Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary, Sibiu — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

An old Saxon legend goes that Sibiu and Bistrita, two of the most important cities from Transylvania, raced against each other in the attempt to build the tallest church in the area. 

When hearing that the church from Bistrita had the tallest tower, the Saxons from Sibiu sent two undercover master builders to measure the height of the tower using a rope. When they got there in the middle of the night, they got up the tower, let down a rope and measured its length to the ground. 

Then, on their way home, they made a stopover at a local inn, where they had a glass too many, which made them start boasting about their secret mission. The people of Bistrita took revenge on their competitors by cutting two metres off the rope while the master builders were asleep. This is the reason why the tower from Bistrita is now higher, measuring 75 metres compared to the a bit over 73 metres, which is the height of the one from Sibiu. No matter the height, we recommend going inside the church to admire the largest organ in South-Eastern Europe, built-in 1671. If you want to see a magnificent city panorama, you must go up the tower.