# Things to do in Sibiu: what to see in 1–2 days, in the city and nearby

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Guides](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides)

Published on 6 November 2026 · Facts checked on 6 November 2026

The sights of [Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/sibiu) are nearly all in the **historic centre**, a few minutes' walk from one another: the [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mare-sibiu) with [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-brukenthal), the [Small Square (Piața Mică) and Bridge of Lies](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mica-si-podul-minciunilor-sibiu), the [Evangelical Cathedral of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-evanghelica-sibiu) with the tower you can climb, the [Stairs Passage (Pasajul Scărilor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasajul-scarilor-sibiu) down to the Lower Town and the wall with towers on Strada Cetății. On the southern edge of the city, in the Dumbrava forest, are the [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-civilizatiei-populare-traditionale-astra) and [Sibiu Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-sibiu). The [Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-sfatului-sibiu), the symbol of the city, has been closed for restoration since January 2026, for about two years.

Below are the sights in the city by area, how to combine them in a day or a weekend, what is open in winter, what to do with children or when it rains and what to see nearby, 10–45 km away. The current opening hours and prices are on the page of each attraction; all the places in the county are on [the Sibiu county page](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/sibiu) and on [the map](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/map).

## In short

- Most of the sights in Sibiu are in the historic centre, on foot: the Grand Square, Brukenthal Palace, the Small Square with the Bridge of Lies, the Evangelical Cathedral on Huet Square, the Stairs Passage and the towers on Strada Cetății.
- The Council Tower in Sibiu has been closed to visitors since 19 January 2026, for a restoration of about 24 months; it can only be seen from the outside, and the passage beneath it remains open to walk through.
- Brukenthal Palace, the oldest museum in Romania, has been on its winter schedule since 28 October 2026: Wednesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; the adult ticket costs 50 lei (brukenthalmuseum.ro).
- The ASTRA Museum, the largest open-air museum in Romania, is ~8 km from the Grand Square, by Tursib bus 13 from the railway station; in the off-season, September–April, it is open 08:00–17:00, and the adult ticket costs 50 lei.
- On Mondays and Tuesdays Brukenthal Palace, the Altemberger House, the Natural History Museum and the Pharmacy Museum are closed; on those days the churches, the ASTRA Museum and the zoo stay open.
- Around Sibiu, 10–45 km away, are the fortified churches of Cisnădie and Cisnădioara, the salt lakes of Ocna Sibiului, the Glass Icon Museum in Sibiel, the Păltiniș resort and the start of the Transfăgărășan.

## Sibiu attractions: what to see, in one table

The table brings together the sights in the city, from those in the historic centre to those on its edge, with their opening hours at the beginning of November 2026. The centre can be seen on foot in one day; the Dumbrava forest, with ASTRA and the zoo, needs the bus or the car.

| Attraction | Where | What it is | Visit length | November 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Grand Square | historic centre | the main square, ~140 × 90 m | ~45 min | free access |
| Brukenthal Palace | Grand Square | European painting gallery, since 1817 | ~1 h 30 | Wednesday–Sunday 9–17, 50 lei |
| Council Tower | between the Grand Square and the Small Square | 13th-century gate tower | ~15 min | closed, restoration; outside only |
| Small Square and Bridge of Lies | Upper Town | the guilds' square, cast-iron bridge from 1859 | ~30 min | free access |
| Evangelical Cathedral | Huet Square | Gothic church, 73 m tower | ~1 h | church 10 lei, tower 10 lei |
| Pharmacy History Museum | Small Square | the former “Black Bear” pharmacy | ~1 h | Wednesday–Sunday 9–17, 16 lei |
| Altemberger House | Strada Mitropoliei | the history museum, former town hall | ~1 h 30 | Wednesday–Sunday 9–17, 36 lei |
| Natural History Museum | Strada Cetății | dioramas, mammoth bones, minerals | ~1 h 30 | Wednesday–Sunday 9–17, 20 lei |
| Guild towers | Strada Cetății | the city wall, two towers open | ~30 min | Tuesday–Sunday 10–18, 2 lei |
| Metropolitan Cathedral | Strada Mitropoliei | Orthodox cathedral from 1902–1906 | ~30 min | free entry |
| ASTRA Museum | Dumbrava forest, ~8 km | open-air museum, over 300 houses | ~3 h | daily 8–17, 50 lei |
| Sibiu Zoo | Dumbrava forest, ~5 km | zoo from 1929 | ~2 h 30 | daily 9:30–16, 20 lei |
| Belvedere Park | Tilișca district | park from 2023, terraces facing the Cindrel | ~1 h 30 | free access |

*Visit lengths and distances from the attraction pages, from the centre of Sibiu; opening hours and adult prices from brukenthalmuseum.ro, muzeulastra.ro and the attraction pages, checked on 6 November 2026. The sections of the Brukenthal Museum (the Palace, the Altemberger House, the Pharmacy, Natural History) are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.*

- [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/grand-square) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 45 min · Top 100
  The main square of old Sibiu, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with "eyes" in their roofs, by the Brukenthal Palace, the Jesuit church and the Council Tower.
- [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/brukenthal-palace) — Castles and palaces · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100
  The Baroque palace of Governor Samuel von Brukenthal on Sibiu's Great Square has housed Romania's oldest museum since 1817: a gallery of European painting with van Eyck, Titian and Bruegel.
- [Evangelical Cathedral of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/evangelical-cathedral-of-sibiu) — Churches · Sibiu, SB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours
  The Gothic church of the Sibiu Saxons, with a 73-metre tower you can climb, the 1914 Sauer organ, the 1445 Crucifixion fresco and the gravestones of the ferula.

## Sibiu centre: Grand Square, Small Square, Council Tower

The [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mare-sibiu) is the main square of the old town, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with “eyes” on their roofs. On its sides are [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-brukenthal) and the [Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-romano-catolica-sfanta-treime-sibiu), the Baroque Jesuit church of 1726–1733, with free entry, Monday–Saturday 6:00–19:00 and Sunday 8:30–19:00. The City Hall's tourist information centre has its entrance on the square, at Str. Samuel Brukenthal 2.

In the north-east corner is the [Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-sfatului-sibiu). The climb has been closed since 19 January 2026, for a restoration of about 24 months, but you can still walk through the passage on the ground floor to the [Small Square (Piața Mică) and Bridge of Lies](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mica-si-podul-minciunilor-sibiu). On the square are the guild houses with arcades on the ground floor, the House of Arts and the **Bridge of Lies**, the cast-iron footbridge from 1859 above Strada Ocnei. In the corner of the square, at no. 26, is the [Pharmacy History Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-istorie-a-farmaciei-sibiu), with the dispensary of the former “Black Bear” pharmacy. The squares are pedestrian and always open.

- [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/grand-square) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 45 min · Top 100
  The main square of old Sibiu, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with "eyes" in their roofs, by the Brukenthal Palace, the Jesuit church and the Council Tower.
- [Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/council-tower) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 15 min
  The 13th-century gate tower linking the Grand Square and the Small Square, Sibiu's symbol, with an onion-shaped spire; closed for restoration since January 2026, for about two years.
- [Small Square (Piața Mică) and Bridge of Lies](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/small-square-and-bridge-of-lies) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 30 min
  The second square of old Sibiu, with guild houses arcaded at street level, the Arts House and the Bridge of Lies, the 1859 cast-iron footbridge over Ocnei street.

## Upper Town and Lower Town: cathedrals, passages, walls

A few steps from the Grand Square is **Huet Square**, with the [Evangelical Cathedral of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-evanghelica-sibiu), the Gothic church of the Saxons, with the Sauer organ of 1914 and the Crucifixion fresco of 1445. The church and the 73 m tower cost 10 lei each, the combined ticket 15 lei. The opening hours are not published on the parish website, and visits are interrupted during services (on Sundays from 10:00) and concerts. From beside the square, the [Stairs Passage (Pasajul Scărilor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasajul-scarilor-sibiu) goes down under brick arches to the **Lower Town**; the steps are steep and slippery in rain or ice.

On **Strada Cetății** the medieval wall is best preserved, with [The Guild Towers on Strada Cetății](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnurile-breslelor-strada-cetatii-sibiu): the Carpenters' Tower and the Potters' Tower can be visited with a joint ticket of 2 lei. On the same street is [The Thick Tower and Thalia Hall (Turnul Gros)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-gros-sibiu); the Thalia Hall was the first theatre on the territory of present-day Romania (1788) and is today the hall of the Philharmonic. On **Strada Mitropoliei** are the [Holy Trinity Metropolitan Cathedral, Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-mitropolitana-sibiu), from 1902–1906, with free entry, and the [Reformed Church of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-reformata-sibiu). Towards the edge of the centre you can also see, from the street, the [Haller Bastion](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-haller-sibiu) and the [Soldisch Bastion](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-soldisch-sibiu), the [Ursuline Church of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-ursulinelor-sibiu) and the [Sibiu Synagogue](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sinagoga-din-sibiu), open Monday–Friday 9:00–12:00.

- [Evangelical Cathedral of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/evangelical-cathedral-of-sibiu) — Churches · Sibiu, SB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours
  The Gothic church of the Sibiu Saxons, with a 73-metre tower you can climb, the 1914 Sauer organ, the 1445 Crucifixion fresco and the gravestones of the ferula.
- [Stairs Passage (Pasajul Scărilor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/stairs-passage) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 15 min
  A narrow passage of stone and brick in Sibiu, with vaulted arches, steps and the buttresses of a medieval wall, running down from near Huet Square to the Lower Town.
- [The Guild Towers on Strada Cetății](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/the-guild-towers-on-strada-cetatii) — Fortresses and fortifications · Sibiu, SB · 2 lei · 30 min
  The best-preserved stretch of Sibiu's third ring of fortifications: a wall with a covered walkway and three guild towers, the Carpenters', Potters' and Arquebusiers' Towers; two can be visited.
- [Holy Trinity Metropolitan Cathedral, Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/holy-trinity-metropolitan-cathedral-sibiu) — Churches · Sibiu, SB · Free · 30 min
  The Orthodox cathedral of the Metropolis of Transylvania, built between 1902 and 1906 on the model of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, with striped brick fronts and a dome painted by Octavian Smigelschi.

## Museums in Sibiu: Brukenthal Palace and its sections

[Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-brukenthal), the Baroque palace of Governor Samuel von Brukenthal, has been the oldest museum in Romania since 1817: the European painting gallery has works by van Eyck, Titian and Bruegel, and the adult ticket, at 50 lei, also includes the National Art Gallery. **Since 28 October 2026 the palace has been on its winter schedule**: Wednesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00, the ticket office closes at 16:15, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (brukenthalmuseum.ro). Every year it also closes for a few weeks for cleaning, usually in January (in 2026: 12 January – 3 February).

The same museum has three other sections in the centre, open Wednesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00:

- [History Museum – Altemberger House (Casa Altemberger)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-istorie-casa-altemberger), the former Gothic town hall: lapidarium, arms and armour, treasury (36 lei).
- [Natural History Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-istorie-naturala-sibiu), on Strada Cetății: dioramas, a Bison priscus skeleton, mammoth bones (20 lei).
- [Pharmacy History Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-istorie-a-farmaciei-sibiu), on the Small Square (16 lei).

The single ticket for all the sections of the Brukenthal Museum, valid for 48 hours, costs 120 lei; on the first Thursday of every month, pensioners and residents of Sibiu get in free.

- [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/brukenthal-palace) — Castles and palaces · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100
  The Baroque palace of Governor Samuel von Brukenthal on Sibiu's Great Square has housed Romania's oldest museum since 1817: a gallery of European painting with van Eyck, Titian and Bruegel.
- [History Museum – Altemberger House (Casa Altemberger)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/history-museum-altemberger-house) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 36 lei · 1 – 1½ hours
  The history department of the Brukenthal National Museum, in a civil Gothic complex of the 15th–16th centuries, Sibiu's former town hall: lapidary, arms and armour, treasury and guild objects.
- [Natural History Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/natural-history-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 20 lei · 1 – 1½ hours
  The natural sciences department of the Brukenthal National Museum, in a building from 1895: dioramas with sound and light, a Bison priscus skeleton, mammoth bones and a mineral collection.
- [Pharmacy History Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pharmacy-history-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 16 lei · ½ – 1 hours
  A department of the Brukenthal National Museum, in an arcaded house on the Small Square, the former "At the Black Bear" pharmacy: the dispensary, the laboratory and a homeopathy collection of almost 3,000 pieces.

## ASTRA Museum and Sibiu Zoo in the Dumbrava forest

The [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-civilizatiei-populare-traditionale-astra) is the largest open-air museum in Romania: over 300 houses, mills, workshops and wooden churches on ~96 hectares, with ~10 km of paths. It is on the southern edge of the city, ~8 km from the Grand Square; Tursib bus 13 leaves from in front of the railway station, passes through Piața Unirii and stops at the main gate in ~20 minutes, and the car park next to gate 1 is free. In the off-season, September–April, the museum is open 08:00–17:00, with the last ticket at 16:45 (muzeulastra.ro, 6 November 2026). The ticket costs 50 lei for adults and 10 lei for pupils and students. For an unhurried visit, allow ~3 hours.

In the same forest, ~5 km from the centre, is [Sibiu Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-sibiu), opened in 1929 and considered the first in Romania, with tigers, lions, jaguars, white wolves and bears. In November–December it is open daily 9:30–16:00; the ticket costs 20 lei for adults and 10 lei for children from 3 years. ASTRA and the zoo have a gate between them, but separate tickets, so you can combine them on the same day.

- [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/astra-museum-of-traditional-folk-civilisation) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 20
  Romania's largest open-air museum, in the Dumbrava forest outside Sibiu: over 300 houses, mills, workshops and wooden churches brought from across the country, along ~10 km of paths.
- [Sibiu Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sibiu-zoo) — Zoos and aquariums · Sibiu, SB · 20 lei · 2 – 2½ hours
  The zoo in the Dumbrava forest, opened in 1929 and considered the first in Romania, with tigers, lions, jaguars, white wolves, bears and lakes where you can go boating.

## Parks and other sights in Sibiu, outside the centre

- [Belvedere Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcul-belvedere-sibiu), in the Tilișca district, is the newest park in Sibiu, opened in 2023 on 6.4 hectares: terraces with views of the Cindrel Mountains, minigolf, a pump track, playgrounds and a mini zip line. Entry is free, and the car park has 50 spaces, at the end of Strada Prelungirea Săcel.
- The [Steam Locomotives Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-locomotivelor-cu-abur-sibiu), in the CFR depot next to the railway station, ~1.5 km from the Grand Square, has open-air locomotives from 1885 to the 1950s. The opening hours are not published on its page.
- Next to the station is also the [Holy Cross Chapel of Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/capela-sfintei-cruci-sibiu), with a stone crucifix from 1417.
- The [Church between the Firs (Biserica dintre Brazi)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-dintre-brazi-sibiu), Baroque, from 1778–1788, and the [Annunciation Church (Biserica din Groapă) in Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-din-groapa-sibiu), from 1788–1789, in the Iosefin district, both have cemeteries with the graves of scholars and figures of the Romanians of Transylvania.
- In Turnișor, the former Saxon village, the [Turnișor Evangelical Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-evanghelica-turnisor-sibiu) houses the Landler Museum, open by phone appointment with the parish.

- [Belvedere Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/belvedere-park) — Parks and gardens · Sibiu, SB · Free · 1 – 1½ hours
  Sibiu's newest park, opened in 2023 on 6.4 hectares in Tilișca on a former rubble dump: terraces with views of the Cindrel Mountains, minigolf, a pump track, playgrounds and sports courts.
- [Steam Locomotives Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/steam-locomotives-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 45 min
  An open-air museum inside the CFR depot in Sibiu, opened in 1994: dozens of steam locomotives from 1885 to the 1950s, mainline and narrow-gauge, plus snow ploughs and cranes.

## What to do in Sibiu in one day or in 2 days

**One day** is enough for the historic centre. Morning: the Grand Square, Brukenthal Palace at opening time, then the passage under the Council Tower to the Small Square and the Bridge of Lies. Midday: Huet Square and the Evangelical Cathedral, with the climb up the tower. Afternoon: the Stairs Passage down to the Lower Town, then back up along Strada Cetății, past the guild towers and the Thick Tower. Choose a day from Wednesday to Sunday, because on Mondays and Tuesdays the sections of the Brukenthal Museum are closed.

**The second day** is for the Dumbrava forest: the ASTRA Museum in the morning, with the ~3 hours it needs, and the zoo in the afternoon, through the gate between them. If you leave on Sunday evening, you can swap the order and keep ASTRA for Monday or Tuesday, when it is open and the museums in the centre are not. For an extra half day, pick a trip from the section on the surroundings: Cisnădioara and Cisnădie are ~10 km away, Sibiel ~20 km.

## Sibiu in winter, during the Christmas market

In winter, the centre of Sibiu belongs to the [Christmas market on the Grand Square](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/targul-de-craciun-sibiu); the dates, opening hours and what you find at the market are in its guide. For the rest of the day, here is what changes in the city in the cold months:

- **Brukenthal Palace** is on its winter schedule, Wednesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00, and usually closes for a few weeks in January (in 2026: 12 January – 3 February).
- **The ASTRA Museum** is open 08:00–17:00 until April; a walk in the snow among the houses takes less time than in summer.
- **Sibiu Zoo** closes at 16:00 from November to January, and boats are not for hire until April.
- **The guild towers** on Strada Cetății have winter hours, 1 November – 31 March: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00.
- **The Evangelical Cathedral** has no guides between November and March (only April–October).

The lakes at Ocna Sibiului are closed in winter, and the high section of the Transfăgărășan may be closed from 20 October; towards the mountains, in winter you go to Păltiniș, where the Arena Platoș opens on 28 November 2026.

- [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/grand-square) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 45 min · Top 100
  The main square of old Sibiu, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with "eyes" in their roofs, by the Brukenthal Palace, the Jesuit church and the Council Tower.
- [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/brukenthal-palace) — Castles and palaces · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100
  The Baroque palace of Governor Samuel von Brukenthal on Sibiu's Great Square has housed Romania's oldest museum since 1817: a gallery of European painting with van Eyck, Titian and Bruegel.
- [Păltiniș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/paltinis) — Ski slopes · Păltiniș, SB · Free · 4½ – 5 hours
  Considered Romania's oldest mountain resort, from 1894, in the Cindrel Mountains: a chairlift towards Oncești Peak, the Oncești and Dăneasa slopes, Arena Platoș and Noica's grave.

## What to do in Sibiu with kids

- **Sibiu Zoo** is the first choice: large animals, a playground and, from April to October, boats on the lakes (50 lei for 30 minutes). Children under 3 get in free.
- **The ASTRA Museum**: houses you can go into, mills and a lake, but a lot of walking; the paths can also be done with a pushchair.
- **The Natural History Museum**: dioramas with sound and light and dinosaurs in the courtyard, for an hour indoors.
- **Belvedere Park**: playground, mini zip line, minigolf and pump track, with free entry.
- **The Steam Locomotives Museum**: large locomotives, to be seen from the marked paths, holding the children's hands, because the depot is in operation.
- In the centre, the **Bridge of Lies** and its legend, and at the **Pharmacy History Museum**, jars, scales and mortars.

The climb up the Evangelical Cathedral's tower has many steps, and the Stairs Passage is steep; with a pushchair, avoid them. About 40 km away, in the Avrig Valley, is [Brambura Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/brambura-park), with a house built upside down.

- [Sibiu Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sibiu-zoo) — Zoos and aquariums · Sibiu, SB · 20 lei · 2 – 2½ hours
  The zoo in the Dumbrava forest, opened in 1929 and considered the first in Romania, with tigers, lions, jaguars, white wolves, bears and lakes where you can go boating.
- [Natural History Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/natural-history-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 20 lei · 1 – 1½ hours
  The natural sciences department of the Brukenthal National Museum, in a building from 1895: dioramas with sound and light, a Bison priscus skeleton, mammoth bones and a mineral collection.
- [Belvedere Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/belvedere-park) — Parks and gardens · Sibiu, SB · Free · 1 – 1½ hours
  Sibiu's newest park, opened in 2023 on 6.4 hectares in Tilișca on a former rubble dump: terraces with views of the Cindrel Mountains, minigolf, a pump track, playgrounds and sports courts.

## What to do in Sibiu when it rains

When it rains, stay in the centre, where the distances are short: Brukenthal Palace, the Altemberger House and the Natural History Museum need an hour and a half each, and the single ticket of 120 lei, valid for 48 hours, covers them all. Between them, the Evangelical Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral are visited indoors. On Mondays and Tuesdays, when the Brukenthal sections are closed, the churches remain (the Jesuit church on the Grand Square is open daily) and, Monday–Friday mornings, the Synagogue.

ASTRA and the zoo are almost entirely outdoors: in the rain, keep them for a day with good weather.

## Things to see around Sibiu, 10–45 km away

- [Cisnădie Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cisnadie), ~10 km away: a Romanesque basilica turned into a Saxon fortress, with a bell tower from 1425. The opening hours are not published; call the parish.
- [Cisnădioara Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cisnadioara), ~10 km away: a Romanesque basilica on a rocky peak, with a view of the Făgăraș Mountains; you walk up for 10–15 minutes. In season it is open daily 10:00–18:00 (10 lei), and the winter hours are not published.
- [Ocna Sibiului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ocna-sibiului), 15 km away: salt lakes you float in, open only in summer (in 2026, 22 May – 30 September).
- [Slimnic Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-slimnic), ~18 km away, on the road to Mediaș: the ruin of an unfinished hall church on a hill.
- **Mărginimea Sibiului**: in Sibiel, ~20 km away, the [“Priest Zosim Oancea” Glass Icon Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-icoane-pe-sticla-sibiel) has ~600 icons and is open every day of the year (15 lei).
- [Păltiniș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/paltinis), ~32 km away (~45 minutes): a resort since 1894, with a chairlift and ski slopes.
- The [Brukenthal Summer Palace in Avrig](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-brukenthal-avrig), ~35 km away, with its Baroque garden; the [Clay Castle of Fairy Valley (Castelul de Lut Valea Zânelor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-de-lut-valea-zanelor), ~40 km away, can only be seen with a booking at the restaurant or the accommodation.
- The [Transfăgărășan](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transfagarasan) starts at Cârțișoara, ~45 km away; [Bâlea Lake](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-balea) can be seen in winter only by the cable car from Bâlea Cascadă.

- [Cisnădioara Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cisnadioara-fortified-church) — Churches · Cisnădioara, SB · 10 lei
  A Romanesque basilica from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, left almost unaltered, on the rocky top of St Michael's Hill, ringed by a defensive wall and looking out to the Făgăraș Mountains.
- [Ocna Sibiului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ocna-sibiului) — Resorts and thermal baths · Ocna Sibiului, SB · 35 lei · Top 100
  A spa resort 15 km from Sibiu with salt lakes formed where old salt mines caved in: in summer you swim in water that keeps you afloat, between white banks of salt.
- [“Priest Zosim Oancea” Glass Icon Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/priest-zosim-oancea-glass-icon-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiel, SB · 15 lei · ½ – 1 hours
  A museum in the village of Sibiel, beside the Holy Trinity church, with about 600 glass icons from Nicula, Făgăraș, Șchei, the Sebeș Valley and Mărginimea Sibiului, gathered from 1969 by Father Zosim Oancea.
- [Transfăgărășan](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transfagarasan) — Scenic roads · Argeș County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 20
  The DN7C crosses the Făgăraș Mountains for 151 km, from the Vidraru dam up to the glacial Bâlea Lake at 2,042 m, then winds down in hairpin bends into Transylvania.

## Getting around Sibiu: parking, railway station, airport

The historic centre is pedestrian, with restricted car access. The nearest car parks with a barrier are **Cazarma 90** (~205 spaces, next to Strada Nicolae Bălcescu) and **Piața Teatrului** (~160 spaces), a 5–10 minute walk from the Grand Square. The spaces on the streets in the centre are in zone A, paid daily between 08:00 and 22:00, ~3 lei/hour or 15 lei/day, at the machine, by SMS to 7420 or in the Parcare Sibiu app; in summer and at weekends they fill up quickly.

**Sibiu railway station** is ~1.5 km from the Grand Square: ~20 minutes on foot through the Lower Town or a few stops on the Tursib buses. Bus 13 to the ASTRA Museum also leaves from the station. **Sibiu Airport** is ~5 km from the centre, with bus and taxi. By car, Sibiu is on the A1 motorway: from Cluj-Napoca ~175 km (~2 hours), from Brașov ~145 km on the DN1 (~2 hours 30 minutes), from Bucharest ~275 km (~4 hours).

## Frequently asked questions

**What are the main attractions in Sibiu?**

In the historic centre: the Grand Square, Brukenthal Palace, the Council Tower (outside only), the Small Square with the Bridge of Lies, the Evangelical Cathedral, the Stairs Passage and the towers on Strada Cetății. On the edge of the city: the ASTRA Museum and the zoo in the Dumbrava forest and Belvedere Park.

**Is the Council Tower in Sibiu open?**

No. The Council Tower has been closed to visitors since 19 January 2026, for a restoration of about 24 months, according to Sibiu City Hall. It can be seen from the outside, and you can walk freely through the passage beneath it from the Grand Square to the Small Square.

**What to see in Sibiu in one day?**

The Grand Square and Brukenthal Palace, the Small Square and the Bridge of Lies, the Evangelical Cathedral with its tower, the Stairs Passage and Strada Cetății, all on foot. Choose a day from Wednesday to Sunday: on Mondays and Tuesdays the Brukenthal museums are closed.

**What to do in Sibiu with kids?**

Sibiu Zoo (20 lei for adults, 10 lei for children from 3 years), the ASTRA Museum, the Natural History Museum with its dioramas, Belvedere Park with a playground and a mini zip line, and the Steam Locomotives Museum.

**What to do in Sibiu in winter?**

The Christmas market on the Grand Square, the Brukenthal museums (in winter Wednesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00), the ASTRA Museum (08:00–17:00 until April) and the zoo (until 16:00). Towards the mountains, Păltiniș, ~32 km away, has the Arena Platoș open from 28 November 2026.

**What to do in Sibiu when it rains?**

Brukenthal Palace, the Altemberger House and the Natural History Museum, with the single ticket of 120 lei for 48 hours, plus the Evangelical Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral. On Mondays and Tuesdays the Brukenthal museums are closed.

**How much is the entrance to the Brukenthal Museum?**

At Brukenthal Palace the adult ticket costs 50 lei, and pensioners pay 25 lei. The single ticket for all the sections of the Brukenthal National Museum, valid for 48 hours, costs 120 lei.

**Where to park in Sibiu city centre?**

In the Cazarma 90 (~205 spaces) and Piața Teatrului (~160 spaces) car parks, 5–10 minutes from the Grand Square, or on the streets in zone A, paid daily 08:00–22:00, ~3 lei/hour or 15 lei/day.

**How to get from Sibiu railway station to the ASTRA Museum?**

By Tursib bus 13, which leaves from in front of the station, passes through Piața Unirii and stops at the museum's main gate in ~20 minutes. By car it is ~8 km from the centre, and the car park next to gate 1 is free.

## Sources

- [Brukenthal National Museum: winter hours at Brukenthal Palace (26 October 2026)](https://www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/events/detaliu/2047)
- [Brukenthal National Museum](https://www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/)
- [ASTRA Museum: opening hours](https://muzeulastra.ro/program-tarife/)
- [Sibiu Zoo: opening hours and prices](https://www.zoosibiu.ro/)
- [Sibiu City Hall: the Council Tower](https://www.sibiucity.ro/index.php/ro/fortificatie/164)

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Last updated: 6 November 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania