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Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centres of Romania and, in tandem with the city of Luxembourg, it was designated a European Capital of Culture for the year 2007. Formerly the centre of the Transylvanian Saxons, the old city of Sibiu was ranked as "Europe's 8th most idyllic place to live" by Forbes.
The city was founded in 12th century by Germans close to one of two main passes through southern Carpathians, being on the main route of commerce between Hungarian Kingdom and Byzantium / Ottoman Empire. Although is in a low area, mountains are not far and the Olt Defile, the aformentioned pass, is absolutely gorgeous, a 47 km canyon passing through mountains covered in temperate jungle.
Home to the Universitas Saxorum, the assembly of Germans in Transylvania, during the 18th and 19th centuries the city became also the second and later the first most important center of Transylvanian Romanian ethnics.
Sibiu has the most medieval appearance of a city in Romania. Much of historical center was restored to meet the great number of tourists and the events that took place as being the European cultural capital in 2007.
The majority of its population was still ethnic German until 1941 and counted a large Romanian community, as well as a small Hungarian one. Starting from the 1950s and until after 1990, most of the city's ethnic Germans emigrated to Germany.
Among the roughly 2,000 who have remained is Klaus Johannis, who is mayor of Sibiu since 2000. Despite the fact that Sibiu's German minority had shrunken to a mere 1.6%, Iohannis was elected with 69.18% of the votes and has won two re-elections in a row, obtaining some of the largest electoral scores in the country: 88.7% of the vote in 2004, and 87.4% in 2008 re-elections. He is the first ethnic German mayor of a Romanian city since Alfred Dörr, who served from 1940 to 1945. His good management turned Sibiu and the surrounding area in one of the most developed in Romania, with good infrastructure and so on.
The Evangelical Church, 14th century
The Council Tower, 13th century. The passage at its base connects the two main squares, the Grand Square (of Baroque-Neoclassical appearance) and the Little Square (the one in the picture, of medieval appearance).
The Little Square
Baroque Palace in Grand Square
Courtyard of Altenberger House, 14-15th century. The building housed the city hall between 1549 and 1948. Second picture: View outside from its gate.
An unexpected oasis of wilderness less then 10 km outside Bucharest, inhabited by wild boars, deers and wild birds.
The forest is a remnant of the legendary Codrii Vlăsiei forests, that covered much of the Romanian Plain around Bucharest (stretching on tens of thousands of square kilometers from Carpathians to Danube up to 19th century and making a natural defense of the city.
Inside can be seen centuries old oak trees and a chain of 20-30 ponds and lakes creating a mirific athmosphere.
Spring (May)
Last edited by CARPATHIAN; 02-10-2013 at 04:05 PM..
The Hill of the Patriarchate is an important historical, cultural and architectural center in the capital.
For several centuries, between 1650 and 1997 it was the seat of Legislative Power (Chamber of Deputies since 19th century).
Since 17th century was seat of the Bucharest Metropolitanate and since 1866 the seat of autonomous Romanian Orthodox church which in 1925 will be granted the rank of Patriarchate.
The Patriarchal Cathedral was built in 1658 as church of a large fortified monastery and shortly afterward here will be installed the Bucharest Metropolitanate. The bell tower was built in 1698. Notice the crescent on the sky, which is present in the same position under the crosses on top of many Orthodox churches in Romania (see second picture), including this one. One theory is that it was a sign of the vasality of Wallachia to the Ottoman empire. Other theory is that is an ancient pagan symbol.
Bucur Church was long time believed to be built by the legendary founder of the city, sometime in 14th or 15th century. Its architecture nevertheless is specific to 18th century.
Radu Vodă (former) Monastery built in 1577. The paintings in the bell tower's gate are not historical but contemporary
Adamclisi - the museum with the sculptures of Tropaeum Traiani, one of world's most important Roman monuments, depicting the battles between Dacians and Romans
Histria - oldest city in Romania, founded by Greeks in 7th century BCE. It existed for almost 1000 years, up to 7th century CE. Pictures from the museum
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