Mediaș
Mediaș or Medgyes (Hungarian) or Mediasch (German) is the second biggest city in Sibiu County, with a population of around 50,000.
Get in
You can easily get in Mediaș either by train (an important station in the Romanian railway network) or car (from Sibiu or Sighișoara). There are 3 airports that are in reachable distance:
- Sibiu: Sibiu International Airport (50 km)
- Targu-Mures: Târgu Mureş International Airport (60 km)
- Cluj-Napoca: Cluj Avram Iancu International Airport (120 km)
Understand
Time
Mediaș is in the Eastern European time zone (UTC+2, with a DST of UTC+3 from April to October).
Talk
The official language is Romanian and the younger generations also speak reasonable English or French. Because of the Germanic influence and the German kindergarten, school and high-school, German is also known by many, as well as Hungarian (being the second minority of the city with 10% of the population).
Get around
The local transportation operator is called Meditur, practically one can get these buses in every part of the city, lately there are micro buses as well. Because the city center is pretty compact, one can easily walk from one attraction to the other. The taxi is always a good and cheap choice. You can buy the bus ticket at many of the bus stops. You get 2 rides for 1 price or day tickets (€1). The bus drivers can be very friendly and the buses (electro trolly) can be from the German town of Esslingen, near Stuttgart.
See
Mediaș has one of the best preserved historical centers in Romania and also some well preserved medieval fortifications.
Landmarks
- 1 Buglers' Tower (Turnul Trompeților). So called because guards would search the horizon and sound an alarm by trumpet to warn people against enemy attack or fire, was added to the citadel's defense system in the 13th century. In 1880, a huge clock, showing the phases of the moon was set up in the tower. This tower proved to be a good spotting post. In those times the trumpeter in the tower had a great function, alerting about the approaching danger. If he made a mistake, he would've been thrown out from the top of the tower.
- Hermann Oberth School.
- Stephan Ludwig Roth High School.
- Schuller House.
- Rosenauer House.
- Schuster House.
Religious sites
- 2 St. Margaret Church (Biserica Sfânta Margareta). The fortified-church was built in gothic style in 1488, with time it went through different modifications. The feeble ground structure made its tower, built in 1460, incline. 1550 the church was raised with three storeys and in 1551 four smaller towers were added to show that the city had a court. It was at that time that it gained its 68.5 meters height. In 1783 the roof-structure was changed and the small towers renovated, it was also than that the golden globe, dating from 1550, was brought down from the tower and according to tradition its content was read aloud.
- 3 Franciscan Church and Monastery. Built in gothic style in 1444, this church was later renovated in baroque style and a rococo style altar was added. The annex once served as silversmiths' workshops.
- Orthodox Cathedral.
- Hungarian Reformed Church.
- Hungarian Unitarian Church.
- 4 Synagogue.
Museums
- 5 Stephan Ludwig Roth Memorial House. It was in this house that historian Stephan Ludwig Roth (1796-1849) was born. Roth challenged the 1884 Magyar Diet’s decision imposing Hungarian as the official language in Transylvania. As Romanians made up the bulk of the population, Roth claimed that Romanian was justified to be the official language. His progressive ideas led to his assassination in May 11, 1849.
- The County History Museum, Str. Mihai Viteazul 46, ☏ +40269841299. 9:00 - 17:00, Monday closed.
- 6 Hermann Oberth Memorial House.
- Gas Museum.
Around Mediaș
The area was inhabited by Saxons, therefore, it should be no surprise, that around Mediaș (in every direction) there are a lot of villages, where one can still discover the beauties of the past: in every village there is a fortified church, the houses built in Saxon style. The best preserved and most famous of all these villages is Biertan. There are also some routes definitely worth to be done:
- Mediaș - Dumbrăveni - Valchid - Laslea - Mălâncrav
- Mediaș - Axente Sever - Agârbiciu - Șeica Mare - Buia - Mihăileni
- Mediaș - Moșna - Alma Vii - Pelișor
- Mediaș - Târnava - Șeica Mică - Țapu - Micăsasa
- Mediaș - Blăjel - Bazna - Boian - Cetatea de Baltă
- Mediaș - Brateiu - Ațel - Șaroș pe Târnave - Biertan - Richiș - Copșa Mare
Do
See the medieval city center and its churches, town walls and fortified churches.
There is traditional Romanian shopping, and modern shopping such as in the Kaufland and Carrefour area. Buy local, take the T2-Bus and drive around. Day tickets are €1.
Buy
Eat
Restaurants
- Binder Bubi: Str. Plopului F.N. A solid choice when you need a meal.
- Noi's: Soseaua Sibiului nr. 38. Here you might be able to try a chicken or salami roll.
- Zen Chinese Restaurant: Str. St. L. Roth, nr. 6. Addresses any Chinese food hankerings.
- Select: Str. Petofi Sandor, nr. 3. Breaded cutlet and other items.
- Edelweiss: Str. Aurel Vlaicu nr. 5. A fairly lively place.
- Traube: Piata Regele Ferdinand I, nr. 16
- Han Greweln: Str. Greweln, nr.1. You can have a bite on their outdoor dining patio if the weather cooperates.
- Vila Flora: Str. Hermann Oberth, nr. 43. Here the dining is kind of family-style, it seems (everyone at one table).
Pizzerias
- Big Pizza: Soseaua Sibiului, nr. 48
- Mama Mia: Str. Honterus, nr. 27
- Medieval Bistro: Str. Episcop Ioan Suciu, nr. 2
- Pizzarito: Str. Mica, nr.1
- Pizza Roma: Soseaua Sibiului, nr. 60A
- Trattoria Roma: Piata Regele Ferdinand I
Drink
- Art Cafe: Str. I.G. Duca, nr. 44. Here you can get one of those beautiful cappucinos with a palm leaf or chocolate pattern on top.
- McGowan's Irish Pub: Str. Unirii, nr. 7. Seems a bit sleepy during this Covid-19 era, but it was a place to socialize and eat some tasty food and even stay in the adjoining inn.
- Central Park: Piata Regele Ferdinand I, nr. 29. A place for alcoholic refreshments and meetups.
- Offside Cafe: Piata Regele Ferdinand I, nr. 17. Another exciting place for a fancy coffee.
- Prohibition Pub: Str. Stephan Ludwig Roth, nr. 1. Here patrons get a little rowdy with their drinks and having a good time.
Sleep
- Hotel BiderBubi, Strada Plopului 30, ☏ +40 369 802 062. It has a pretty phenomenal indoor pool so if that's on your list then maybe try this.
- Hotel Traube Piata Regele Ferdinand I, nr. 16, http://hoteltraube.ro/. It's kind of an old-world type of place with dark wood colored varnish and tones in its restaurant/bar and domains.
- Han Greweln Str Greweln 1. This place is set in a lovely piece of green countryside and has a restaurant.
- Hotel Edelweiss Str Aurel Vlaicu Nr 23. This place goes all out with its ochre-tone walls and carpeted hallways and restaurant. People like to come here for a good time.
- Hotel Vila Flora Str Hermann Oberth Nr 13. It's not quite like a resort, but still it has a pool, restaurant, and massage service.
- Hotel Select Str Petofi Sandor 3. A festive little inn with food options and flags hanging outside.
- Fabini Apartments Piata Regele Ferdinand I 5. This has a certain European town building look, and the rooms are fairly large.