The Sibiu County

At about 30 km far from Sibiu, at 1450 m above sea level, there is Paltinis resort. The coniferous forests, ozonated air are good to cure diseases of the nervous and breathing system. In winter it is a proper place for winter sports, having ski tracks with cable ski and cable cars. In the Sibiu county there are also other spas as Ocna Sibiului, Bazna and Miercurea Sibiului.

A very special zone is Marginimea Sibiului with its 18 localities at the foot of the Cibin Mountains covering a surface of 1,200 sq.km. The inhabitants are known shephards who preserved the traditional customs, folk costumes and original Romanian architecture.

In Sibiu, the capital city of this county, there are a lot of points of tourist interest and museums. This town is documentary certified in 1192-1196 under the name of Cibinium, Villa Hermani, in the XII-XIIIth century and Hermanstadt in 1366. Sibiu was one of the towns of Luther's reform: here great humanist Nicolae Olahus lived for a long time. Also here in the XVIth century Conrad Haas created the first three-staged rocket based on the principles of reaction.

Among the monuments of this town there are: Tower of stairs built in the XIII-th century, Butchers' Market, Tower of the Old Townhall, Transylvanian Saxon University, Arquebusiers' Tower, Franciscan Church, Carpenters' Tower, Potters' Tower, Tower of Gun Powder, Leather Merchants' Tower, Bruckenthal Museum with art collection of Baron Samuel Brukenthal, an advisor of Queen Maria Teresa and governor of Transylvania (1777-1787).

Near by Sibiu, there is the village of Biertan where the inscription "Ego Zenovius votum poseni" (I, Zenovius, kept my word) from the IV-th century was discovered. This inscription shows that here there were a Christian community and an impressive church-fortress with four towers among the main important hall-churches in Transylvania.

Other points of tourist interest are: the town of Cisnadie and pelimbar where in 1599 the battle between Voivode Mihai Viteazu and Andrei Bathory was; Hartibaciu Zone crossed by the river with the same name is the land surrounded by the Visa, Tarnava Mare and Olt Rivers, with a wonderful hilly landscape; Tarnavele Zone with hills, dedidous forest and vineyards. The archaeological researches discovered here a lot of historic vestiges: Roman settlement from Slimnic, silver and bronze currency hoard from Atel, etc.

The agro-tourism has to be mention. The accomodation facilities are in hotels, inns, chalets, rest homes, pupils camps.

In this county, 397,176 Romanians, 19,290 Magyars, 16,461 Germans, 660 Transylvanian Saxons and Swabians, and 19,316 of other nationalities live.