Romania - Eastern Europe - page 532

worth wandering for a sense of medieval back-alley life. Lined with Renaissance-style
architecture, Str. B â lcescu eventually collides with modern Sibiu, a sudden time-shift-
ing shock as you hit newly restored Pia $ a Unirii (where you'll find Crama Sibiul
Vechi, the city's highly rated restaurant). Along the southeastern periphery of the old
center, much of the original defensive wall still stands, dotted with a few of its guild-
sponsored watchtowers.
Upper Town's most attractive stretch is Str. Avram Iancu, which runs between the
Council Tower building and the Ursuline Church; along the road is Sibiu's oldest res-
idence, known as Casa Bobel, which has apparently retained the same appearance for
half a millennium. Midway between the square and the church, you should come
upon the steep Pasajul Scolii (School Passage), which leads to the cobbled depths of
Str. Movilei.
The Ursuline Church is a huge edifice with a sculpted effigy of St. Ursula above
the entrance; it was built in 1474 and was originally a Dominican monastery, but was
closed in 1543 when the Reformation converted the Saxon population to
Lutheranism; in 1733 it was taken over by the Ursuline nuns who converted the orig-
inal Gothic interiors to the baroque—get here at 8am to hear women in the church
singing and chanting with great solemnity. Near the church, on the corner of Filar-
monicii and Strada General Magheru, you'll find Teea, a charming place for flavored
teas (and coffee); upstairs is Galeria Art-Vo (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-1pm).
Baroque flourishes define the city's Franciscan Church (Str. ! elarilor) situated in a
quiet corner, and linked to Strada General Magheru by a narrow passageway. It was
built in 1716 and the white-and-pastel interior includes such high kitsch as a
Madonna statue framed by a rockery Liturgical Mass is held on Sundays at 9am, and
on Tuesday and Thursday at 5pm.
At the edge of the old city near the Powder Tower is the neoclassical Sala Thalia
(Str. Cet â$ ii), the new home of the State Philharmonic (established in 1788), likely to
have a busy season during the Cultural Capital celebrations. Farther along Str. Cet â$ ii
is the Natural History Museum (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm), founded in 1895.
Brukenthal Museum Baron Samuel von Brukenthal was an Austrian gover-
nor who played a significant role in Transylvanian history, and was also a significant
patron for the development of homeopathic medicine. His Sibiu palace is of interest
architecturally—it is one of Romania's great baroque monuments, built between 1778
and 1788—but it also hosts the country's oldest art gallery, with an extensive collec-
tion of works from the German, Austrian, and Flemish schools under stucco ceiling
and chandeliers; vestiges of the original baroque styling remain, along with silk walls,
white rococo stoves, and 18th-century Transylvanian marquetry furniture. Open to
the public since 1817, the galleries are in dire need of better lighting (some of the
paintings are almost nothing but glare and shadow). Nevertheless, there are a few good
impressions of Transylvanian cities through the ages.
Also part of the National Brukenthal Museum are satellite galleries and exhibits,
including the Contemporary Art Gallery (accessed on Str. Tribunei), and the His-
tory Museum (Muzeul de Istorie) (Str. Mitropoliei 2; & 0269/21-8143; Tues-Sun
8:30am-4:30pm; L4/$1.45/75p adults, L2/70¢/40p discount), with a collection of
just about anything and everything stored up from Sibiu's historical heyday, housed in
the 15th-century Prim â ri â Municipiului (also thoroughly renovated in 2006). There
are no English explanations, but you can just about follow the logic; the views from
the windows do beat the displays, however.