third building of the school appeared, initially only with the ground floor and the 1st floor. On its frontispiece an inscription in Latin was chiseled meaning "To the sons of the Fatherland/Sighisoara community, who dedicate themselves to virtue and wisdom, may the school building be a sacred place". In 1901, the school is renovated in baroque style and the 2nd floor is added. Currently, the theoretical high school "Joseph Haltrich" operates in the building.
Follow the path covered in river stone that will take you to the church. On the left you will meet another piece of the old wall of the fortress, and on the right you will have the Church on the hill.
Task
Before you get in front of it, you'll come across a barred side door. A number is clearly visible in the wood. What number is it?
Did you spot the wood sign on the top left door as you look at it? The number has 5 digits.
You're right, 12464 is the correct number! Continue up the alley until you reach its main entrance.
The Church on the Hill was built at the highest point of the citadel, initially being a Catholic religious center and then a Protestant one. The Catholic Church on the Hill was dedicated to Saint Nicholas and was built in several stages, starting from the 14th century, on the foundation of a Romanesque church from the 13th century.
The Church on the Hill was documented in 1345 in a document signed by King Louis 1 of Anjou.
It is slightly asymmetrical, the northern part being larger compared to the southern one, due to the inclusion of some previous constructions, including the defense tower built in the first half of the 18th century.
This can be visited, so I recommend you go inside. The altar is decorated with wooden statues that represent the four evangelists in life size: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Although they appear to be made of stone, if you sit behind them you can see the hollowness of the wood.
The crypt of the church is located in the basement, under the choir, being in fact the old Romanesque church from the 13th century.
In front of the Church is the Evangelical Cemetery or the Saxon Cemetery. The tombstones are very old and the occupations of the deceased are also written on them.
In one part of the entrance to the cemetery is the ruin of the Castaldo Bastion, which was built in front of the Goldsmiths' Tower, a tower demolished in 1863 following a fire caused by lightning. The goldsmiths were the richest guild in the citadel, they decorated their tower with stone reliefs blown with gold.
The Tower of the Ropesmen, the one seen to the right, was destroyed by the Tatar invasion in the 13th century and was rebuilt in the 14th century. It is one of the oldest towers, being among the few towers untouched by the fire of 1676. The Tower of the Ropesmen it is also the only inhabited one of the 9 preserved towers. Today it is the cemetery keeper's home.
The defense wall between the Tower of Ropesmen and the Tower of Butchers that you saw below collapsed in 1994, and was not restored afterwards.
You're right, 12464 is the correct number! Continue up the alley until you reach its main entrance.
The Church on the Hill was built at the highest point of the citadel, initially being a Catholic religious center and then a Protestant one. The Catholic Church on the Hill was dedicated to Saint Nicholas and was built in several stages, starting from the 14th century, on the foundation of a Romanesque church from the 13th century.
The Church on the Hill was documented in 1345 in a document signed by King Louis 1 of Anjou.
It is slightly asymmetrical, the northern part being larger compared to the southern one, due to the inclusion of some previous constructions, including the defense tower built in the first half of the 18th century.
This can be visited, so I recommend you go inside. The altar is decorated with wooden statues that represent the four evangelists in life size: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Although they appear to be made of stone, if you sit behind them you can see the hollowness of the wood.
The crypt of the church is located in the basement, under the choir, being in fact the old Romanesque church from the 13th century.
In front of the Church is the Evangelical Cemetery or the Saxon Cemetery. The tombstones are very old and the occupations of the deceased are also written on them.
In one part of the entrance to the cemetery is the ruin of the Castaldo Bastion, which was built in front of the Goldsmiths' Tower, a tower demolished in 1863 following a fire caused by lightning. The goldsmiths were the richest guild in the citadel, they decorated their tower with stone reliefs blown with gold.
The Tower of the Ropesmen, the one seen to the right, was destroyed by the Tatar invasion in the 13th century and was rebuilt in the 14th century. It is one of the oldest towers, being among the few towers untouched by the fire of 1676. The Tower of the Ropesmen it is also the only inhabited one of the 9 preserved towers. Today it is the cemetery keeper's home.
The defense wall between the Tower of Ropesmen and the Tower of Butchers that you saw below collapsed in 1994, and was not restored afterwards.
From here you have 2 alternatives. The first is to go back down the path to the Covered Staircase and past it down the path until you reach the bottom gate of the cemetery.
The second alternative is to enter the cemetery from the front of the church and go down the main path among the graves. On the first path to the right go on the stairs and then right again on the dirt path. Take a left going down the stairs and turn right again until you reach another cemetery gate. (same from the first version).
From this point go down the cobblestone street until you reach the base of the Covered Staircase. Pass the stairs, leaving it on the right, and continue along the narrow street, past a green terrace. At the end you will reach a square, the Duck Square (Piata ratustelor).
Task
Cross the square and go to its highest point. Your eye will be drawn to another old tower and a part of the defence wall, but guarded by a gate to which you are not allowed to pass. However, get close to it and see the Arabic numerals that frame the gate. What code do they form when read from left to right?
Find the numbers on the right and left of the gate and write the 8-digit code. What is this?
Exactly, 17041315 is the 8-digit code made up of the year on the left inscription and the 2 numbers on the right post of the gate.
But you came all the way here to see the last 2 towers left standing in Sighisoara.
The Tinsmiths' tower, which can be seen clearly, was erected with the wall and was rebuilt after the fires and earthquakes that shook it. Traces of cannonballs can still be seen in its walls and it is equipped with firing ports for arquebuses.
It was adapted over time for various fighting techniques, taking on today's odd shape with a rectangular base, two pentagonal floors and one octagonal floor.
It is now 25 m high and is connected to the Tanners' Tower by the Archers' Gallery, forming the defense line of the fortress on the N-W side. The gallery, the only one of its kind in the Citadel, was rebuilt in 1960. The tower is defended by a pentagonal bastion, built in 1583.
The Tanners' Tower, the one hidden by the buildings, located at the other end of the gallery is more simply built and probably dates from the 14th century.
Exactly, 17041315 is the 8-digit code made up of the year on the left inscription and the 2 numbers on the right post of the gate.
But you came all the way here to see the last 2 towers left standing in Sighisoara.
The Tinsmiths' tower, which can be seen clearly, was erected with the wall and was rebuilt after the fires and earthquakes that shook it. Traces of cannonballs can still be seen in its walls and it is equipped with firing ports for arquebuses.
It was adapted over time for various fighting techniques, taking on today's odd shape with a rectangular base, two pentagonal floors and one octagonal floor.
It is now 25 m high and is connected to the Tanners' Tower by the Archers' Gallery, forming the defense line of the fortress on the N-W side. The gallery, the only one of its kind in the Citadel, was rebuilt in 1960. The tower is defended by a pentagonal bastion, built in 1583.
The Tanners' Tower, the one hidden by the buildings, located at the other end of the gallery is more simply built and probably dates from the 14th century.
Go down from the Duck Square (Piata Rățuştelor) on alley paved with river stone until you see the Clock Tower on your right. You have arrived here in the Museum Square (Piata Muzeului).
Task
The last yellow house you passed on your way here has a shield on it. What number is inside the shield?
The yellow house on the corner is the one you're looking for, and you'll find the shield on the wall from the street you came down. What number do you see on it?
You are right, 1 is the number on the shield drawn on the "most" yellow house in the square. This is the House of Vlad the Impaler.
The "Vlad Dracul House" was called the Paulinus House and is the former building of the guard of the Gate Tower. It was called Casa Paulinus, after the name of one of the owners of the building, from 1700. The construction is one of the oldest in the city, dating from the middle of the 14th century.
It was also the official residence of the City Council, where refugees or dignitaries of the Citadel of Sighisoara, the mayor or the royal jude of the citadel lived.
After 1990, Casa Paulinus was remodeled as a restaurant-pension, under the name Casa Vlad Dracul.
It seems that, between 1431-1436, Vlad I, nicknamed Dracul, the son of Mircea the Elder, claimant to the throne of the Wallachia, lived here. Vlad Dracul (father of Vlad the Impaler) was crowned lord of Wallachia in 1431, in Nuremberg, by Sigismund of Luxemburg, emperor of Germany and king of Hungary. The prince was a member of the Order of the Dragon (anti-Ottoman organization), and his presence in Sighisoara was recorded intermittently between 1431 and 1436, as a guest of the Citadel. Due to the order he was a part of, you will also see the sign of the Dragon on the house.
In order to ascend the throne of Wallachia in 1436, he secured the support of the Saxons and the fortresses of Sighisoara and Braşov, and minted his own currency in the fortress of Sighisoara, in one of the forges of the goldsmiths' guild. The coin had its insignia: the crossed eagle and the dragon.
In the documents issued by Vlad Dracul in Sighişoara between 1431-1436, the Romanian name of the fortress appears for the first time, in the form Săghişoara or Sighişoara.
It is assumed that the second son of Vlad the Impaler, also called Vlad, the future Vlad Ţepeş-Drăculea - "son of the Devil/Dragon", was born in this house in Sighisoara. Bram Stocker was inspired by his name when he wrote the story of the famous vampire Dracula.
On an interior wall of the building there is a fresco in which the supposed face of Vlad the Impaler was painted.
Opposite the Vlad Dracul House is the "Venetian House", dating from the 16th century, inhabited for a while by the Mann family, goldsmiths. Stephanus Mann, former mayor of Sighisoara in 1630, belonged to this family and is buried in the Church on the Hill. The Venetian House takes its name from the stone window frames that imitate Venetian Gothic, giving it the appearance of a Venetian palazzo.
You are right, 1 is the number on the shield drawn on the "most" yellow house in the square. This is the House of Vlad the Impaler.
The "Vlad Dracul House" was called the Paulinus House and is the former building of the guard of the Gate Tower. It was called Casa Paulinus, after the name of one of the owners of the building, from 1700. The construction is one of the oldest in the city, dating from the middle of the 14th century.
It was also the official residence of the City Council, where refugees or dignitaries of the Citadel of Sighisoara, the mayor or the royal jude of the citadel lived.
After 1990, Casa Paulinus was remodeled as a restaurant-pension, under the name Casa Vlad Dracul.
It seems that, between 1431-1436, Vlad I, nicknamed Dracul, the son of Mircea the Elder, claimant to the throne of the Wallachia, lived here. Vlad Dracul (father of Vlad the Impaler) was crowned lord of Wallachia in 1431, in Nuremberg, by Sigismund of Luxemburg, emperor of Germany and king of Hungary. The prince was a member of the Order of the Dragon (anti-Ottoman organization), and his presence in Sighisoara was recorded intermittently between 1431 and 1436, as a guest of the Citadel. Due to the order he was a part of, you will also see the sign of the Dragon on the house.
In order to ascend the throne of Wallachia in 1436, he secured the support of the Saxons and the fortresses of Sighisoara and Braşov, and minted his own currency in the fortress of Sighisoara, in one of the forges of the goldsmiths' guild. The coin had its insignia: the crossed eagle and the dragon.
In the documents issued by Vlad Dracul in Sighişoara between 1431-1436, the Romanian name of the fortress appears for the first time, in the form Săghişoara or Sighişoara.
It is assumed that the second son of Vlad the Impaler, also called Vlad, the future Vlad Ţepeş-Drăculea - "son of the Devil/Dragon", was born in this house in Sighisoara. Bram Stocker was inspired by his name when he wrote the story of the famous vampire Dracula.
On an interior wall of the building there is a fresco in which the supposed face of Vlad the Impaler was painted.
Opposite the Vlad Dracul House is the "Venetian House", dating from the 16th century, inhabited for a while by the Mann family, goldsmiths. Stephanus Mann, former mayor of Sighisoara in 1630, belonged to this family and is buried in the Church on the Hill. The Venetian House takes its name from the stone window frames that imitate Venetian Gothic, giving it the appearance of a Venetian palazzo.
As you stand in the Museum Square (Piata Muzeului) facing the House of Vlad the Impaler, take a right, leaving the Clock Tower behind you. Stop when you reach another larger square.
Task
Look at the square you have arrived at. Two animals meet at the corner of a house. What animal is the one whose head is visible?
The house you are looking for is at the intersection of the street you came from and the street on the left going up to the Covered Staircase. Did you spot the animal? What is it?
Deer
Indeed, it is a deer.
The Citadel Square (Burgplatz) was the place where the most important events in the citadel took place. Its current structure with two main streets meeting in a central square is typical of the Renaissance, and therefore it is assumed that the square acquired this appearance after the great fire of 1676.
Here, during peacetime, the weekly fairs were held and also here different events were publicly announced. Also in the market, the main guilds of the fortress sold their products.
The square was also the place of public trials, organized according to the rules imposed by jus gladii - the right of the city's judges to pronounce and execute the death sentence. The pillar of infamy was placed in the center of the square, but the executions took place on the Hill of the Cross, outside the city.
Old buildings can be admired on the sides of the square. At number 6 is the Duldner House and at number 7 the Wagner House, both with baroque-style facades.
Another emblematic building is the Deer House, easily recognizable due to the deer's head with spreading horns, placed in relief on the first floor and having its body painted on both facades. The house was destroyed in the fire of 1676, and the building was rebuilt in 1691 by Michael Deli, its owner at the time and the mayor of Sighisoara.
In the 18th century, the interior of the house was decorated in the German Baroque style. Currently, a guesthouse with a restaurant operates inside.
Indeed, it is a deer.
The Citadel Square (Burgplatz) was the place where the most important events in the citadel took place. Its current structure with two main streets meeting in a central square is typical of the Renaissance, and therefore it is assumed that the square acquired this appearance after the great fire of 1676.
Here, during peacetime, the weekly fairs were held and also here different events were publicly announced. Also in the market, the main guilds of the fortress sold their products.
The square was also the place of public trials, organized according to the rules imposed by jus gladii - the right of the city's judges to pronounce and execute the death sentence. The pillar of infamy was placed in the center of the square, but the executions took place on the Hill of the Cross, outside the city.
Old buildings can be admired on the sides of the square. At number 6 is the Duldner House and at number 7 the Wagner House, both with baroque-style facades.
Another emblematic building is the Deer House, easily recognizable due to the deer's head with spreading horns, placed in relief on the first floor and having its body painted on both facades. The house was destroyed in the fire of 1676, and the building was rebuilt in 1691 by Michael Deli, its owner at the time and the mayor of Sighisoara.
In the 18th century, the interior of the house was decorated in the German Baroque style. Currently, a guesthouse with a restaurant operates inside.
