Upper Town, Sibiu

The Upper Town of Sibiu is the city's medieval historic core, bounded by a fortification system built between the 13th and 16th centuries. The urban complex is organized around Piața Mare (Great Square), a central square measuring about 142 meters long and 93 meters wide, one of the largest medieval squares in Transylvania. Founded by Saxon settlers around 1150, the citadel gained town status in 1366, becoming one of the most important economic and administrative centers of medieval Transylvania. The original defense system comprised three belts of walls, towers, and bastions, of which about 80% survives today. The Council Tower, built in the 13th century (1224-1241), as the entrance gate to the second fortification belt, stands over 40 meters tall and is a landmark of the architectural ensemble — it partially collapsed in 1585 and was rebuilt in 1586-1588, taking its current seven-story form after work carried out in 1826. Piața Mare is also home to the former Altenberger House, built between 1470 and 1491 for mayor Thomas Altenberger, now used as the History Museum. The Upper Town is reached on foot from any point in central Sibiu, with the most popular route starting from the Liars' Bridge area, built in 1859 as Transylvania's first cast-iron bridge. The architectural ensemble includes buildings dating from the 14th to 18th centuries, with Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque influences. Worth visiting for its exceptional density of preserved medieval monuments and its documentary value regarding Saxon urban planning in Transylvania.