A Trip Back in Time in the World Heritage Site of Sighisoara - Romania 🇷🇴 | 40-Something Woman's European Train Journey #03-4
[Day 10: Brasov to Sighisoara, then a night train to Hungary]
A train journey to the World Heritage city of Sighisoara in northern Romania. At night, I'll depart for Hungary on a sleeper train!
🚊 A 96-day travel essay. Click here for the previous story ↓
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## Glued to the soothing scenery outside the window
I packed my bags early in the morning and left the guesthouse near the station.
I left my backpack at Brasov Station, and the trip to Sighisoara is a three-hour train ride.
I had received a message from an Israeli parent and child saying that Sighisoara at night was the best, so my expectations were high.
The scenery along the way was just as beautiful as yesterday, with lush green pastures and mountains, cows and sheep grazing leisurely, and fields covered in dandelions. I was so captivated that the three hours felt like they passed in an instant.
Train travel really is wonderful!
## Sighisoara Station with a local feel
Now, about Sighisoara: there is a historic district surrounded by city walls about a 15-minute walk from the station, and this historic district is apparently registered as a World Heritage site.
It was a clear, sunny day, and the walk from the station was pleasant. I strolled along, peeking at each house in the charming residential area filled with colorful flowers.
## Is this the Middle Ages? A fairytale town
When you step into the historic district, it's like a fairytale world where you've traveled back in time to the Middle Ages.
Moreover, it feels so much like a medieval German town that I wondered if I was in Germany. It's a walled city that reminds me of Rothenburg, which I visited a long time ago.
When I looked it up, it was just as I imagined: this town was built in the Middle Ages by craftsmen and merchants who migrated from Germany, and traces of German culture can still be seen everywhere today.
The town viewed from the high ground looks like a fairytale land with its rows of orange triangular roofs, and walking through the quiet walled city, you can almost hear the sounds of craftsmen working in the pastel-colored houses.
I spent some time wandering around that town, climbing the watchtower, walking along the city walls, and gazing at the clockwork.
Perhaps because it was a weekday and still a bit early for the tourist season, I savored the luxury of enjoying the uncrowded tourist spots.
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## A Little Sightseeing in Brasov Too
I returned to Brasov from Sighisoara and strolled through the old town of Brasov until the departure of my night train.
Brasov also retains a cute, German-style townscape, and many tourists gather in the square, which is the heart of the city.
Romania is a country formed by the union of three principalities and it seems you can enjoy different atmospheres in each region: this German-style Transylvania area, the French-style south including the capital, and the east near Moldova, which I couldn't visit this time.
The way the city has developed around the square feels similar to towns around Germany, and I was surprised at how different it is from the capital, Bucharest, even though it's the same country.
I'm saying goodbye to Romania now, and heading to Budapest, Hungary, on tonight's night train.
For my last supper in Romania, I had dinner while leisurely people-watching from an open terrace seat facing the German-style square.
A stew-like dish with chunks of vegetables and meat, paired with a semi-sweet white wine.
## Things I Realized While Traveling Across Borders
Ah, Romania, the food and wine were delicious, English was widely spoken, the railway system was easy to understand, and it was truly a refined and wonderful country.
Perhaps it's also a reaction to Bulgaria being a bit more challenging.
Even so, until I came here, I hadn't realized there was such a big difference between Bulgaria and Romania, just thinking of them both as Eastern European countries.
I suppose that's how Japan and Korea must look to people from Eastern Europe.
It makes me reflect that I really shouldn't be so ignorant.
At the same time, it was an experience that made me feel the immense influence of the collective entity known as a nation, where the scenery and atmosphere change completely just by crossing a border in a land-connected country.
Now, I look forward to seeing what other changes I will encounter from here on.
🚊Next time, I'll take a sleeper train to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. I'll be captivated by the beautiful night view of the grand city.
📘 This post is part of "A 40-Year-Old Woman's European Train Journey" ↓