Sighișoara has a rich range of tourist attractions, being the largest and most complex Romanian site on the UNESCO World Heritage list. True, the town’s size is not impressive, but you will find attractions at every step that will catch your attention, whether a colourful building, a cobbled road, a vintage terrace or… a tower.
The Clock Tower is certainly the symbol of the citadel, the largest of the nine defence towers of Sighișoara that are still standing (originally there were 14). The tower is up to 64 metres high and stands in the south-eastern part of the citadel.
Built in the 14th century, its purpose was to defend the main gate of the citadel, and later it served as the seat of the town hall, until 1556.
The best-known legend about the tower is that the clock in the tower never falls behind, so tourists who visit set their watches by the time shown by the tower clock.
The roof is 34 metres high, with a small golden globe fixed on it, and above it a weather post with a cockerel on top, which turns with the wind. It is said that if it faces west, rain will follow very soon.
The Swiss clock was made in Switzerland, a country known for the precision of its clocks, and was decorated with a series of figurines no taller than 80 cm. They symbolise the days of the week, a symbol of hope, signalling that a new day is coming. The best known of them are the Goddess of Justice, Justitia, the Drummer and the Sunrise, symbols of daily conduct.
On one dial you can see two little angels, representing Day and Night. At 6 in the morning you can see the angel representing Day, and in the evening it hides and makes way for Night, the angel holding two lit candles in its hands. On the second dial are the figurines depicting the days of the week. They move at midnight, marking the change of day.
On feast days, the clock rings out popular tunes, announcing the joy of the day to locals and tourists alike.
Over time the tower’s structure suffered. In 1676 it was set on fire, and repairs took almost a year.
The building’s original role was as a strategic defence point, and it also housed weapon stores. Over time it also sheltered the town’s treasury and the county archives.
Since 1898 it has been a museum, and this is also when it was declared a symbol of the town of Sighișoara, a point of attraction for tourists.
On the top floor there is a small gazebo from where you can admire a superb panorama of the citadel. Be sure to visit the inside of the tower too, where you can discover various rooms and themed halls: ceramics, archaeology, ethnography, furniture, the Armoury and the Torture Chamber.
Read also: What can we visit in Sighișoara?
