The countryside around Sibiu is some of the best in Transylvania. The Saxon villages of the Harbachtal valley to the east — Biertan, Mosna, Agnita — preserve fortified churches and medieval streetscapes largely unchanged since the 16th century. Biertan, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a formidable hilltop fortified church, is the most visited and deservedly so.
The Fagaras Mountains to the south are accessible for day hikes from late spring to early autumn. The Transfagarasan Highway, one of the most dramatic mountain roads in Europe, begins its climb not far from Sibiu; even a short drive up gives a taste of the alpine landscape.