Romania road trip: Sibiu's main attraction - The Council Tower

Sibiu’s main attraction and landmarks: The Council tower

Yesterday we only got to visit the Sibiu Christmas market which was anyway a must see at night place due to its colorful lights, projections and installations. Now, the next day, during daylight, we want to focus our attention over the main attractions of the city for which the place is actually famous for.

A different view of the Christmas Square in the daylight 

After having breakfast at Subway, ( sorry for not trying something local but most of us are on a low budget in this road trip ) we walk on Nicolae Balcescu street until we reach the Piața Mare Square. If you have read my previous article, Romania road trip: Sibiu's accommodation and the Christmas market , than you should know that here is unfolding the Christmas market.

We get a different image of the fair which is now lacking a bit in its magical feeling that it has at night due to all of the lights, but the place is still interesting and bidder. The market is not so crowded like it was last night, but there are still many visitors and tourists. My friends want to go over the wooden cottage stores once again because they didn’t finish the Christmas shopping yet.

The ice rink of Sibiu Christmas market 

If the other day, the main entertaining attraction was the spinning wheel, now that’s changed and the ice rink is the principal choice of people in terms of participating in a fun, pleasurable activity.

My road trip group wants to join this activity too, but because I’ve never skated before in my life and, unfortunately, being afraid of injuring myself, I have to refuse their proposal and I am joining them off the ice rink alongside with my brother who wants to skate but already has an injured back.

How much it costs to rent the ice skates?

My friends decide to enjoy ice skating in Sibiu Christmas Market, so they are renting the skates for which the price is 25 lei – meaning 5,20 euros – and are allowed to use the ice rink for one hour. Watching them from a distance, it seems like a lot of fun even if the ice is, as they keep saying, too slippery.

Going forward to the Council Tower

After their time to skate has elapsed, we are ready to visit the first historical building and monument situated very near of Piața Mare, more exactly, the Council Tower. Actually, the construction has, at the base, a gangway which makes the connection between the Great Square and The Small Square.

The long history of the Council Tower

An informational panel tells us that the Council Tower of Sibiu is dating back to the 13th century being, at first, the entrance gate to the city’s second fortification belt. Because it has been rebuilt several times over time, the current tower has kept from the initial building only the core raised to the height of the first floor.

During its first period, the Council Tower served for defence and observation and later as an observation point for fire detection, temporary prison and so on.

In the 16th century, the tower partially collapsed, but it was rebuilt in the same period. Later on, in the beginning of the 19thcentury, it was added another floor, receiving today’s appearance, but being completely restored in the middle of the 20th century.

The exterior aspect of the medieval tower

The Council Square is one of the main landmarks belonging to Sibiu and because is taller than the other buildings surrounding it, brought people’s attention to it, dominating the views, both from the Piața Mare and Piața Mica. Its outside appearance is simple and clear, the walls are white, without decorations, but has a large clock with dials on all four sides and windows placed on the upper floors.

How to get inside? How much it costs to visit the historical monumet?

From the Great Square we walk through the vaulted passage and get out in the Small Square where is situated the entrance of the Council Tower represented by a very tiny door.

From here, we start to climb up on an extremely narrow spiral staircase which leads us to the first floor where we find the ticket office. The price of the entrance fee for visiting the tower is very low, like 2 lei meaning just a few cents, a small sum.

The Council Tower is hosting temporary art exhibitions

Besides the ticket office, the first room is dedicated to a contemporary painting exhibition and, actually, the tower is used today for such events, so various exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography, music are periodically organized here.

Going higher and higher: a scene of medieval violence and the clock's mechanism

After seeing the artworks, we continue our way up through the narrow staircase which makes us to feel quite dizzy. Going up, on another floor, we discover a room where is represented a killing scene specific to the Middle Ages.

Beginning with the 5th and 6thfloor, the spiral staircase made of concrete is changed with a wooden one which is much easier to climb.

On the sixth floor, we can see the clock mechanism which is interesting to admire while its pieces are moving making the clock, which was manufactured in the 15th century by a swiss company, to work.

The last floor of the tower: admiring all of the landscapes

We are finally on the 6th and last floor of the Council Tower from where, through the large windows, we can admire the city, having various points of view.

There is a panorama right over the Great Square: in the foreground we notice the red roofs with the so known and called “eyes” which seem like are watching or spying everybody – and in the background, among the cloudy sky, far in the distance, are appearing the Făgăraș Mountains, the highest mountains in Romania.

Higher than the Council Tower is the Evaghelical Cathedral of Sibiu which raises up, exceeding in height all the constructions around it. Its colorful geometrical roof contributes to the landscape’s wonderful aspect.

A tourist attraction: recommended or not?

Although is a moody day outside and the sky and light is gray, Sibiu is still a lively city due to its colorful buildings and, again, I get the feeling of an enchanted city, a place that comes from a romantic far away story.

The Council Tower is indeed and for sure the first touristic attraction people need to visit in the old city of Sibiu. Is the place to start because, climbing up on the 6thfloor of the tower and seeing all of the corners of the city, initiates the humans in the configuration, architecture, localization and details of the fascinating Transylvanian medieval settlement. 

Sibiu in other times

People can come and visit the city of Sibiu in every season because, as you can also see in the photos I have included in the article, the aspect of it is beautiful no matter the weather.

Plus, there are events happening all year around and, for example, if you cannot travel in the city when the Christmas market takes place, another beautiful event that happens here is the medieval festival which I have been attended many times before, thus I really recommended it and I already wrote an article about the festival which you can read and find more about here: Sibiu, travelling to enchanted times

Photo gallery