Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

ROMANIA 587

P Shoemakers’ Tower
Str Manastirii.
At the northernmost point of
the citadel stands the 16-m
(52-ft) high Shoemakers’
Tower (Turnul Cizmarilor),
built in 1594. The unusual
hexa gonal structure incorpo-
rates a watchtower over the
Old Town. There was once an
identical watch tower on the
tower’s opposite side, from
where guards could sur vey the
surrounding area. Although it
retains much of its original
appear ance, the tower’s main
entrance and win dows have
been modified in recent years
to accommo date a radio sta-
tion and a newspaper office.

SIGHIŞOARA

TOWN CENTRE

Church on the Hill 8

Clock Tower 1

Furriers’ Tower 7

Monastery Church 2

Shoemakers’ Tower 5

Tailors’ Tower 6

Venetian House 4

Vlad Dracul’s House 3

Key to Symbols see back flap

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

300 km (170 miles) NW of

Bucharest. * 33,000. £ @ n

Str Muzeului 7, (0265) 777 844.

_ Sighişoara Medieval Festival

(Jul), Inter-ethnic Cultural Festival

(Aug). http://www.sighisoara.com

Shoemakers’ Tower, offering a
vantage point over the Old Town

rebuilt and some of the

original interior murals

were dis covered. The

church’s centrepiece is the

16th-century altarpiece of

St Martin, which depicts

scenes from the saint’s life.

It originally belonged to

the Monastery Church and

was transferred here after

Russian Cossacks stole the

original silver altar in 1601.

P Furriers’ Tower

Str Manastirii.

The 15th-century Furriers’

Tower (Turnul Cojocarilor)

is one of the smallest of the

nine surviving towers. It is

linked to the Butchers’ Tower

by an ancient gate way through

which shepherds once took

cattle out to pasture.

0 metres

0 yards

100

100

P Tailors’ Tower

Str Manastirii.

This twin-arched 14th-century

tower (Turnul Croitorilor) is

one of three entrances to the

citadel. The upper part of the

tower was destroyed in the

1676 fire but was restored in

1935. Known as the Rear Gate,
      it was once defended by mas-
      sive wooden doors secured
      with iron bars, and a small
      army of 30 tailors belonging
      to Sighişoara’s oldest guild.

R Church on the Hill

Str Scolii. # 8am–7pm daily. &

Reached by a 400-year-old

covered wooden staircase,

the striking 14th-century

Gothic Church on the Hill

(Biserica din Deal) stands

high above the citadel.

Initially a Catholic church,

it has since become part of

the German Evangelical

parish. During renovations

between 1992 and 2003,

its plain white façade was

Distinctive arches of the

14th-century Tailor’s Tower

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Tinsmiths'
Tower
Butchers’
Tower
Hirsch House
House on
the Rock
Railway and
1 km (0.6 mile)Bus Stations
PIAŢA
HERMANN
OBERTH
PIAŢA
CETAŢII
PIAŢA
MUZEULUI
Tailors' Tower
Shoemakers'
Tower
Clock
Tower
Vlad
Dracul's
House
Venetian House
Monastery
Church
Furriers’
Tower
Church on
the Hill
Covered
Staircase
Târ
nav
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