Romania - Eastern Europe - page 530

onward train tickets from CFR's Agen $ ie de Voiaj office (Str. Nicolae B â lcescu 6;
& 0269/21-6441; Mon-Fri 7:30am-7:30pm).
For information and sightseeing services, head directly to Kultours on the ground
floor of Casa Luxemburg (Pia $ a Mica 16; & 0269/21-6854; www.kultours.ro). They
hand out a useful map, offer sightseeing trips, rent bicycles, rent rooms, and sell
books, souvenirs, and postcards; their 1-day tour of the city is the best on offer. Set to
be a worthy source of information from 2007 is the Tourist Information Office
(Pia $ a Mare 7; & 0269/21-1110; Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-1pm); visit their
website (www.sibiu.ro) before your trip.
WHERE TO STAY
Given the expected influx of visitors, it is remarkable that Sibiu has a dearth of good
accommodations options, with the “Roman Emperor” being the top choice only
because there is no strong competition. If you're on a budget (or just not keen to waste
your money), take a look at The Old Town Hostel (Pia $ a Mic â 26, Sibiu; & 0269/
21-6445; www.hostelsibiu.ro), run by the same people who own Casa Luxemburg
(reviewed below). Occupying a 450-year-old monument and former pharmacy, it's an
excellent-value hostel with one double room for 20 € to 25 € ($25-$31) per night

€

/$13). The premises are neat, clean, and often empty, and staff
are eager to help where they can.
Casa Luxemburg Run by Sibiu's best tourist agency, Luxemburg House
occupies a great location in one of Sibiu's famous original monuments at one end of
Pia $ a Mic â —the city's medieval heart. You need to climb a tricky wooden stairway to
get to the large rooms and suites on the second floor; these have modern furniture,
parquet floors, and en-suite showers. There is also an apartment with a kitchenette,
but without the view over the square. Ironically, mattresses here are better than those
at the Împ â ratul Romanilor, and this is a good option if you're traveling with children
since it's possible to book a three- or four-bedded unit. There has been no attempt to
capitalize on the history, and it's not luxurious, but a stay here does represent very
good value, better certainly than the Emperor.
Pia$a Miâ 16, Sibiu. & /fax [phone]. www.casaluxemburg.ro. 6 units. L190 ($68/£36) double; L270 ($97/£52)
triple; L310 ($112/£59) apt. MC, V. Amenities: Breakfast buffet; 24-hr. reception and tourist agency; sightseeing; car
rental; souvenir shop. In room:TV.
Hotel Împâratul Romanilor Renovated extensively in 2003 and with plans for
further improvements before the City of Culture festivities commence in 2007, the
“Roman Emperor” hotel traces its history from 1555, when the city's first inn stood
on this site in the heart of the medieval town. It is the supposed pride of Sibiu's hos-
pitality industry, listing Johann Strauss, Franz Liszt, and various heads of state and
royals among its guests, but this is a position it has earned more by default than any-
thing else. There are enough pieces of antique and reproduction furniture to evoke a
sense of gracious living, but it lacks the bells and whistles of a definitively luxurious
hotel, with long passageways with much-scrubbed but still grubby-looking carpets
and mixed-bag guest rooms that combine faux-antique and modern to create a rather
bland look. And in many respects, given the price, service is lax and e-mail bookings
are unreliable. Time for a newcomer to shake up the scene.
Str. Nicolae Balcescu 2-4, Sibiu. & 0269/21-6500. Fax [phone]. www.aurelius.compace.ro. 95 units. L280
($101/£54) double with tub; L270 ($97/£52) double with shower; L320 ($115/£61) studio; L400-L460

(dorm beds go for 10

Value Kids