Vlad the Impaler's birthplace — the only inhabited medieval citadel in Europe
Sighișoara is the best-preserved inhabited medieval citadel in Europe, a UNESCO-listed hilltop old town built by Saxon craftsmen in the 12th century that has been continuously lived in ever since. The Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas) dominates the skyline; 14th-century coloured-tile rooftops, cobbled lanes, and the birthplace of Vlad III (the inspiration for Dracula) make this one of Romania's most photographed towns. The lower town along the Târnava Mare river adds a relaxed café culture to the medieval drama above.
Sighișoara was founded by Saxon German colonists (Saxons invited by the Hungarian crown to settle Transylvania) in the 12th century and called Schäßburg in German. It became one of the most important craft and trade centres of medieval Transylvania, with nine guilds each responsible for defending one of the citadel towers — hence towers named for the cobblers, tailors, tanners, and butchers. Vlad III Dracul (Vlad the Impaler), the historical figure behind Bram Stoker's Dracula, was born here around 1431; his father, Vlad II Dracul, governed the city as an ally of the Holy Roman Empire.