Sfantu Gheorghe Fast Facts
Name: Sfantu Gheorghe - Sepsiszentgyörgy
(pronunciation: Sfa - n – too Gee – awj - gee)
Location: Transylvania Region (central Romania)
Nearest airports: Brasov and Sibiu
Area: 3.9 sq. miles (10 sq. kilometers)
Elevation: 1,820 ft. (555 meters)
Population: 50,100
First documented: 1332 AD (Sepsiszentgyörgy)
The municipality of Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy in Hungarian or Sankt Georgen in German)
lays in the south-eastern corner of Transylvania, in the picturesque Brașov Depression.
Archaeological evidence shows that the town of Sfantu Gheorghe
was founded on the site of a settlement, dating back to the Neolithic period.
Traces of the Noua, Monteoru, and Schneckenberg cultures were discovered here.
Artifacts from the Bronze Age, the Dacian-Roman period (2nd – 3rd centuries),
and the 10th century confirm the existence of a stable and ancient human settlement in Sfantu Gheorghe area.
Sfântu Gheorghe has long played an important strategic and commercial role.
The town's importance grew considerably after the 15th century when it raised to the rank of market town
and became a hub for craftsmen and merchants from across the region.
In the 17th century, town of Sfântu Gheorghe went through difficult times,
being devastated by the Tatar (1658) and Ottoman (1661) invasions.
The town developed rapidly in the modern era.
Towards the end of the 19th century,
the first industrial enterprises appeared, such as the textile factory (1879) and the cigarette factory (1899).
The electrification of the city was completed in 1907, and with its connection to the railway network (1891–1897),
Sfântu Gheorghe became an important economic and transport hub in the region.
In 1968, as part of the administrative-territorial reorganization of Romania,
Sfântu Gheorghe became the seat of Covasna County and, in 1982 a municipality.
Sfantu Gheorghe Sights and Landmarks
The Arcade House
The Arcade House was built between 1818 and 1822 in Neoclassical style,
when the current layout of the city centre began to take shape.
Freedom fighters József Váradi and Ferenc Bartalis spent the night before their execution, in 1854, in the Arcade House.
Pland for demolition or the structure were stoped by the outbreak of the First World War
Between 1958-2002 it was the headquarters of the County Archives.
Completely renovated in 2008, today
the Arcade House became an exhibitions and events venue.
The Fortified Reformed Church
The fortified church was completed in 1332 and took its present form in 1547.
Its garden contains the tombs of many preeminent figures associated with town of Sfântu Gheorghe,
and the memorials of freedom fighters József Váradi and Ferenc Bartalis.
The Orthodox Cathedral of "Saint George" and "Saint Nicholas"
The five-domed Orthodox cathedral is a symbolic monument of the Romanian community in Sfântu Gheorghe and Covasna County.
Construction of the cathedralstarted on 20 September 1939, the third week after the outbreak of World War II.
Its murals praise the work of three men: Iosif Vasu, Marian George and Marcel Codrescu.
The basement of the cathedral houses the Museum of Romanian Spirituality
which features a large collection of 19th century wood and glass icons and religious books.
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Sfantu Gheorghe Museums
Székely National Museum
Muzeul Național Secuiesc / Székely Nemzeti Múzeum
Address: Str. Kós Károly 10
Telephone: (+4) 0267 312.442
Hours: 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m. (Tuesday through Sunday)
The Székely National Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums dedicated to the Székely people, in Central Europe.
In 1875, Emília Cserey Zathureczky (Hungarian artifact collector and museologist)
made her private collection, housed in Imecsfalva/Imeni manor, accessible to the public.
A few years later she founded the Székely National Museum,
a building designed by Károly Kós (Hungarian architect, writer, illustrator, ethnologist and politician).
Main exhibitions of the museum include:
"Milestones" - a great presentation of the history of the museum,
"Geniuses behind the Heroes" - a retrospective of the 1848-49 revolution, in Covasna County,
"Mrs. Cserey Zathureczky – 200 We are reborn!" -
organized in the memory of the founder of the Museum -
tells the life story of Emília Cserey Zathureczky and features
wonderful objects from the XVIIIth - XIXth centuries.
After visiting the museum, visitors can take a walk in the dendrological park.
Szeklerland Hunting Trophy Collection
Colectia Cinegetică a Ţinutului Secuiesc /
Székelyföldi Vadászati Kiállítás
Address: Str. Gróf Mikó Imre 11
Telephone: (+4) 0720 000.707
Hours: 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m. (Tuesday through Sunday)
Nearly 300 trophies and hundreds of hunting-related objects are on display at the Bene House.
Visitors will learn about the richness of the region's wild animal species as well as about the local hunting long traditions.
The museum also features a wildlife diorama of the southernmost stretch of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains (Carpatii de Curbura),
a great immersive experience for children and adults alike.
National Museum of Eastern Carpathian Mountains
Muzeul National al Carpatilor Rasariteni
Address: Str. Gabor Aron 16
Telephone: (+4) 0 735 561.674
Hours: 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m. (Tuesday through Sunday)
More than 16,000 items illustrate archeology discovery in southeastern Transylvania.
Dwellings, furniture, tools and cult objects from the Dacian, Roman, and post-Roman periods are on display.
Sepsi Teletár - Communication Devices Exhibition
Colecţia dispozitivelor de comunicații
Address: Str. Kriza János 4
Telephone: (+4) 0747 408.005
Hours:
Tue., Wed. and Fri: 9 a.m. -- 1 p.m.
Thu. 9 a.m. -- 6 p.m.
Sat. and Sun.: by appointment only
Over 3,500 communication devices tell the history of information sending and receiving.
The collection presents sound and image recording, tranmission and receiving equipments.
The showroom is an interactive space where visitors can touch and try out the devices.
Listen to old records, audio cassettes and watch video cassettes in the library room.
Transylvania Arts Centre
Centrul de Arta Transilvania /
Erdelyi Muveszeti Kozpont (EMUK)
Address: Str. Oltului 2
Telephone: (+4) 0736 350.376
Hours:
Tuesday -- Friday: 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. -- 2 p.m.
Transylvania Arts Centre collects and exhibits representative Transylvanian art, created after 1920.
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Sfantu Gheorghe Performing Arts
Sfantu Gheorghe Dance Ensemble
Ansamblul de Dansuri „Trei Scaune”
Address: Gábor Áron 1
Telephone: (+4) 0372 941.240
"Tamasi Aron" Theatre
Teatrul "Tamasi Áron" / "Tamási Áron" Színház
Address: Str. Libertatii 1
Telephone: (+4) 0267 351.886
"Andrei Muresanu" Drama Theatre
Teatrul "Andrei Mureșanu"
Address: Str. Kőrösi Csoma Sándor 10
Telephone: (+4) 0753.319.510
"Studio M" Dance Theatre
Teatrul de Mişcare Studio M / M Studio Mozgásszínház
Address: Piata Libertatii 1
Telephone: (+4) 0267 351.886
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Attractions not far from Sfantu Gheorghe
Reci Birch Woodlands nature reserve
Mestecanisul Reci
Where: 12 miles southeast of Sfantu Gheorghe
A 5,200 acres nature reserve featuring rich wildlife and geological complexity.
The reddish dunes reach up to 20 feet high and are unique in Romania.
Reci Nature Reserve is home to seven types of habitats:
eutrophic lakes and marshes, forests and alluvial grasslands,
riparian communities with tall hygrophilous grasses, and multiple watercourses.
150 species of birds nest here or are passing through, during the autumn migration season.
The area minimal difference in elevation (1,685 ft. to 1,790 ft.) makes it ideal for
nature walks and cycling. A 3.5 mile well-marked trail offers a great introduction
to this unique area.
Reci Nature Reserve have been filming location for 2004 Oscar-winning film "Cold Mountain".
Sugas spa town
Șugaș Băi
Where: 7 miles northwest of Sfantu Gheorghe
Mineral waters and "mofeta", spas and lots of trails
for trekking and biking.
Village Moacsa Szeklers Heritage Park
Dealul Pivnițele Mari - Moacșa
Where: 9 miles east of Sfantu Gheorghe
Trekking and biking trails.
Moacsa hosts the annual Szekely Horse Show and Racing.
Village Cernat "Pál Hasszmann" Ethnography Museum
Muzeul Etnografic Pal Hasszman
Where: 18 miles northeast of Sfantu Gheorghe
Over 8,000 items
(prehistoric relics, coins, tools related to traditional craftsmanship, furniture, weavings,
embroideries, pottery, minerals and rocks, documents, books,
old photographs, stamps, traditional agriculture machinery and tools
are on display at "Gyula Damokos" mansion.
Town of Targu Secuiesc
Where: 22 miles northeast of Sfantu Gheorghe
How to get there: car, bus or train
Targu Secuiesc is often called the towny of guilds, shoemakers, and courtyards,
or the "Paris" of the Szekely region.
The central square is the point from which 72 narrov streets ("udvarterek") radiate out like sunbeams.
Other attractions in the area include the Baroque Roman Catholic Church, the Minorite Monastery,
revolutionary Gábor Áron Memorial House and, the 15th-century Roman Catholic Church in the village of Lunga.
Benedek Elek Museum
Casa Memoriala Elek Benedek
Where: village Bățanii Mici - 29 miles north of Sfantu Gheorghe
The former, eight - room, residence of Hungarian journalist and writer Benedek Elek,
widely known as "The Great Folk-Tale Teller", is a private museum that displays
one hundred-year-old tale books, children's magazine collections
- i.e. Cimbora (“Friend”), Az Én Újságom (“My Magazine”), Jó Pajtás (“Good Fellow”) -,
old family pictures, letters, and manuscripts, old furniture, paintings, as well as
the writer’s original desk and personal objects such as his pen, seal, silver sugar bowl, and the last unfinished letter.
Tusnad spa town
Where: 24 miles north of Sfantu Gheorghe
Mineral waters and "mofeta" found in town of Tusnad
are used by medical spas to alleviate symptoms, manage conditions and treat:
cardiovascular diseases, disorders of the central nervous system
(asthenic neurosis, depression), diseases of the digestive tract, endocrine diseases,
urinary tract diseases, blood disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, stage 1 and 2 diabetis.
Day Trips from Sfantu Gheorghe
City of Brașov - Brasov Old Town
Where: 21 miles south of Sfantu Gheorghe
How to get there: car, bus or train
Brașov info
Town of Tusnad (medical spas) -- Lacul Sfanta Ana
(Lake St. Anne) -- Tinovul Mohos moss reserve
Where: 24 miles north of Sfantu Gheorghe
Lake Mohos, once four times larger that lake St. Anne,
became a moss reserve of small pools of water,
unique flora such as carnivorous plants (drosera rotundifolia) and more than 20 species of moss.
How to get there: car
More info
Town of Miercurea Ciuc
Where: 44 miles north of Sfantu Gheorghe
How to get there: car, bus or train
Miercurea Ciuc info
While in Miercurea Ciuc, do not miss
Csíki Cszips (potato chips) visitor centre and Csíki Sör brewery.
Sighișoara Citadel - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Where: 74 miles northwest of Sfantu Gheorghe
How to get there: car, bus
Sighișoara is, arguably, Europe's most beautiful, authentic, medieval citadel.
Sighișoara info
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Town of Sfantu Gheorghe Festivals and Events
Kürtőskalács or Kürtős (pronunciation: kuor - toss) - Transylvanian Chimney Cake -, is a delicious funnel-shaped pasty, wrapped around a wooden-tube and roasted over a charcoal fire. The cake is then covered in finely-chopped walnuts and/or sugar.
Every year, at the end of September,
town of Sfantu Gheorghe hosts the Chimney Cake - Kürtőskalács - Festival (Festivalul Deliciilor Dulci)
Other major events that take place in Sfantu Gheorghe include:
| April | Town of Sfantu Gheorghe Annual Festival (Zilele Orasului Sfantu Gheorghe) |
| May | Local Foods and Crafts Fair |
| May | International Book Fair and Literary Festival - SepsiBook3 |
| June | International Dance Festival „Flow5” |
| June | The International Running Festival "SepsiRUN" |
| June | Szekely Horse Show and Racing (Galopiada Secuiasca) |
| August | Festival of Arts and Performing Arts “Sepsi TABAKÓ” |
| September | Transylvanian Chimney Cake (Kürtős) Festival (Festivalului Deliciilor Dulci) |
| October | Sfântu Gheorghe Theatre Festival "D-butan-T 2025” – young artists |
| November | Traditional Dance Festival "Háromszék" |
Romania Festivals and Events more info. |
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SFANTU GHEORGHE TRIP PLANING INFO
Sfantu Gheorghe Transportation
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Air Travel to Sfantu GheorgheNearest International airports to Sfantu Gheorghe are:
Brasov (GHV) - 25 miles south
Bucharest (OTP) - 125 miles south
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Sfantu Gheorghe inter-city Bus
Autogara Sfantu Gheorghe
Address: Strada Garii 5
Telephone: (+4) 0754 076.228
Direct service to/from: Brasov, Bucharest / Bucuresti, Covasna (spa town), Miercurea Ciuc, Odorheiul Secuiesc, Sibiu, Targu Mures, Budapest (Hungary)
Sfantu Gheorghe inter-city bus travel, routes and shedules.
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Travel to Sfantu Gheorghe by train
Sfantu Gheorghe Train Station
Gara Sfântu-Gheorghe
Address: Str. Gării 1
Tel: (+4) 0267 325.850
| City of departure | Travel Time to Sfantu Gheorghe |
|---|---|
| Bucharest | 3h 40min |
| Arad | 8h 50min |
| Bistrita | 5h 10min |
| Brasov | 30min |
| Cluj - Napoca | 7h 35min |
| Iasi | 6h 5min |
| Miercurea Ciuc | 55min |
| Sibiu | 4h 45min |
| Sighisoara | 4h 45min |
| Suceava | 7h 40min |
| Târgu Mureș | 5h 10min |
| Budapest (Hungary) | 14h 55min |
| ... | Schedules and Reservations |
For a list of international trains to/from Romania please visit
RomaniaTourism International Transportation section
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Reaching Sfantu Gheorghe by carThe fastest route from Bucharest to Sfantu Gheorghe is via DN1 / E578:
Bucuresti – Sinaia - Brasov – Sfantu Gheorghe
| Road Distance from/to Sfantu Gheorghe: | |
|---|---|
| City | Distance |
| Bucharest | 135 miles |
| Arad | 340 miles |
| Baia Mare | 260 miles |
| Brasov | 22 miles |
| Budapest (Hungary) | 450 miles |
| Cluj-Napoca | 170 miles |
| Constanta | 265 miles |
| Iasi | 180 miles |
| Miercurea Ciuc | 44 miles |
| Sibiu | 105 miles |
| Sighisoara | 75 miles |
| Suceava | 190 miles |
| Targu Mures | 110 miles |
| Timisoara | 270 miles |
| Vienna (Austria) | 595 miles |
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Sfantu Gheorghe Public Transportation
Six bus routes
connect Sfantu Gheorghe neighborhoods and points of interest.
Linia 1: Str. Berzei - Gara CFR
Linia 2: Str. Berzei - Cartierul Ciucului - Gara CFR
Linia 3: Tribunal - Gara CFR - Coşeni
Linia 4: Str. Berzei - Gara CFR - Câmpul Frumos
Linia 5: Str. Berzei - Gara CFR - Arena Sepsi
Linia 18: Tribunal - Şugaş Băi
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| Sfantu Gheorghe Taxi Companies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Phone # |
| Capitaly Taxi | (+4) 0744 839.707 |
| Day Taxi | (+4) 0749 892.159 |
| Dea Taxi | (+4) 0745 161.933 |
| Herr Taxi | (+4) 0740 439.999 |
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Sfantu Gheorghe Car Rental CompaniesRent a Car Covasna
Str. Jozef Bem 3
NovoTech Group
D.N. 12, KM8 + 018m
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Sfantu Gheorghe Hotels
Accommodations in town of Sfantu Gheorghe include:
| Hotel Name | Class | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Isabella Hotel | boutique | town centre |
| B the Hotel | four-star / midscale | 0.5 miles east of town centre |
| Panorama Hotel | boutique | village Valcele, 5 miles west of town centre |
| Fidelitas | three-star / midscale | 0.6 miles west of town centre |
| Sugas | three-star / midscale | town centre |
| Pension Ferdinand | B & B | town centre |
| Castel Hotel | three-star / midscale | 1.2 miles northeast of town centre |
| Hermitage by Ellenis | B & B | 2.1 miles southeast of town centre |
| The Szekler | boutique | 12 miles south of Sfantu Gheorghe |
| Count Kalnoky Manor | boutique | village Miclosoara, 28 miles northwest of Sfantu Gheorghe |
| Castel Daniel | boutique | village Talisoara, 32 miles northwest of Sfantu Gheorghe |
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Tourist Info
Sfantu Gheorghe Tourist Information Centre
Centrul de Informare Turistica - Sfantu Gheorghe
Address: Piața Libertății 2
E-mail
VisitCovasna.com
Sfantu Gheorghe Local Authorities
Sfantu Gheorghe / Covasna County ArchivesDirectia Judeteana Covasna a Arhivelor Nationale
Address: Bulevardul Gen. Grigore Bălan 12
Sfantu Gheorghe, postal code 520013
Telephone: (+4) 0267 310.645
E-mail
Hours
Sfantu Gheorghe City Hall
Primăria Municipiului Sfantu Gheorghe
Address: Strada 1 Decembrie 1918, nr. 2
Telephone: (+4) 0267 316.957
Sfantu Gheorghe Consumer Protection Agency
Comisariatul Judeţean pentru Protecţia Consumatorilor Covasna
Address: Str. Gabor Aron 1
Telephone: (+4) 021 95.51 x 67
E-mail
Sfantu Gheorghe Main Post Office
Posta Sfantu Gheorghe
Address: Strada 1 Decembrie 1918, nr. 18
Tel: (+4) 0791 055.802
Post offices display the word Posta.
Telephoning Sfantu Gheorghe from Abroad:
International Access Code + 4 (country code) + 0267 or 0367 (area code) + six-digit telephone number
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Sfantu Gheorghe Health Care and Emergency
General Emergency Telephone number: 112
Ambulance (Ambulanta), Police (Politia), Fire Department (Pompieri)
Sfantu Gheorghe Hospitals
Sfantu Gheorghe General Hospital
Spitalul Județean de Urgență Sfantu Gheorghe
Address: Str. Stadionului 1 - 3
Telephone: (+4) 0267 314.644
MedLife Medical Centre Sfantu Gheorghe
Centrul Medical MedLife - Sfântu Gheorghe
Address: Str. Godri Ferenc 9
Telephone: (+4) 0722 638.722
Pharmacies (Farmacie) open 24 hours a day in Sfantu Gheorghe
Covasna county Pharmacists' Association offers emergency medicine prescription fulfillment. A list of emergency pharmacies (open non-stop) is available at Coleg Farm Covasna....
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Sfantu Gheorghe Maps
Town of Sfantu Gheorghe interactive Street Map (Harta Interactiva Sfantu Gheorghe)
Romania Physical Map (Romania - Harta Fizica)
Romania Main Roads and Tourist Attractions Map ( Romania - Harta Atractii Turistice)
Romania Road Map (Romania - Harta Drumurilor si Soselelor)
Romania Railways Map (Romania - Harta Cailor Ferate)
