OVERVIEW

Welcome 2
Background 4
History 6
Culture 8
Touristic objectives 12
Transportation infrastructure 14
Medical infrastructure 16
Accommodation 18
Education 20
Finance 23
Bussiness opportunities 24
Leisure time 26
Literature 30
Shopping 32
Gastronomy 34
Useful phone numbers 36
Social 37
Historical center of Sibiu 38
The county of Sibiu 39
2

The “South Gate of Transylvania” opens today for the soon-to-be

Multi-National Corps South-East. Its establishment is strengthening
Alliance’s posture and shows once again Romania’s undeniable
commitment to NATO and its values. I take this opportunity
to present the many aspects of the hosting town of Sibiu,
which is ready to welcome such a significant NATO entity
inside its very core. Military and civilian institutions work together
to establish the best environment for all participating NATO members.

Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca
ˇ
Minister of National Defence

Sibiu has been the perfect host for ROU Armed Forces since 1920.
Besides its cultural diversity, Sibiu offers an outstanding opportunity
for professional development by being the home of the Land Forces Academy,
by its vicinity to the Joint National Training Center of Cincu but also
the proximity with 4th Division’s HQ and units. Sibiu’s military traditions
can only be enhanced through the standing up of the
Multinational Corps South-East alongside the many ROU military
entities already functioning here.

Daniel Petrescu
Chief of Defence Staff
 3

Sibiu welcomes NATO! We are proud that Sibiu will host

a three-star NATO Headquarters and we are delighted
to welcome it in a city that takes pride in its history,
but it is very much in tune with the present and preparing
for the future.

You are invited to discover a multicultural community with over 800 years of history,
a modern European city, which consistently invested in infrastructure, education,
health and living conditions, a cultural and touristic destination renowned worldwide
and an attractive and successful business location, with a prosperous community.

For all these reasons, we believe Sibiu is the perfect location for a NATO Headquarters,
being a good combination of a tranquil and modern environment, a city with
a long tradition in the field of military education, an open-minded community welcoming
the new and a vibrant city where you can spend your leisure time by attending various
cultural and sports events.

You are welcome to be a part of Sibiu!

Astrid Cora Fodor

Mayor of the City of Sibiu, Romania
4 Background

Introduction
Within its territory, Romania already hosts NATO bodies, namely
the Multinational Division South-East (MND-SE), in Bucharest,
and the Multinational Brigade South-East (MN BDE),
in Craiova, both at Full Operational Capability (FOC).
In the context of enhanced Deterrence and Defence Concept,
the establishment of a Corps-level entity was the next natural step.

Origins
With the Brussels Summit Declaration, issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting
of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels 11-12 July 2018, Romania’s offer to develop land command and control
capacity at corps level on its territory was noted and agreed. Since the Brussels Summit, the preparation for the
development of the Multinational Corps South-East started with the official establishment in the summer of 2020.

Mission
Multinational Corps South-East is to contribute to
deterrence and, on order, provide corps-level
Command and Control for NATO Land operations,
consistent with NATO advanced plans in the
South-East of SACEUR’s AoR.
 Background 5

Sibiu has a long tradition in working with military

institutions and entities. Since 1920, Sibiu hosted
the officers’ schools for Land Forces, which later
merged into the Land Forces Academy, nowadays
the major military entity functioning in Sibiu.

Besides it, various Training Centers serve Land Forces personnel either for basic and/or continuous carrier training:
Field Artillery and Air-Defence Training Center, Training Center for Communications, Information Technology and
Cyber Defense, Foreign Languages Training Center – just to name a few. Infantry, Tank, Engineer and CBRN Training
Centers are just nearby and complete the Land Forces’ picture that Sibiu built some time ago. Recently, Sibiu has
received the Combat Medical Nurses Training Center, to go hand in hand with the Military Hospital that puts their
infrastructure into the use of both military and civilian patients. Within less than 100 km away from Sibiu,
the Joint National Training Center is located, in Cincu Training Area. Due to its geographical position,
Sibiu has received the regional Maintenance Hub to provide maintenance for all Land combat equipment.
6 History
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania,
with a population of 169,000.
Located at 275 km (171 mi) north-west
of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River,
a tributary of the river Olt.
The earliest reference to the settlement –
mentioned under the name of Cibinum,
appears in the papal decree issued in Rome
on December 20th, 1191, in connection
with the creation of a provost ship.
The city’s origins date back to the middle
of the 12th century with the arrival of
Germanic settlers (Saxons and Teutons)
who had been invited into the region by
the Hungarian kings of the times.
In order to protect the city against the
frequent invasions of the Turks,
in the 16th-17th centuries, massive redbrick walls
were built encircling the town for four kilometers
in length – for which reason Sibiu became
known as “Red City”, partially preserved today.
Nicknamed the “City with Eyes” due to its much
iconic houses with roof ‘eyes’, purporting to be
ventilation shafts, Sibiu is also known
for its Christmas market.
 History 7

Once Transylvania came under Habsburg rule

in 1691, the old medieval town was to develop
Following the Imperial decree of 1781
gradually into a modern city. The Jesuit churches
which allowed non-German to become
on Piaţa Mare (Large Square, 1733),
citizens of the town, Sibiu became
the Ursuline monastery (1734),
an important cultural and political
the promenades along the city’s southern wall
centre for the Romanians of Transylvania.
and in particular the baroque Brukenthal Palace with rococo
features (1785) gave the city a completely new look.

The determination and optimism

of its citizens and a sequence
of fortunate occurrences paved
the way for Sibiu to become
In recent years, Sibiu has made a remarkable comeback the European Capital of Culture
and now it seems to be mustering all its resources, alongside Luxembourg in 2007
imagination and dedication in order to regain and the European Region
its rightful place among Romanian cities. of Gastronomy in 2019.
8 Culture

Sibiu is a multicultural city. The religious buildings of Sibiu

reflect a vivid spiritual life, characterized by the peaceful
cohabitation of different ethnicities and religions.
Every Sunday, the ringing bells reunite in a single
harmonious chorus above the city. The city is the
place where the towers of the Orthodox, Evangelic,
Franciscan, Reformed cathedrals alongside with
Grand Synagogue make the city ecumenical and
an amazing sightseeing location.

Michelin awarded Sibiu a quotation of three stars

(Green Guide Stars), the maximum quotation
and the highest awarded to a city in Romania.
Due to this profile, Sibiu is included today
in the offer of top touristic agencies and attracts
a growing number of tourists every year,
who spend at least one night here.
Also, due to this visibility and intensified
development, Sibiu continues
to be an attractive touristic location
for both Romanian and foreign investors.
 Culture 9

Sibiu hosts two of the most frequented museums

in Romania: Brukenthal Museum and Astra Museum.
The most important ethnographic institution in Romania,
Astra Museum is a complex of museums
and the second largest open-air complex in Europe,
comprising numerous traditional items in a state-of-art
conservation with the aim of connecting the audience
with traditional values. Brukenthal Museum is a complex
of six museums situated in different locations around
the city which have their own distinct cultural programs.
Brukenthal Palace and the collections put together by
Baron Samuel von Brukenthal represent the nucleus of
the present Brukenthal Museum.

Other options of spending quality time could mean

visiting the History Museum, the Evangelic Museum,
the Steam Locomotives Museum,
Franz Binder World Ethnographic Museum,
August von Spiess Hunting Museum,
Altemberger House Museum,
Hermann Oberth Memorial House,
Emil Cioran Memorial House or
Malka Friedmann Memorial House.
10 Culture
The Radu Stanca National Theatre is one of the
most reputed cultural venues in Sibiu, renowned
both at national and international level. Its story started
in 1788, when Martin Hochmeister established
the first theatre in Sibiu, by turning one of the city’s defense
towers into a building for performances.
In time, it became one of the world’s most important
platforms for creativity, dialogue,
and mobility in the field of performing arts.
The Radu Stanca National Theatre and its associated
structures have become regional pillars in culture,
education and research.

Artistic quality, as well as collaborations with renowned

Romanian and foreign directors who created shows
on the stage of Sibiu, has led to a continuous growth
of new performances and new actors. Nowadays,
the theatre has a team of permanent artists
who contribute to more than 120 shows, in both
Romanian and German language. All the activities
taking place in its six performance venues, as well as
in non-conventional spaces (factories, trams, on the street
and in parking lots), in educational institutions,
partner companies, libraries or book shops are dedicated
to high quality creations and to education through culture.
 Culture 11

Classical and baroque music go together so well!

The concerts of the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra
will take you dreaming on arias of Bach, Beethoven,
Strauss or Mozart and the Ballet Theatre brings
on stage famous composers and characters from all over the world.
Classical music concerts, summer concerts, educational concerts,
The International Lyrical Art Festival, The Carl Filtsch Contest Festival,
The George Enescu International Festival, The Romanian-American
Musical Days and countless other concerts, shows and festivals
animate the stage of the Sibiu State Philharmonics.

GONG Theatre for Children and Youth, Sibiu offers excitement,

joyfulness, suspense, sadness – intense feelings to all little spectators
attending their performances. It has a long tradition and is widely known
on national and international stages.

The Sibiu orchestra performed with famous Romanian

and foreign interpreters such as: Ion Voicu, Valentin Gheorghiu,
Ştefan Ruha, Monique de la Bruchollerie
and Jean Jaques Thiollier (France), Sviatoslav Richter,
Rudolf Kerer, Lazar Berman, Dimitri Baskirov (Russia),
Ivry Gittlis (Switzerland), Monserrat Caballe (Spain) and many,
many others. The activity of the Philharmonic Orchestra
was awarded important distinctions in the last years
as a proof of its professionalism.
12 Touristic objectives

Sibiu is a major tourist city in Romania, for natives

and foreigners alike, attracted by its well-preserved
medieval architecture, cultural scene and ideal position
for day trips and cultural exploration. Rated as one of Europe’s most
idyllic places to live in, Sibiu is at the heart of the Transylvanian
lifestyle – slow-paced life, happy and friendly people, a multicultural
and intellectual history which gives the city a bohemian air.
Bâlea Waterfalls and Bâlea Lake are situated in a picturesque area,
premises of an unforgettable experience. One of Romania’s scenic
drives, Transfăgărăşan (Route # 7 C or DN 7C) road – a masterpiece
of Romanian military engineers, also labelled “the Road to the Sky”,
“the Road to the Clouds”, “the Best Driving Road in the World”,
twists and descends right through Moldoveanu and Negoiu –
the highest peaks in Făgăraş Mountains and in Romania.

Ocna Sibiului, a town situated 17 kilometers from Sibiu, also called

“Transylvania’s beach”, is a climatic health resort well known
for its heliothermal lakes formed in a flooded ancient salt mine.
Miercurea Sibiului is a spa resort, renowned for its springs rich in
chlorine and sapropelic mud. The holiday Păltiniş Resort, situated
in the North-East of Cindrel Mountains at 1442 m altitude, is the oldest
and highest resort in Romania, built in 1894. Surrounded by forests,
snow is present around 170 days per year. The main therapeutic factors
is the alpine climate air rich in ozone, aerosols and ultraviolet radiation.
The air quality recommends for the full spa treatment asthenia, physical
and intellectual overexertion, anaemia, pulmonary sequelae
and growth deficiencies in children.
 Touristic objectives 13

The fortified church of Biertan village was built to be one

of the strongest fortress in Transilvania and became
the headquarters of Saxon bishops for three centuries.

Tourists should not miss Transalpina road. Arguably the oldest road over the Carpathian Mountains,
Transalpina was build at the beginning of the 2nd Century AD by the Roman legions during their
war campaign to conquer Sarmizegetusa – the capital of Dacia (modern-day Romania).
Inaugurated in 1938 by King Carol II, the most beautiful road in Romania is stretching
from Novaci to Sălişte, on the top of Parâng Mountains, and crossing the Natural Site Parâng.
Connecting central Romania (Transylvania) with Oltenia, the western part of southern Romania,
the Transalpina road offers breathtaking views together with lots of driving excitement.

The fortified church of Cisnădioara is a basilica from 1223,

one of the oldest monuments around Sibiu, and one of the seven citadels
founded by the Saxons of Transylvania centuries ago. It’s a rare example
of Romanesque architecture in the region, especially its splendid western
portal, which survived more than 800 years without major changes.
Today, there are still round rocks kept inside for the purpose of throwing
them at the enemy. Oral tradition has it that any young man
has to carry a stone inside the fortress before his wedding
to prove he is a real man.
14 Transportation infrastructure

Sibiu is located in the middle of the country, at the crossroads

of main transportation corridors. Consequently, there are
air and land means of transportation. Sibiu county has one
of the most modern and dynamic international airports
with destinations that include, among others:
Munich, Frankfurt, London, Brussels and Vienna,
opperated by major airlines such as Lufthansa,
Austrian Airlines and Tarom.

The future development of the cargo terminal will offer

rapid transportation for the new Sibiu business community.
Sibiu airport has become one of the most important
aerial ports of entry for military assets and personnel
due to its proximity to the Joint National Training Center in Cincu.
The 4C class airport can be regularly operated
by Boeing 767 or similar aerial platforms
and in certain conditions by higher class planes.
The passenger flow is increasing as the city’s economy
is growing year by year.
 Transportation infrastructure 15

Sibiu train station is a rail node for rail lines connecting

North to South and West to East. Sibiu has four railway
stations, and Triaj railway station can be used
for embarking and disembarking of military assets.
The central one, located close to the city center,
offers services for national and international travels.

Sibiu county is included in the Pan European Corridor IV Plan,

crossing Romania from Nădlac through Arad, Timişoara,
Deva, Sibiu, Piteşti, Bucharest, Cernavodă to Constanţa.
This project is an occidental to oriental
link for commerce and tourism.

The city public transport in Sibiu is very well established

and it is currently being renewed with eco-friendly buses.
16 Medical infrastructure

Polisano Hospital, part of an integrated

European excellence medical centers,
is aiming at providing high quality
medical services. The Polisano Hospital has
the most modern radiotherapy center.
The Paediatric Hospital ensures preventive and curative
medical assistance, emergency and recovery medical services.
With a capacity of 200 beds, it provides medical
care services for more than 13,000 children on an annual basis,
performing more than 28,000 investigations in the case of different illnesses.

There are also other medical centers with experts

in various medical areas: Dr. Carl Wolff Geriatric Hospital,
Paltinul Clinics, Carpediem Clinics, Aria Clinics,
Astra Clinics, Medica Nursing Clinics,
Axis Medical Clinics, Visa Medica Center,
Gral Medical Center, Misan Med Center,
and Intermedica Medical Center.
 Medical infrastructure 17

Dr. Alexandru Augustin Emergency Military Hospital

with 200 beds capacity of care covers 19 areas
of health protection. More than 55 specialists
provide high quality medical services.
The infusion of capital permitted investments
in new high tech medical equipment,
enhancing the diagnosis capability.

The medical infrastructure covers the full spectrum

of medical specialties, for adults as well as for children.
The most important medical institutions in Sibiu are:
Dr. Alexandru Augustin Emergency Military Hospital,
Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, CFR Hospital,
Paediatric Clinical Hospital, the Pneumology Hospital,
Dr. Gheorghe Preda Psychiatric Hospital and
the County Medical Center of Ministry of Internal Affairs.
One can opt for medical insurance with the private medical
system or by registering into the national public health system.
Either way, European regulations regarding Health System
are very much enforced in Romania, thus offering
multiple options for foreigners to have unrestricted
access to the medical care available in Sibiu.
18 Accommodation

Sibiu has a very attractive real estate market with

new residential complexes such as: Balanţa, Casian,
Kogălniceanu, Green Residence, New Concept Living,
Cibinium, Unirea Residence, and Dream House by Duplex.
 Accommodation 19

Sibiu offers accomodation in 440 hotels,

inns and guest houses with a total capacity of around
9,000 people. Among top rated hotels are: Hilton, Ramada,
Continental Forum and Împăratul Romanilor (Roman’s Emperor).
Temporary accommodation and dining for military families
are also available at the military hotel located
in the building named Cercul Militar Sibiu (Military Circle).
20 Education

Education in Romania is based on a free-tuition, egalitarian system. Kindergarten is optional under the age of five.
Education in Romania is compulsory for 11 years, from the Preparatory Grade in primary school to Grade 10
of upper secondary education. Compulsory schooling usually starts at age of 5, with the last year
of kindergarten (grupa mare), which is mandatory in order to enter primary school. The primary school starts
with the Preparatory Grade (clasa pregătitoare), which is mandatory in order to enter the first grade.

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Student selection into different education programmes starts early in Romania, at the age of 14.
At the end of lower secondary education (eighth grade), Romanian students take a national examination,
which assesses their performance in mathematics and Romanian language and literature. Results in this exam,
their average grade at the end of each year of lower secondary and students’ individual school choices determine
the upper secondary school and the type of programme students will attend. Students may be assigned
to one of three types of high school: technological, theoretical and “vocational”. Technological high schools
combine academic and vocational programmes. The theoretical and vocational high schools both follow
an academic programme, but the latter have a special focus on arts, sports, theology or the military.
At the end of upper secondary education, students from all three types of high school must pass
the baccalaureate examination if they wish to access tertiary education.
 Education 21

In Sibiu, there are classes with bilingual Romanian-English teaching

in several schools. One or two subjects such as English history,
English geography or English civilization are taught exclusively
in English, one hour per week. German classes can be taken
in seven schools, and the most known is
Samuel von Brukenthal College, located in the old town of Sibiu,
right next to Piaa Mare (Large Square).
Hungarian classes can be taken at the Octavian Goga College.
Sibiu has a variety of colleges and technological institutes,
both public and private. Above all, we are pleased to mention
the private German School Charlotte Dietrich.

For the ones who prefer the Nordic educational system,

there is the Finish School in Sibiu,
Romanian – Finish School ERI, offering
a different perspective on the educational system,
all subjects being studied in the Romanian language.
Sibiu is an important university center, hosting
the Lucian Blaga University and
Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Academy
as well as several other branches of private universities.
22 Education

The Lucian Blaga University is one of the oldest

universities of Romania, established 225 years ago.
Today, the university has license for foreign languages
in 9 faculties, 7 license domains, 12 specializations,
and over 20,000 students, both Romanian and foreigners.
The university consolidated the traditional specializations
of French, German and English philological sections
by adding Art and Cultural Management components.
The university is a major factor in attracting
young people and investors to the area.

The harmonious integration of the experience of 173 years

of Romanian military education in the context of the
development of the higher education worldwide has
generated a modern configuration of the training of officers.
Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Academy is the main
accredited military higher education institution with the mission
to develop the character and personality traits of the future
officers for the Land Forces of the Romanian Army.
It also aims at improvement of intellectual capacities
and abilities, professional competencies and physical qualities
in the context of various scenarios that simulate the
characteristics of the missions carried out by the modern
armed forces in the theaters of operations.
 Finance 23

The National Fiscal Administration Agency is the Romanian fiscal

institution that regulates fiscal policies in Romania. It operates on
decentralized agencies and thanks to the advanced computerized
system implemented, taxpaying and fiscal forms can be easily
operated via personal computers at home. As of today,
the VAT (Value Added Tax) in ROU is at 19 % for the majority
of products, 9 % applied in food industry, while the VAT
applied in housing, tourism services and education is at 5 %.

Romania adhered to the Reforms to the European banking

system with the aim of increasing commercial banks’ ability
to withstand various shocks and volatility. Romanian banking
system has an adequate level of capital and has obtained
a significant reduction of risk and the increase of comparability
of the Romanian banking market with the European market.
All major European financial institutions, such as: ING, Unicredit,
Société Générale, Credit Agricole, are present in Sibiu, alongside
national financial institutions, thus creating a significant banking offer.
24 Bussiness opportunities

Working in Sibiu can prove to be an enriching experience.

In fact, foreigners have already tried the adventure
of looking for professional opportunities which,
according to some, are abundant in this Romanian city.
It is also a great city to live in, thanks to its vibrant
economy and pleasant environment which attracts
tourists in large numbers every year.

Sibiu is primarily an industrial and manufacturing center, deemed to be one of Romania’s major economic centers.
Its economic landscape consists of a large number of national, international and multinational companies.
The city’s economy heavily relies on the manufacturing of automotive and electrical components, as well as textile
and agriculture. The biggest auto manufacturing companies include Continental, Bilstein-Compa, Takata,
and SNR Roulements. As for textiles, one of the world’s leading luxury clothing brands,
Louis Vuitton has set up one of its factories in this city responsible for 1/10 of the brand’s global production.
 Bussiness opportunities 25

In Sibiu, you are more likely to be hired in one of the most

active fields: industry, trade, construction, healthcare, teaching,
and transports. Given the city’s industrial and manufacturing
landscape, many jobs are also available in the industrial field.
Hence, to date, 49 % of the city’s employees work in the industry
while 15 % are employed in trade, 7.5 % in construction,
7.5 % in teaching, 7 % in health care and, finally, 6.5 % in transports.

The main industrial activities of Sibiu take place in two industrial zones located on the outskirts of the city:
• West industrial zone (West Economic Center), near the exit to Sebeş, close to the Airport;
• East industrial zone (East Economic Center), alongside the railway to Braşov and Râmnicu Vâlcea.

The consequence of the economic dynamics of the County

was also an increased number of foreign investors, most of
them coming from Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.
Thus, more than 700 companies with German capital,
almost 130 Austrian companies, and almost 100 companies
from the Netherlands were registered in Sibiu in 2013.
In the last period especially, the County of Sibiu has known
an increased economic development. Among contributors
to this positive evolution, we can identify: engineering industry,
means of transport industry (subassemblies and auto components),
electrical industry, light industry, etc.
26 Leisure time

Sports in Sibiu

Golf

There are several golf clubs in the city for those who enjoy
a good golf course, but please take into account that these
clubs require a membership adhesion.

Winter sports

For those who like winter sports, Păltiniș Resort

is defintely the center of attention. Situated at 32 km from Sibiu,
it is the highest (1442 m altitude), and the oldest resort in Romania.
It was founded by the Transylvanian Carpathian Society (S.K.V.)
in 1894. From the initial nucleus of villas, the resort still
preserves Casa turiştilor (The House of the Tourists, 1894),
Casa medicilor (The House of the Doctors, 1895),
Sala Monaco (Monaco Hall, 1898) and other villas,
and historical monuments.
 Leisure time 27
Tennis
There are plenty of tennis courts and clubs
in Sibiu which give tourists the opportunity
to indulge into playing their favorite games.
Visitors have a wide range of options since,
fortunately, the clubs and courts are scattered
throughout the city. Most of them have
trainers, focused on preparing children
for professional arena, but they also
rent the courts to people who enjoy
this sport as mere pastime.

Paintball

Paintball is, perhaps, one of the most inspired

choices when it comes to combining the need
to keep fit with an opportunity which comes
close to what one might call a social occasion.
Having fun is, thus, guaranteed while indulging
in a rewarding dynamic activity. In Sibiu
there are several paintball centers which
occasion visitors to enjoy the benefits
of spending time in the company of their
friends and work out in the most pleasant
manner conceivable, while facing the challenges
inherent in the rules of the game, not to mention
paintball is an excellent team-building strategy.
28 Leisure time

Climbing

Almontes Sport Club organises outdoor activities

for all ages. Its team of professionals made up
of mountain rescue specialists, climbers,
mountain guides and experienced animators
are gladly at your disposal for various activities:
Zip-line tours at Bâlea Lake, Sibiel and wherever
the location allows it, at the tourists’ demand,
open-air climbing wall in the centre of Sibiu,
mountain tours and expeditions
with experienced guides, camps, excursions, The Transylvanian Carpathian Tourists
birthday parties and children’s activities, Association (SKV) has been active
or teambuilding for various groups. in the field of mountain tourism (trips,
hikes, expeditions) and of mountain
sports (ski, ski touring, snowboarding,
sports tourism, orienteering, climbing,
alpinism, escalade, ice escalade, etc.).

Cloudbase, Air Adrenaline, the Măgura Airfield,

Cisnădie, the Sibiu Territorial Airclub are the most
significant clubs in the area where everybody can
experiment parachuting, paragliding, powered hang gliding.
Bike rentals are available also from the info centre
at Casa Luxembourg on Piaa Mică (Small Square).
Guided bike tours are a perfect occasion to explore
the surrounding area by mountain bike, but the prices
are quite high, compared to other places.
Leisure time 29
30 Literature
The Astra Library was set up by
The Transylvanian Association for Romanian
Literature and Romanian Culture in 1861.
The great personalities of those times
(Octavian Goga, Nicolae Cristea, Vasile Goldiş,
Al. Papiu Ilarian, Mihail Kogălniceanu, Andrei Mureşanu,
Titu Maiorescu and many others) contributed to the
enrichment of the collection of books available
at the library – its current collections are part
of the national cultural heritage.

To keep up with the new developments, the library acquired

and implemented cutting edge technology in 2007.
Today, the library possesses over 680,000 documents,
books, journals, CDs, DVDs, manuscripts,
correspondence documents, old Romanian books,
medals, rare documents and so on. The collection
of books is also very diverse and it includes various
copies in English, French, German, Spanish,
Italian, Japanese, Hebrew, Esperanto, Greek,
Hungarian and Russian.
 Literature 31

Coffee scented reading

What can be better than the flavor of a hot coffee

or that of a scented tea while browsing through
an interesting book? We invite you to take a few
moments to relax in Sibiu’s café-bookshops!
The Humanitas Bookshop is waiting for you
to take a journey to the universal world of books
scented by flavors of coffee and tea.

The experience is truly enjoyable!

The Erasmus Bookshop offers a warm atmosphere,
shelves loaded with books in Romanian, German or English,
flavored teas and welcoming host all of these.
In the summertime, you may also enjoy reading at one of the tables
from the centre’s park, which makes the entire experience
all the more enchanting. The Schiller Bookshop
has a welcoming atmosphere, shelves full of books
in German or Romanian, tourism books,
maps and children’s games.
32 Shopping

Shopping in Sibiu is an experience not to be missed out.

There are plenty of shopping centers,
supermarkets, open-air markets, fashion boutiques and stores,
antique, art and souvenir stores, malls and bookstores
which cater for a large range of shopping tastes and needs.
It’s not just the products as such which entice potential
buyers to venture into a virtually endless exploration,
but also the fact that shopping in Sibiu is an occasion
to sample some of the eclectic charm of the city.

The historical center of Sibiu, crossed by the famous

Nicolae Bălcescu Street, is a wonderful place
to search out not only for the sake of sightseeing,
but also with a genuine shopping interest.
Nicolae Bălcescu is the main pedestrian street
in the historic core of Sibiu and the most popular place
for downtown shopping. It is flanked by restaurants,
cafes, shops, banks, and agencies.
In summer it is almost suffocated
by pavement terraces.
 Shopping 33

Surprisingly enough, there are plenty

of antique and art stores in Sibiu where visitors
can delight in buying or, why not,
merely admiring, the most miscellaneous range
of items: manuscripts, old furniture, decorative items,
rare maps, artworks (both fine art and applied
and decorative art), old photographs and printings.

To complete the shopping experience,

it is compulsory to visit Promenada Mall
and the Shopping City Mall.
Plenty of shops full of merchandise
invite customers all day long.
34 Gastronomy

Romanian traditional cuisine in Sibiu

The Romanian cuisine is without a shadow of a doubt, simply tasty.

The heartiness characteristic of the traditional dishes
reflects the hedonistic drive of the Romanian people
in relation to their daily bites. Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend
of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into
contact, but it also maintains its own character.

There are plenty of foreign influences which have shaped,

in time, the identity of the Transylvanian cuisine. Thus, the Greeks,
the Turks, the Russians, the Bulgarians, the Germans and
the Hungarians have all contributed to the formation of what
one might rightfully call today the traditional dishes of Romania.
In order to sample the genuine tastes and flavors of this
strangely mouth-watering gastronomy, visitors should
definitely head for the rural tourism, so that they can experience
a delightful insight into the secrets of the Romanian cuisine.
 Gastronomy 35

On the other hand, in Sibiu, in the old town there are many
restaurants, fast foods and cafes where tourists and locals
can enjoy not only good food from the local and
international cuisine but also good music and cosy
atmosphere. Piaţa Mică (Small Square) became in the
last few years the best place to go out due to the big range
of restaurants, cafes and pubs which also have terraces during
the summer. Since, as they say, happiness lies in simple things,
you can find Sibiu in the flavors of a plate.

Street Food Festival is a big culinary feast that brings together both appetizing local flavors and
food from all around the world, all seasoned with lots of fun, concerts and activities for every taste.
Gastronomic Transylvania – Food Culture Festival is an explosion of flavors that harnesses
the region’s culinary potential and the diversity of the local products.
In 2019, Sibiu became the European Region of Gastronomy, a title that puts the regional tastes
on the world’s culinary map and that motivates us to promote our gastronomic footprint.

Sibiu’s recipe for success is based on its unique ingredients:

the multicultural richness and the local quality products.
The old Romanian, Saxon, Hungarian and Jewish recipes
with their oriental and Russian influences blend together
in an authentic Transylvanian fusion. The area’s menus contain
fresh foods which arrive in the kitchens of top restaurants
directly from producers and from farms at high standard.
36 Useful phone numbers
 Social 37

Nightlife in Sibiu has its undeniable highlights,

as well as its share of ill-famed temptations
newcomers in particular are warned against falling into.
There are plenty of bars, discos and clubs to keep
the party people busy during their nocturnal explorations
of Sibiu. For the more culturally-oriented travelers,
the theatres and Philharmonic of Sibiu are a solution at hand.

For a full experience, download Sibiu City App (Free)

Thus, may it be dancing, drinking, a casual

conversation or a theatre performance, Sibiu has
something to offer to anyone. It is, as said, a place
which embraces all contradictions and this feature
holds true with respect to nightlife too.
This is not a comprehensive list of bars and clubs
in Sibiu, only those which are significant
as performance venues.
38 Historical center of Sibiu
 39

The county of Sibiu

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