Summer in Sighișoara

Summer in Romaina has a different pace than the rest of the year. For some, the summer months are filled with children’s and teen camps, festivals, visiting Work & Witness teams and student groups which need supervision. It can be a time of busy and long days (it doesn’t get dark here until after 9:30 pm in the summer). For others, summer is much more relaxing. Most Romanians, in fact, take several weeks during the month of August to go on vacation.

My summer (so far) has been an interesting mix of the two. I helped host student groups between mid-May and the beginning of August. I was, of course, in the US for the month of June. July has been a bit more relaxed than the hectic spring months had been. A large amount of my time has been spent preparing for the course I’ll be teaching through European Nazarene College in the September, as well as continuing to lead the weekly men’s Bible study in Tigmandru.

The historic citadel of Sighișoara, complete with cobblestone streets and centuries-old churches and towers (as well as being the supposed birthplace of the real Dracula), is buzzing with activity during the summer months, including the following notable events.

Craft Fair– Every year, Veritas organizes a craft festival in Sighișoara. Dozens of artisans from around this area of Romania come to Sighișoara for this fair. They sell their handmade items -- everything from corn husk flowers to painted icons to embroidered tablecloths to blown glass sculptures to hand painted eggs to hand-spun pottery to wood carvings. In a culture which is seeing rapid industrialization and commercialization, it is encouraging to see people who continue producing traditional handmade crafts.

Medieval Festival – The main festival in Sighisoara is the Medieval Festival. Thousands of visitors flood Sighisoara during this 5-day festival. The historic citadel is transformed into a bazaar of merchants selling everything from snacks to handmade crafts to face painting to t-shirts of Dracula. When I was in Sighisoara for the Medieval Festival in 2001 and 2003, its emphasis was much “darker” – with an emphasis on Dracula, attended by people dressed in black Goth attire or on drugs, and loud outdoor rock concerts every evening. While it hasn’t been a complete turnaround, it is much better than it used to be. No rock concerts, and much more emphasis on the middle ages than on “Dracula worship.” Nevertheless, since Vlad Tepeș (Dracula) is a prominent medieval figure, I did see him walking around the citadel and got my picture taken with him (or, should I say, with my former host father who was dressed as Dracula).

Organ Concerts – One of my favorite summer activities happens every Friday evening. It’s a nice way to end the week, by going to the “Monastery Church,” built next to the Dominican monastery in Sighisoara in the 1200s. Since the Protestant Reformation, it has operated as a Lutheran Church for the German Saxon population of Sighișoara. Inside, is a splendid pipe organ. Each Friday, a different guest organist put on an hour-long concert, filled with pieces by classical and baroque composers.

This is how I've spent my summer. What have you done?