Last updated on .
Grand Square (Piaţa Mare) is the best place to start exploring Sibiu’s historic city center. It’s the largest and most important square in town.
The square dates back to a 14th century cereal market. It now contains many interesting buildings and has a few outdoor cafés and restaurants on it. In German, it was known as Großer Ring.
Council Tower
Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului) sits high above the square. It costs 2 lei (as of February 2024) to climb up to the top for a great view of the entire town.
The tower connects Grand Square and a smaller square, Lesser Square (Piaţa Mică).
Important Buildings
There are a lot of important buildings on Lesser Square. The impressive City Hall, which is located in the former Banca Agricola building, and the adjacent Holy Trinity Catholic Church sit next to Council Tower. The church was built in 1726 after Sibiu was left without a Catholic church for over 100 years of Reform.
The Brukenthal Palace sits across from City Hall. It once housed the palace of Habsburg governor Samuel von Brukenthal and was built in 1790. Currently, it’s the oldest and best art galleries in the country, the European Art Gallery of the Brukenthal National Museum. The museum was founded in 1817. Adult admission is 50 lei (as of February 2024) and it’s open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
Other buildings include the Hecht House (1456), which was used as a mint, and the General’s House (1779), home of the General Commander of Transylvania.
