Clock Tower

Sighişoara a medieval Saxon city lies between two hills, in the valley of the river Târnava Mare. The first written document of the city is from 1298.

9 of the 14 towers of the medieval citadel still exist, embraced with a 950 m long wall. All towers took the name of the guild designated for his protection. The Clock Tower, which is also the main gate of the castle, is the symbol of Sighişoara.

The Clock Tower, the highest tower of Sighișoara with its 64 m, dates from the 14th century. Its 2.3 m thick walls provided the necessary safety for the ammunition, archives and treasury warehouses. The entrance to the fortress through the Clock Tower was well fortified and defended by three gates. On the third floor you can see the consoles, which come out of the wall with about 3 m, strengthen the impression of the tower. The fifth floor of the tower is retraced inwards by 1.40 m, and is surrounded by an open balcony. The 34m high roof, covered with glazed tiles, continues with two domes, a small globe of gold, and a meteorological pole, the top of which is a rooster, rotating in the wind.

The clock mechanism, originally made of wood, after the great fire in 1676 was replaced by a metallic one. In 1677 the tower was renovated, and wooden statuary groups appeared. The 0.80 meter figurines to the lower city are symbols of the days of the week, and to the citadel, peace, justice and righteousness. On the right, a drummer beats the quarter-hour, the goddess of Righteousness keeps a balance in her hand, and the goddess of Justice is blindfolded and has a sword in her hand. Two figurines represent the Day and Night. Until 1556 on the first floor was the town hall. Since 1899 the tower has been home to the History Museum.

Inside the walls of the castle can be found the house, in which Vlad Ţepeş was born in 1431, and in which he supposedly lived until the age of 4. Today the house is used as a bar and restaurant.