Sighisoara Architecture

The Sighisoara’s towers are a distinctive feature of the Citadel, with military and noble origins dating back to medieval times. There were originally 15 towers, only 9 remaining today.

• Built: starting 14th century
• Address: Strada Turnului, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Clock tower (Turnul cu Ceas) is the most recognized symbol of the city, visible from any point. It was built to protect the main gate of the city and served as the Town Hall until 1575.

The Clock Tower was built in several steps starting in the 14th century.

• Built: 1676 (rebuilt)
• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Tailors’ Tower (Turnul Croitorilor) is the other main gate tower. It guards the back entrance of the citadel and it has two openings for circulating traffic. 

The tower once housed the powder magazine which exploded and destroyed the tower during the great fire in 1676. The tower was rebuilt after the fire.

There are shooting holes in the upper part to protect the fortress in case of invasion. The pair of portal arches below are Romanesque.

• Built: before 1521
• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Bootmaker’s Tower (Turnul Cizmarilor) aka the Shoemaker’s Tower can be found in the northern part of the Citadel. The tower is different from other towers because of the lookout turrets on the roof. The defense tower, first mentioned in 1521, has undergone multiple destructions over the centuries.

Today, the tower is home to a newspaper and a local radio station.

• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Tinsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Cositorarilor) is a 25m high tower that is unusual because it has a rectangular base, two pentagonal upper stories, an octagonal upper level, and a hexagonal roof.

• Built: 1350 (rebuilt)
• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Ropemakers’ Tower (Turnul Frânghierilor) is a small square-based tower in the Upper Citadel. The tower protects the northwest walls of the citadel and is a unique sight as it has a dwelling built into its side. The groundskeeper of the Evangelical Cemetery lives in this dwelling.

The tower was rebuilt in 1350 after being destroyed during the Tatar invasion. However, upon close inspection, the filled-in loopholes on the lowest levels of the tower dating back to the 1200s can still be seen.

• Built: 1631
• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Ironsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Fierarilor) aka The Blacksmith’s Tower was built in 1631 on the site of the old Barber’s Tower to protect the Monastery Church in case of a siege. It has a museum where you can see authentic blacksmith tools. 

• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Butchers’ Tower (Turnul Măcelarilor) is a hexagonal-based tower that was built along the northwest side of the wall. The tower was strategically positioned to have a firing range in all directions.

The flocks were divided every evening at the Butchers’ Tower.

• Built: before 1521
• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Furriers’ Tower (Turnul Cojocarilor) has a small leather shop and a free museum. The tower is the second location where the herds were divided every night.

• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Tanners’ Tower (Turnul Tăbăcarilor) aka the Tabacco Tower is linked to the Tin Tower by the Archer’s Gallery. It has a simple and efficient design: a square base and a simple and efficient design a square base and a one-sided roof.

The tower is almost invisible from inside the Citadel.

The churches in Sighisoara are not only places of worship but also architectural masterpieces that capture the city’s history and heritage.

• Style: Gothic with Baroque interior
• Built: 1289
• Address: Strada Cetății, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Monastery Church (Biserica Mănăstirii) is a Lutheran parish church built in 1289. It is made up of one bell-shaped church and an adjacent Dominican Monastery. The architectural style that dominates the building is Late Gothic. Inside are various 17th-century fittings, such as the pews, pulpit, and altar, which are early Baroque in style. The walls are adorned with 35 oriental carpets donated by the city’s different guilds. The bronze baptismal font, cast in Sighișoara in 1440, is the most valuable work present. It features a Latin inscription with the date, as well as floral motifs and reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible. It is classified as a historical monument. Admission is 5 lei.

• Style: Gothic
• Built: 13th century
• Address: Strada Cojocarilor 3, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Church on the Hill is the most valuable historical monument in Sighisoara. It was constructed in the Gothic style during the 13th century on top of an existing chapel’s walls. Located at a height of 429 meters, it stands as one of the most important buildings in the Citadel.

The church is famous for its frescoes that were painted in the 1480s. These frescoes once coated every interior surface but were whitewashed in 1776. After a recent restoration, fragments have been brought back to light. Among the scenes depicted are St. George fighting the dragon, the Last Judgment, and the Passion. You can also see the 16th-century altarpiece, which Johann Stoss, the son of the famous Nuremberg sculptor Veit Stoss, painted.

After taking an inner tour of the church, you can walk on the cemetery and admire the old tombstones. The old cemetery behind the church is the resting place of Sighisoara’s early German settlers.

• Style: Gothic and Neo-Roman
• Built: 1894
• Address: Strada Zidul Cetăţii, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church (Catedrala Sfântul Iosif) is a Roman Catholic Church with Gothic and Neo-Roman architectural elements and a tall belfry was built by Hungarians.

The Roman Catholic Church was built in 1894 on top of the ruins of the former Franciscan Monastery.

• Style: Neo-Byzantine
• Built: completed 1930s
• Address: Strada Andrei Șaguna, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

Holy Trinity Church (Biserica Sfânta Treime) is a monochromatic Romanian Orthodox Church built by Transylvanian Saxons in a Neo-Byzantine architectural style. It is located on the north side of the Târnava Mare river.

The church is the center for the town’s Roman Orthodox community. The outside of the church features a beautiful neo-Byzantine cathedral, with the river flowing nearby. If you visit in the morning or at dusk, you’ll hear the church bells ring from the top of a paper-white tower. After taking a stroll around the grounds and admiring the gilded stone and arches, step inside to see the elaborate frescoes and the soaring domed ceiling.

• Built: 16th century
• Address: Strada Ștefan cel Mare 34, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Church of Lepers aka the Holy Spirit Church, located in the former Siechhof district, was probably built in the 16th century.

The Church is located in the lower city, outside the wall of defense. It was part of a system that included a school, the teacher’s home, and a hospital for lepers. Patients did not have access to the Church. Instead, the Catholic priests officiated for them from the outside pulpit. The pulpit was used until 1684. The hospital was demolished in the late nineteenth century with the construction of the railway. Soon after, the Church became Lutheran. The pipe organ was built in 1865 by Samuel Friedrich Binder. Today, the Church is used by the Greek-Catholic.

aka Reformed Church

• Architect: Ignác Alpár (designed in 1887)
• Style: Likely Neo-Gothic / historicist style—typical of Alpár’s works
• Built: 1887
• Address: Strada Gheorghe Lazăr, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

Set just outside the fortified citadel walls along the Târnava Mare River, the Reformed Church (Reformatus Templom) stands out for its graceful historicist form and elegant vertical proportions. As one of the few modern-era religious buildings in the city, it reflects the architectural transition of the late 19th century. Though stylistically reminiscent of neo-Gothic churches, it bears the distinct imprint of Ignác Alpár’s design—marking an important cultural and architectural layer in Sighișoara’s rich heritage.

• Architect: Unknown
• Style: Late 18th-century Orthodox ecclesiastical architecture
• Built: Main construction completed in 1788; altar in 1789; spire finished in 1797; consecrated in 1822
• Address: Strada Ecaterina Varga 22, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

Built in response to Emperor Joseph II’s religious tolerance, the church began as a parish house (front room used as a chapel in 1775). The present stone structure, completed in 1788, features a cross‑shaped plan (approx. 25 × 8 m) and a 21 m spire. Inside, highlights include an iconostasis carved in 1818 (by an artist from Brașov), later murals dating from 1974, and historic liturgical objects such as a 1760 Gospel Book and gilded brass chalice. The church is registered as a historic monument.

• Built: 1903
• Address: Strada Tache Ionescu 11 B, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

Dating back to 1903, the Synagogue is a charming yet unpretentious building. It is situated on the street that used to be home to Sighișoara’s small Jewish community. At that time, the town had over 100 Jewish residents, but today, it remains only a memory after the passing of its last elderly citizen a few years ago. In recent decades, this man had taken on the responsibility of maintaining the Synagogue, which hosted its last service in 1984. The bimah, rows of benches, and galleries are all still intact at this monument to a bygone era.

There are now plans to open a centre for Jewish culture here.

The City Museum, housed in the Clock Tower, is a good place to learn about the town’s history. We recommend ending the tour of the museum with the fantastic view you could have from the top of the tower over the entire city.

The Torture Museum (Camera de Tortura) is located in the lower part of the Clock Tower which was set up as a prison and torture chamber. Entry is 4 lei.

Casa Armelor și Hărților

• Architect: Unknown
• Style: Historic medieval Transylvanian townhouse repurposed for museum display
• Built: Original construction date unspecified; building is part of Sighișoara’s fortified citadel core
• Address: Strada Zidul Cetății 3, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

This privately operated museum showcases a remarkably diverse and extensive collection spanning centuries. Exhibits include edged weapons—from antiquity to the Romanian royal period—over 500 historical maps, engravings, lithographs, rare armor, and one of Romania’s largest troves of old books and numismatic items, featuring coins from Greek, Roman, Dacian to modern eras.

The Medieval Weapon Museum is a small museum in the same yellow building as Vlad Dracul House. It has a few rooms showcasing medieval and modern weapons. Admission is 6 lei.

The MYstical Transylvania museum is a series of immersive exhibitions featuring Vlad Dracula. Admission is 15 lei.

The Guild House (Casa Breslelor) is a museum featuring authentic Saxon tools and equipment used over 100 years ago in Sighisoara and the surrounding area in Transylvania. The entrance fee is 16 lei.

Strada Tâmplarilor (Carpenter’s Street) is known for its many colorful houses. According to some sources, the different colors represent different guilds. The narrow street is pedestrian-friendly, but the cobblestone road is a bit uneven.

Piața Cetății (The Citadel’s Square) is the main square in the Citadel. This bustling square is home to numerous cafes, restaurants, and food stalls where you can indulge in delicious Romanian street food such as lángos (deep-fried flatbread) and papanasi (Romanian fried donuts).

Historians believe the first houses in the Schespurch settlement were built around this small square.

This is where the social and economic life of the Old Town is concentrated.

• Built: ca 1885
• Style: Neo-Renaissance
• Address: Piața Muzeului 7, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Town Hall was built around 1885 in a neo-renaissance style.

• Built: 1642
• Address: Scara Şcolarilor, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Covered Stairway aka The Scolar’s Stairway has 173 wooden stairs and is possibly the most original construction of the town.

The Covered Staircase dates to 1642 and is sheltered for its entirety by a timber roof and walls.

The Covered Stairway connect the Citadel Square with the Church on the Hill. Originally made with over 300 stairs, only 176 remains today.  They are covered because of the desire to protect the scholars from the wind, the rain, the sun or the snow.

At the end of the stairs, besides the Church on the Hill, you can find one of the oldest schools in Transilvania, Joseph Haltrich Highschool. Not only the stairs were kept in a pretty good shape, but they are still used every day by the scholars.

• Address: Strada Cositorarilor 5, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

This is the house where Vlad the Impaler was born in 1431. Feared for his cruelty, the Prince of Wallachia was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula and spent the first four years of his life in this building.

Going by the vaulting on the ground floor, this ochre-painted house may well be the oldest in the city.

Hanging outside is a wrought iron sculpture of a dragon, symbolizing the chivalric Order of the Dragon to which Vlad the Impaler belonged.

The ground floor has a medieval-style restaurant while on the first floor is the weapons collection, showing the evolution of armaments used in Sighișoara over the centuries.

• Built: 17th century
• Address: Strada Școlii 1, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

Stag House (Casa cu Cerb) was built in the 17th century and is the most preserved house in Sighisoara.

The 17th-century Stag House has antlers poking out from the corner of the building, while a recent renovation revealed a mural depicting the rest of the stag’s body.

• Built: 1901
• Style: Neo-Gothic
• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

First mentioned in 1522, the current neo-gothic building replaced the Old School in 1901.

• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

A peaceful, magic place, marked by the history of the Saxon community.

• Address: Strada Ecaterina Varga 12 a, Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The Venetian House, named after the appearance of the windows was probably built in the early seventeenth century. The most notable resident of the house was the city mayor, Stephanus Mann, whose tomb can be seen in the Church on the Hill.

Lately the house underwent a complete interior renovation, and the basement became an adequate space for commercial units. The building houses the offices of the German Democratic Forum, therefore its inside cannot be visited.

• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

The gate of the Evangelical cemetery (Poarta cimitirului evanghelic)

• Architect (Sculptor): Unknown
• Style: Realistic figurative bronze sculpture
• Built: Unknown
• Address: Piața Muzeului (Museum Square), Old Town Sighișoara, Romania

A popular but modest tribute marking the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș, the historical figure behind the legend of Dracula. Positioned just behind the Dominican Monastery Church, it provides a direct link to the city’s medieval roots.

• Address: Sighișoara 545400, Romania

Petőfi Sándor was a Hungarian poet, born on January 1, 1823 in Kiskőrös, Hungary, and died on July 31, 1849 in Sighisoara. He is considered to be the inspiration of Hungarian nationalism.

• Address: Strada Școlii 11, Sighișoara 547266, Romania

The Castaldo Bastion (Bastionul Castaldo) dated in 1551, named after the Habsburgian general Castaldo, it is today in ruins.

Want to learn about the history of Sighisoara with a guide? Book a highly-rated city tour while visiting Sighisoara!

Sighisoara is known for its well-preserved medieval citadel, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also famous as the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s character Dracula. The city is known for its charming cobbled streets, colorful houses, and historic landmarks such as the Clock Tower and the Church on the Hill. Sighisoara is a popular tourist destination in Romania and offers visitors a glimpse into its rich history and architectural beauty.

Sighisoara was built by the Saxons, a Germanic ethnic group, in the 12th century. The town was originally established as a fortified citadel and has since become one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. It is known for its well-preserved architecture and historical significance.

Sighisoara was first mentioned at the end of the 13th century with the German name of Schespurch. It was one of the seven fortified citadels built by the Transylvanian Saxons, German colonists who settled in the region in the 12th century. The town quickly became a thriving economic and commercial hub.

The name Sighisoara is derived from the Hungarian name Segesvár, which means “fortress on the Seges River.” The city is located in Transylvania, Romania, and is known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and fortified citadel.