The centre of Transylvanian Saxony is the town of Nagyszeben. It is one of the oldest Saxon colonies, the chief town of the ancient Kingdom, and the intellectual centre of the Transylvanians; it is an interesting town, with a mediaeval aspect.

The characteristic trait of all German towns of the Middle Ages, the central square, called the "Ring", still exists there today. At the same time there are many modern monuments, and, on a little hill, quite a suburb of pretty villas. In the Southern part of the town, the remains of some ancient ramparts are still to be found; the moat has been transformed into a promenade. Among the numerous historical buildings, we will mention the beautiful protestant Church in Gothic style (13th Century) and the Bruckenthal Museum containing rich collections, among others the famous picture gallery with masterpieces of Jan van Eyck, Franz Hals, P. Bruegel, Memling, Van Dyck and Lorenzo Lotto. The surroundings of Nagyszeben are also very beautiful, especially the resort Hone Rinne. at an altitude of 1403 meters, the Red Tower Pass, that leads to Romania, and the Fogaras Alps with Mount Negoi rising to a height of 2536 meters.

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Adapted from Illustrated Description of Hungary and its Capital