The Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu is one of the oldest public museums in Europe, opened in 1817, and it holds a truly remarkable surprise: it is the only museum in Romania with paintings by Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling and Titian. If you have even a passing interest in European art history, this place will stop you in your tracks.

The heart of the complex is the stunning Baroque Brukenthal Palace on Piața Mare — the most significant Baroque building in Transylvania, designed by Viennese architect Joseph Franz Martinelli and built between 1778 and 1788. Beyond the palace, the museum group spreads across several historic buildings in Sibiu's old town, covering everything from natural history and pharmacy history to hunting trophies and medieval Gothic architecture. Whether you visit in the golden light of autumn or during a crisp winter day, the interiors offer warmth, beauty and endless discovery.

• Brukenthal Palace (European Art Gallery) — Piața Mare no. 4, central Sibiu, easily walkable from anywhere in the old town.
• History Museum (Casa Altemberger) — Mitropoliei Street no. 2, a few minutes' walk from the palace.
• Natural History Museum — Cetății Street no. 1.
• Hunting Museum 'August von Spiess' — Școala de Înot Street no. 4.
• Pharmacy Museum — Piața Mică no. 26.

• The museum complex includes 7 branches spread across Sibiu's historic centre — plan your visit in advance to make the most of it.
• The Brukenthal Library holds approximately 300,000 original works including manuscripts and incunabula.
• Over 300,000 visitors per year (a record 400,000+ in 2015).
• On-site conservation and restoration laboratories serve both the museum and external institutions.

In May 1968, eight masterpieces were stolen from the museum in a daring heist — four were eventually recovered in the United States in 1998 and can now be admired in the 'Masterpieces' room on the second floor of the palace, making their story all the more compelling.