Sfântu Gheorghe
Sfântu Gheorghe (in Romanian) or Sepsiszentgyörgy (in Hungarian) (English: Saint George; Deutsch: Sankt Georgen; Yiddish: סנט דשזארדזש) is a municipality and city in the central Romanian region of Transylvania. It lies on the Olt River in a valley between the Baraolt and Bodoc Mountains. Sfântu Gheorghe is the capital of Covasna County. The villages of Chilieni/Kilyén and Coşeni/Szotyor are also administratively part of Sfântu Gheorghe Municipality.
Get in
Sfântu Gheorghe lies about 220 km from Bucuresti, 1,790 km from Berlin, 990 km from Wien, 780 km from Budapest, 280 km from Cluj Napoca, 32 km from Brasov, and 66 km from Miercurea Ciuc.
By train
You can get to Sfantu Gheorghe by train very easily. There are direct trains from Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Baia Mare, Satu Mare, Miercurea Ciuc, Targu Mures, Iasi, and Suceava.
Trains are either called IR (Inter Regio) for long distance trains that stop only in major towns or Regio for commuter trains. Some IR trains have sleeper coaches.
There are two international trains stopping in the city, both providing a direct link with Budapest, Hungary.
- 1 Sfântu Gheorghe railway station (Gara Sfântu Gheorghe).
By car
From Brasov - on national road DN 11, then take left in Chichis (Kokos) to DN 12.
From Targu-Mures (Marosvásárhely) - on national road DN 13, take a left at Feldioara (Barcaföldvár) to DN 13E.
From Miercurea Ciuc - on national road DN 12.
By plane
Wizz Air operates international flights to several countries from Transylvania Airport at Targu-Mures, a 2½-hour drive from the town. Bucharest Henri Coanda Airport is also about the same distance from the city, serving many international flights operated by regular and low-cost airlines. Sibiu airport is also at the same distance.
Get around
By bus
Even if the town is quite small, a ride with the bus will take you quick from one point to another. The ticket for one journey is 1.30 lei, but usually, you may buy a 2-journey ticket for 2.60 lei. There are several lines that will take you through the town: number 1 - Simeria - Central Park - Rail Station; number 2 - Simeria - Central Park - Ciucului - Rail Station; number 3 - Central Market - Central Park - Rail Station and other buses will take you in the villages round the town: number 4 - Simeria - Central Park - Ciucului - Rail Station - Campu Frumos
By taxi
If you want to take the taxi, it will take you in a short time - about 5-10 minutes - anywhere in town you like. If you want, you can take the taxi outside the town, but it is more expensive. There are many taxi hubs, in the city centre there is one directly across the theater, another one in front of Sugas department store.
By car
Due to the size of the city, it doesn't make much sense to use a car. Parking in the center can be problematic and relative expensive (3 lei/hr). Traffic is not bad, except a few minutes in the morning and afternoon in certain places, mostly around schools. Just walk or if you are in hurry or have to travel from one end to the other, use a taxi.
There are a few local car rental offices, but there are no multinational, big rental companies in the city. See at Mida[dead link] (pages only in Romanian).
See
The area has almost 40 species of endemic orchids that can be seen. If you wish to see them, contact the Romanian Orchid Lovers Club[dead link], based in Rasnov 20 km from Brasov.
- Székely National Museum. Hosting an exhibition of about the traditions and arts of the local Hungarian population. The building was designed by Károly Kós in the secession style.
- 1 Fortified Church (Romanian: Biserică Fortificată; Hungarian: Vártemplom). Constructed in the 14th century in the Gothic style
- The market bazaar. Built in 1868, with a clock tower built in 1893, now home to the gallery Magma and a café.
- County library. Constructed in 1832 as the seat of the county council.
- State Archive. The former headquarters of the Hussar battalions.
- Theater Áron Tamási. Used from 1854-1866 as the city hall.
Do
Going out in town, you will find pubs with good music and nice atmosphere. A nice walk in the central park will be very relaxing. You can visit the surrounding villages and take a look at the fortified churches typical of the area.
- Sugas Bai (Sugásfürdő in Hungarian). A holiday mountain-village part of the city offering two ski slopes, warm and cold baths, mofetta, climbing wall, adventure park, hiking trails and natural sparkling water springs. It is reachable by car, bus, bike (10 km from the center, uphill).
- hiking, trail running and mountain biking: there are many marked hiking trails, mountain bike routes used around the city. Beware of the bears, make noise, have a pepper spray and the shepherd dogs.
Buy
There are several hypermarkets and supermarkets along the Olt river bench (Str. Lunca Oltului / Oltmező utca) where you can buy food, clothing, electronics, tinkering stuff, etc., but they are not served by local buses.
- Sugas (Sugas Comercial Center) (right in town center). Here you can get a lot of things from souvenirs, clothes, shoes.
Eat
Kürtőskalács are a type of Hungarian sweet pastry. There is good ice cream in the Aria sweet shop and patiseria (close to the Sugás shopping center). Some other good sweet shops are around the central park.
Drink
Palinca or Pálinka is the best known alcoholic beverage in town like in all Transylvania. Beer is also one of the favourite drink in the town. There is a tea house (Tein) near the central park, and several pubs around the city, some with parties at weekends.
Sleep
- Pensiunea Lucia, 17, Municipiul, Strada Kossuth Lajos, ☏ +40 267 315 999. It's pretty upbeat with some flowers and aesthetic building design. Here you can have breakfast in the garden even though the food spread may not amount to much. 175 lei.
- Hena Guest House, Piata Fântânii, ☏ +40 770 891 679. It has pretty rich interior decor. 138 lei.
- Fidelitas Hotel, Strada Berzei 14. It looks a little lost out in the Romanian neighbourhood but has a hot tub and massage service nonetheless. 199 lei.
- Hotel Sugas (Hotel Sugas), Sfantu Gheorghe Km 0, Covasna, ☏ +40 728 985 360. Placed in the centre of Sfantu Gheorghe town, some people seem to come to celebrate their wedding reception here, but it offers minibars, cable TV, phone, internet, restaurant. Single 165 lei, double 179 lei, triple 210 lei. Apartments for 1/2/3/4 persons 220/240/260/280 lei.
- Hotel Park (Hotel Park), Sfantu Gheorghe, Gabor Aron, Nr. 12 (just above the central park in the town), ☏ +40 736 338 835. It has somewhat of an urban appearance but not without greenery and bold wood features. 252 lei.
- 1 Pensiunea Anna (Pensiunea Anna), DN12, Bixad (about 31 km north of Sfantu Gheorghe on DN!2), ☏ +40 742 839 950. Guest house offers you 4 rooms at 3 baths, kitchen, parking space, central heating. Some beautiful country to look at in the vicinity.
- 2 Pensiunea Görgő Panzió (at Sugas Bai Ski Resort). Like a ski chalet with a hot tub to soothe the aching muscles afterwards. 283 lei.
Connect
Go next
- Arcuș (Árkos) a village nearby with a castle and castle garden (closed to the public as of May 2023) and a lake
- Târgu Secuiesc (Hungarian: Kézdivásárhely) the second biggest town in the county with a nice central square and unique street architecture around it
- Lake St. Ann (Lacul Sfânta Ana / Szent Anna tó) the only crater lake in Romania and one of the few in Europe
- Sulfur Cave close to the above lake, near the Hotel Bálványos
- Brașov the biggest city in the area