In the city of Sibiu, in the historical region of Transylvania, in central Romania

 (“Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.”― Morgan Rhodes

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(in central Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania.) Known for being one of the most beautiful walled cities in Europe, Sibiu was founded by the Saxon Germanic tribes, who created wealth and used it to create beautiful buildings and walls to protect this charming medieval town. (It is also known for its well-preserved architecture, vibrant cultural scene, and beautiful landscapes.)

+ The historic center of Sibiu is still partially enclosed by its original 12th-century medieval walls. Be sure to visit the Piata Mare, home to the Brukenthal Palace, containing the main halls of the Brukenthal National Museum. Descend the Passage of the Stairs down into lower Sibiu, and make sure to exhibit your best behavior as you cross the Bridge of Lies. (A trek in the nearby Făgăraș Mountains will lead you past breathtaking ridges and serene glacial lakes.)

+ Sibiu still exudes lots of aristocratic elegance. Noble Saxon history emanates from every art-nouveau facade and gold-embossed church. Renowned composers Strauss, Brahms, and Liszt all performed here in the 19th century, and Sibiu sinve has remained at the forefront of Romania’s cultural scene through its festivals of opera, theater and film. The country's first hospital, school, library, and pharmacy were all established here.

+ Sibiu lies along the Cibin River on the north side of the Turnu Roșu (“Red Tower”) Pass, which links Transylvania to southern Romania across the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians). The old medieval town has two parts, the upper town built on a terrace and the lower town on the banks of the Cibin, the two being connected through an old district by narrow, cobbled alleys called the Fingerling Stairway.

+ A citadel, built by the Saxon settlers in the 13th century, was destroyed by the Tatars in 1241 and rebuilt in the 14th century. Massive brick walls erected around the upper town gave it the nickname “Red Town,” for the color of the walls, which repelled several Turkish attacks in the 15th and 16th centuries. During that time, Sibiu was an important craft and cultural center of the German communities in Transylvania, boasting 19 guilds in 1376. In 1541 Transylvania became an autonomous Turkish vassal state; but, as the Turks later withdrew from Hungary, Austria regained Transylvania after Romanian opposition in 1699. Sibiu then became the military center of Transylvania and, on two occasions (1703–91 and 1849–65), the capital. (It was ceded to Romania in 1918.)

+ Of the 40 watchtowers on the original inner city wall, three remain -- the octagonal tower of the carpenters, the square tower of the potters, and the pentagonal tower of the cloth makers. Also in Sibiu are a massive Lutheran cathedral (built in the 13th and 15th centuries), an Orthodox cathedral (built 1906, modeled on Hagia Sofia in Istanbul), and an 18th-century Roman Catholic church.