Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sfântu Gheorghe
POP 54,312
Blinker your vision against the dehumanising Lego-style apartment blocks, heading
straight to the park fringed by attractive Habsburg-era buildings, and Sfântu Gheorghe
(32km north of Braşov) merits a visit. In a 2011 census 77% of the city's inhabitants
classed themselves as ethnic Hungarian.
Settled in the early 14th century and one of the oldest towns in Transylvania, it deve-
loped as a cultural centre for the Székelys from the 15th century onwards, when it became
a free town. It was left devastated by Turkish attacks between 1658 and 1671, and a
plague in 1717. Today its museum is the region's best place to investigate Székely culture.
There are a number of banks in town including the
Banca Comercială Română
(Str
Jozef Bem; 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 12.30pm Sat)
, as well as
Tourist Information
Bureau
( 0267-316 474;
www.sepsiszentgyorgy.ro
; Str 1 Decembrie 1918 2;
7.30am-3.30pm Mon-Wed, to 5pm Thu, to 2pm Fri)
.
Sights
About 200m south of Central Park, the
Székely National Museum
(Székely Nemzeti
Múzeum; 0267-312 442; Str Kós Károly; adult/child 6/3 lei; 10am-6pm Tue-Fri,
10am-4pm Sat & Sun)
is housed in a building which is itself a masterpiece, designed by
leading Hungarian architect Kós Károly between 1911 and 1912 (he designed many of the
buildings around Central Park too). Three floors of exhibits include a Hungarian flag from
the 1848 revolution, 17th-century knight suits, a stuffed boar and lots of Székely crafts
and costumes.
North of the centre, following Str Kossuth Lajos and crossing a bridge over the Debren
River, you'll come to the
Fortificată Reformată church
, in whose cemetery you can also
see some lovely examples of traditional Székely wooden crosses and graveposts.
SLEEPING & EATING
A decent place to sleep is
Pensiunea Ferdinand Panzio
( 0740-180 502;
www.ferdinandpension.ro
;
Str Decembrie 1918 number 10; s/d 150/170 lei; )
, while
Tribel
(cnr Str 1 Decembrie 1918 & Piaţa Libertăţii; mains from 14 lei; 7am-10pm
Mon-Fri, 9am-10pm Sat & Sun; )
, near the park, is good for lunch, and
Szentgyörgy
Pince
(St George Cellar; St Gábor Áron 14; mains 12-24 lei; 9am-midnight)
, near the
library, great for dinner.
