Sibiu

Life revolves around the Large Square (Piața Mare) and the Small Square, linked by the cast-iron Bridge of Lies, which according to local legend creaks whenever someone tells a lie on it. Climb the Council Tower for views over the old town's steep red roofs.

On the Large Square, the baroque Brukenthal Palace houses the Brukenthal Museum, one of the oldest museums in Romania. Nearby, the tall spire of the Gothic Lutheran Cathedral rises above Huet Square. Wander down the stairways to the lower town, where medieval walls and defence towers still line the lanes. Just outside the city, the ASTRA open-air museum displays traditional rural buildings in a forest park.

Sibiu is a highlight of our East Balkans: Albania to Romania in 14 Days tour, which spends a day exploring the town. It is also the perfect base for the dramatic Transfăgărășan road and the fortified churches of the region, in the heart of Romania.

Sibiu has its own international airport and is several hours by road from Bucharest. The old town is compact and best explored on foot. The Transfăgărășan is usually open only in summer and early autumn, while in December the Large Square hosts a popular Christmas market.

Gallery photos: Pudelek (CC BY-SA 4.0), Antimuonium (CC BY-SA 4.0), XeresNelro (CC BY-SA 4.0), sailko (CC BY-SA 3.0), Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter) (CC BY-SA 3.0), Ymblanter (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons