Potters' Tower, Sibiu, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Potters' Tower is a 15th-century defensive tower in Sibiu, Romania, built by the city's potters' guild as part of the third ring of fortifications. It stands in the Parcul Cetatii area along Cetatii Street, and its walls still show the small openings made for early firearms.

The story behind it

Medieval Sibiu was protected by several rings of walls, and the city's guilds were responsible for defending particular towers. The potters took charge of this one in the 15th century. It belongs to the third fortified enclosure, whose towers were adapted for firearms as warfare changed.

The guild itself tells a story about social rank. Potters were regarded as lower in status than many other craftsmen, and the fee to join their guild was only 2 guilders, far less than the 10 asked of butchers or the 6 asked of bakers, shoemakers and blacksmiths. Today the tower stands beside the Carpenters' and Tanners' Towers, which together give Cetatii Street its character.

What to look for

• Look closely at the masonry for the keyhole-shaped firing ports, which were cut so soldiers could fire arquebuses at anyone besieging the wall.
• Notice how the tower is built into the line of the old city wall, so you can read it as one piece of a defensive chain rather than a lone building.
• Compare it with the neighbouring Carpenters' Tower, which was built around the same time and has a similar shape.
• Walk the cobbled stretch of Cetatii Street and watch how the towers and wall frame the path beside the park.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 15 to 20 minutes for the tower itself, longer if you stroll the whole length of the wall and the other towers.
• The tower is mainly something to see from outside, so check current opening hours and any events if you hope to enter a tower on this street.
• Evening is a pleasant time to come, when the towers and walls are lit and the street is quiet.
• The Thalia Hall, a concert and performance venue, stands near the Carpenters' Tower, so it is easy to combine with an evening out.

See it on a quest

Playing The battle of Sibiu is a good way to see the Potters' Tower, because the theme fits these defensive walls well. You reach the tower on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of what you see. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Lost Map of Sibiu takes you around the old town from place to place. The app gives you the story of each stop as you reach it, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, which makes you look at details such as the walls and towers more carefully. One ticket covers the whole group.

Christmas Operation: Sleigh Down in Sibiu suits a winter visit, when the walls and towers are a lovely backdrop. You walk between the stops, hear about each one as you get there, and solve a puzzle in the place itself. One ticket covers the whole group.