Strategically overlooking a valley full of picturesque villages boasting fantastic fortress churches, Sighisoara, with its small but beautifully preserved medieval core seems to be set for a prosperous future in tourism.

But where are the tourists? While an attractive town like this would certainly be swamped daily by coachloads of visitors if it were in Hungary or Austria, Sighisoara can often be eerily quiet and deserted, with the notable exception of the yearly Medieval Folk Festival.


This unique Medieval Folk Festival, held every July, attracts thousands of young Romanians to a merry weekend of music, parties, dancing and generally being far away from their parents. Despite the name, you get the impression that most visitors don't give a fiddler's elbow about medieval music, and prefer hanging around looking like hippies, drinking beer and going to the pop concerts in the lower town. In the citadel, performances ranging from classical flute concerts to Indian music and theatre are held in churches, the fortress towers and in the open air.