Sighisoara the perfect base to explore Transylvania

Transylvania is on your bucket list as a destination for a dream holiday? Which is the best location to use as a base to visit and explore Transylvania?

Choosing between one place rather than another depends very much on the type of vacation you want to have. Would you like to to have a complete travel back in time experience in a rural village, would you like to explore the astonishing history and culture of Transylvania while benefiting of XXI century facilities, a re you planing a hiking and outdoor camping trip, all of them are possible in Transylvania.

My first suggestion as a base to visit Transylvania is:

Sighisoara medieval town

A fantastic destination of Transylvania that I recommend to use as a base is the scenic little medieval town of Sighisoara convenently located in the South of Transylvania.

Sighisoara, UNESCO World Heritage Site is the best preserved medieval town of Romania and meanwhile the last medieval inhabited citadel of S-E Europe, not to mention that is also the birthplace of the famous Vlad the Impaler who inspired fictional character of Dracula. The town impresses with its cobbled streets, colorful houses and cozy terraces.

There are a lot of things to see in Sighisoara, from medieval towers, beautiful frescoes, wonderful churches and an interesting museum, to excellent food, wine and local products.

Day Trips from Sighisoara

The location of Sighisoara in the scenic countryside of Tarnava Mare river valley between Sibiu and Brasov makes it a perfect starting point to visit some of the most attractive destinations in Transylvania. The use of a guide with a car is recommended to move around. Let’s see what are the best day trips having Sighisoara as your home base with the approximate car distance:

Sibiu (90 minutes) – The historical capital of Transylvania Sibiu is today one of the most beautifully preserved iconic towns of Eastern Europe. A visit is not to be missed.

Biertan (30 minutes) – a UNESCO world heritage village, Biertan preserves the strongest and most impressive fortified church of Transylvania.

Malancrav (30 minutes) – in the old church of the village you can admire XIV century intact original medieval frescoes and next to the church you can also admire  Apafi Manor a famous noble house of Transylvania  built in the 15th century, nowadays in the property of Mihai Eminescu Trust patronized by Prince`s Charles. It is rumored that William and Kate spent a short holiday here.

Brasov (120 minutes) – a famous historical medieval town of Romania, Brasov offers both wonderful mountain scenery and medieval hist For centuries, the city was (and still is) Transylvania’s gateway towards the South and East.ory with Saxon influences.

Bran Castle (90 minutes) – The most important landmark of the Dracula myth is a must see for those intrigued by the story wrote more than 100 years ago.

Peles Castle (120 minutes) – Peles Castle in Sinaia, the summer residence of the Romanian kings, was built at the wish of King Carol I of Romania (1866 – 1914), by architect Johannes Schultz. It is one of the most important historical buildings of Romania, having unique character and being due to its historical and artistic value, one of the most important palaces of its kind in Europe.

Breite plateau (10 minutes) – A unique natural reservation, the largest grassland plateau in Europe (133 ha) which preserves over 600 oak trees aged 100-850 years. Both in terms of natural heritage and as a lineage of Sighisoara, Breite is a unique value in Europe.