Sibiu Page 1 of 2 Sibiu is located in central Romania in the southern part of the Transylvanian plateau, 170 miles northwest of Bucharest. The city has a population of about 200,000 and lies astride the banks of the Cibin River. It romantically preserves the character of its medieval past. It is a blend of old and new, with brick walls, towers, old narrow streets and a varied assortment of architecture. Sibiu is an important cultural, ethnographic, folk and tourist centre. Located upon a Neolithic settlement and on the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Cedonia, the site of the city is mentioned in documents outlining its foundation in 1191, when settlers from Saxony arrived at its location. Medieval Sibiu was the site of a fortress built in the 13th century, which was destroyed by the Tartars in 1241, rebuilt a century later, and three times assaulted by the Turks during 1400s. Many Germans settled in the area and the town became known as Hermannstadt. Hungarians comprise another large ethnic minority in the city, which when is was part of the Austrian Empire was known as Nagyszeben. | 1 | 2 | Page 1 of 2