Sibiu rewards the traveler who slows down. Behind every archway, there’s a courtyard you didn’t expect, and behind every square, there’s a story that stretches back centuries. If you’re wondering what to do in Sibiu beyond the standard checklist, this guide is for you.
Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning after years, here’s how to experience Sibiu the way locals know it.
1. Spend Time in Piața Mare, Romania’s Most Beautiful Square
The Great Square (Piața Mare) is the beating heart of Sibiu. Its Baroque facades, the wrought-iron street lamp in the center, the way shadows move across the cobblestones as the sun shifts. It asks you to simply sit and take it in.
But go beyond the photo opportunity. Step inside the Brukenthal National Museum, the oldest museum in Romania, which has been open since 1817. Climb the Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului) for a full panorama of the old town rooftops.
Local tip: arrive early morning, when the square is nearly empty, and the light is at its best.
2. Walk Through the Passage of Stairs
Few tourists know that Sibiu is built on two levels: the Upper Town (medieval, elevated) and the Lower Town, connected by ancient stone passages and stairways carved into the hillside.
The Passage of Stairs (Pasajul Scărilor), built in the 15th century, is one of the most photographed spots in Romania. Walking through it feels genuinely like stepping back in time.
Along the way, you’ll find independent art galleries, craft workshops, and small cafés where locals read and work.
3. Cross the Bridge of Lies
The Bridge of Lies (Podul Minciunilor) is Romania’s first cast-iron bridge (1859) and comes with its own mythology. Legend says it creaks whenever someone tells a lie while standing on it.
It connects Piața Mică (the Small Square) to the lower passage below and makes for a natural pause point in any walk through the old town.
4. Discover the Small Square (Quieter, Just as Beautiful)
A few steps from Piața Mare, Piața Mică is often skipped by visitors in a rush. That’s a mistake. The buildings here are less restored, more raw, and the views toward Sibiu’s famous “eye” windows are among the best in the city.
The eye windows are one of Sibiu’s most iconic architectural details: the attic windows shaped like eyelids, peering over rooftops across the old town. You’ll see them on postcards, but experiencing them in context is something else entirely.
5. Visit the ASTRA Museum, Romania’s Largest Open-Air Museum
Four kilometers from the center, the ASTRA Museum in the Dumbrava Forest is a world of its own. Spread across 96 hectares, it contains over 400 reconstructed traditional buildings: farmsteads, watermills, craft workshops, and wooden churches brought from all over Transylvania.
Set aside at least three hours. Children love it, but adults consistently say it was the highlight of their visit to Sibiu.
6. Follow the Medieval Walls
Sibiu has one of the best-preserved medieval fortification systems in Central Europe. The defensive towers, the bastions, the old city walls: many of them are accessible and can be explored on foot.
A full walk along the former walls takes about two hours and passes through parks, small viewpoints, and quiet neighborhoods that most tourists never reach.
7. Have Breakfast Like a Local
Sibiu has a genuine breakfast culture worth exploring. Local cheeses from the Mărginimea Sibiului region, fresh bread, cured meats made in the area: the kind of ingredients that have supplied this city’s tables for centuries.
If you’re staying at Craft Inn, a buffet breakfast made with local products is included with your stay. It’s a proper start to any day of exploring. For café options, AM PM Sibiu (a short walk from the hotel) serves excellent specialty coffee and brunch.
8. Seek Out the Living Craft Tradition
Sibiu was, for centuries, a city of guilds: wheelwrights, blacksmiths, potters, goldsmiths, tanners. That tradition hasn’t completely disappeared.
Several independent workshops in the historic center still practice traditional crafts: jewelers, ceramicists, and bookbinders. The area around Piața Aurarilor (Goldsmiths’ Square) is a good place to look.
At Craft Inn, each of our 14 rooms is dedicated to one of Sibiu’s historical guilds, decorated with pieces made by local craftspeople. It’s a way of carrying that story into the space where you sleep.
9. Take a Day Trip to Păltiniș Mountain Resort
At 1,440 meters above sea level and just 35 km from Sibiu, Păltiniș is Romania’s highest mountain resort. In summer, it offers hiking trails toward the Cindrel peaks; in winter, accessible ski slopes for all levels.
A day trip is easy if you’re based in Sibiu. The views from the ridgeline on a clear day stretch far into Transylvania.
10. Attend a Festival or Cultural Event
Sibiu punches well above its weight culturally. The International Theatre Festival (FITS) is one of the largest in Europe, and it takes over the squares, courtyards, and passages of the old town every summer, turning the entire city into a stage.
Year-round, there are classical concerts at the State Philharmonic, craft markets, open-air cinema screenings, and temporary exhibitions. Check the city’s official calendar for what’s on during your visit.
11. Find a Rooftop Terrace View Over the Eye Windows
Sibiu rewards those who look up and those who look down from above. Several terraces in the old town offer views over the famous rooftop “eyes.” The Brukenthal Museum terrace and a few independent cafés on side streets give you angles that don’t appear in most travel photos.
12. Walk Without a Map
The best thing you can do in Sibiu is put your phone away and walk. The old town is compact, safe, and full of surprises at every corner: a vine-covered courtyard, a medieval archway, a cat sleeping on worn stone steps.
If you’re staying in the historic center, everything is within walking distance. Craft Inn is on Strada Rotarilor 2, minutes from Piața Mare and a perfect base for any direction you choose to wander.
Practical Information
- Best time to visit: May-September for outdoor dining and ASTRA Museum; November-December for the Christmas Market (one of the most beautiful in Europe)
- How many days: 2 nights minimum for the essentials; 3-4 nights if you want day trips
- Getting around: the historic center is entirely walkable; you’ll need a car for ASTRA and mountain destinations