Sibiu, Romania

By this stage of the trip, we were really feeling it. Nine weeks on the road had taken their toll, and surviving Romania was proving far more exhausting than we had anticipated. The heat didn’t help, and, most annoyingly, school holidays were in full swing—meaning hordes of little entitled children everywhere. Honestly, they should all be locked up somewhere. Why should we have to put up with screaming kids all the time?

We were in Sibiu for four days, which could easily have been condensed into two. However, with our exhaustion, the extra time allowed us to balance rest with exploration and tick off everything we wanted to see. As with Brasov, the old town—both upper and lower—was absolutely gorgeous, full of fantastic architecture and charm.

That said, Sibiu did feel a bit more like Bucharest in one way: the crowds. Cafes were busy, and sitting down often meant waiting ages to be noticed. On one occasion in particular, the staff seemed far more concerned with chatting up the local girls than attending to customers. Several of us—including us—ended up leaving after waiting far too long. Customer service at its best, as always.

The photos of Sibiu’s old town really speak for themselves, so we’ll let them do the talking. The only real downside, as with most places in August, was just how busy it was. Summer holidays were in full swing, and it showed.

One day, we decided to break from the town itself and take a day trip to Corvin’s Castle and the town of Alba Iulia.

Normally, we don’t take tours or hire guides. The reason is simple: we like exploring at our own pace, and on long-term trips, tours often overwhelm you with information—most of which either isn’t interesting or doesn’t enhance what you’re seeing. History lessons about the last ten kings of some country aren’t exactly our cup of tea when exploring a castle. However, the only practical way to reach Corvin’s Castle, which we had read was one of the prettiest castles in Europe, was via a tour. Public transport would have taken 8–9 hours in one day, just hopping between trains, buses, and taxis.

The tour itself was good. There were a few other people, and thankfully, no one was a pain to be around. One girl, however, kept getting lost, which cost us about an hour of our day searching for her—but you can’t really account for everyone’s lack of situational awareness.

First up was Alba Iulia, which was fascinating. The day began with a Roman history lesson—nothing new for Will, but still enjoyable to hear. The old town itself was steeped in history (most of which we’ve now completely forgotten) and incredibly captivating to wander. The massive fortress walls dominating the centre were particularly impressive, and we spent most of our time exploring them and visiting the two churches in the middle. Well, two churches… mostly one. The second had a wedding in progress, and while everyone else seemed fine with gatecrashing, we politely stayed out of it.

After Alba Iulia, we headed to Corvin’s Castle. After a decidedly average lunch—dry burger and stale chips, the standard for “tourist Romania”—we went to explore the castle. Now, I don’t want to be negative, but I will. After being billed as one of the most impressive castles in Europe, we were somewhat underwhelmed.

Yes, it was beautiful. Yes, the architecture was stunning. Yes, it was fascinating to explore. But best in Europe? Not even close. Maybe top 50, but we’d seen many better castles. Still, it was enjoyable to wander through the rooms and learn a little about each one. And yes, the Swiss girl who got lost in Alba Iulia got lost again, costing us another half hour., a torrential downpour—including hail—hit near the end, trapping everyone until it passed. We weren’t sure why the group didn’t press on, but there you go. The tour reaffirmed why we usually avoid them: horrendously expensive, nine-and-a-half-hour days with only three hours actually visiting sites, and a lot of stuff we weren’t particularly interested in.

Finally as a parting gift, the castle gave us something we hadn’t had all trip: a torrential downpour—including hail—trapping everyone until it passed. We weren’t sure why the group didn’t press on, but there you go. The tour reaffirmed why we usually avoid them: horrendously expensive, nine-and-a-half-hour days with only three hours actually visiting sites, and a lot of stuff we weren’t particularly interested in.

Still, we’re glad we did it. Sibiu was a very, very pretty town; its main failing was timing—we were there at peak season. But by now, nearing the end of our trip, we were looking forward to one thing above all: our own bed and pillow.

Next stop: Sighasora, the last new place on this adventure.