Young is a small town of around 7,000 in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales – less than two hours’ drive from Canberra and four hours from Sydney. It is, today, the self proclaimed ‘Cherry Capital of Australia’. Continue reading “Young – Cherry Capital Of Australia”
In another review I recommended you spend at least one night in Sighisoara.
While the town, and in particular the Citadel, is small and could be “done” in half a day you would miss so much by so doing. This is a place for strolling around. Take your time wander the streets. Sit down, have a coffee or bite to eat and then wander again. Repeat process again. Continue reading “Sighisoara By Night”
On a walk between the Citadel and the train station I came across this statue of the Capitoline wolf feeding Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome. One face value the existence of this statue here appears somewhat odd. Continue reading “Romulus And Remus – In Transylvania”
You can see this striking black and white Neo-Byzantine style Eastern Orthodox church on the northern bank of the Tarnava Mare river in Elisabeth Park from the Citadel (next picture). To visit it, just head for the train station – it’s about half way from the citadel to the station – take the pedestrian bridge across the river. Continue reading “Holy Trinity Orthodox Church”
As you may have read in my general review on Sighisoara Citadel, the Citadel dates back to the 12th century when Transylvanian Saxons, were ordered here by the King of Hungary to settle and defend the Carpathian frontier against the steppe peoples. For this and also to keep later would be intruders at bay the fortified settlement of walls and towers was constructed and enhanced over time. In all 14 towers were built. These towers were built by various craft guilds – from which they derived their names. Continue reading “In Defence Of Sighisoara – Towers”
A truly modern building in a town where the majority of buildings date from the 15th century and earlier, St Joseph’s was built in 1894, after the demolition of the Franciscan convent (pre-1723 its was Dominican). The Church was designed by a Sighisoara architect Letz and has an organ made by Kerl Einschenk in 1908. Continue reading “St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church”
The Church of the Dominican Monastery, dedicated to St Mary, was constructed in 1298 and formed part of a Dominican monastic settlement until 1556 when the church became the Saxons’ main Lutheran church. The remaining monastery buildings were demolished in 1888 and the current town hall built in their place. Continue reading “Church of the Dominican Monastery”
Located on the main plaza in the Citadel is a house with a stag head protruding from it– look up to see this agreeable curiosity. Continue reading “The House With The Stag”
It is generally accepted that Bram Stoker’s famous character, Dracula, was based on the historical figure Vlad Tepes (also called Vlad Dracula and Vlad the Impaler).
Vlad was born in this well to do house in Sighisoara (pictures 1 and 2) in November or December 1431. Continue reading “Birthplace of Dracula”
How old this school is is a matter of conjecture. Transcripts found by the University of Vienna suggest that around 100 students from the School on the Hill, Sighisoara followed University courses between 1402 and 1520. Official records date from 1522. Continue reading “School On The Hill”
The Rambling Wombat 