Welcome to Braşov in County Braşov,
part of the Transilvania region of Romania! Discover historic Braşov and
surrounding villages, see things to do and understand the rich Transilvania
culture unfolding in historic county Braşov. Rest Romania will help
you find the perfect hotel or B&B in our section on Braşov lodging, B&B
(bed and breakfast), or great activities further out in County Braşov.
Check
out your transportation options in Braşov in County Braşov, part of
the region of Transilvania in Romania. Find your accommodation options in
either Braşov or Braşov, with fun things to do from eoc-tourism, to
nearby hiking and even skiing.
The new
Rest
Romania Gallery
has photos from our contributors showing the best of Romania!
For other towns outside of the
Braşov city area, please see
County Braşov,
and the special sections on Bran,
Predeal and
Făgăras!
Braşov, The Fairytale Town
When the Pied Piper led the children of Hamlin into the underground,
they emerged again at Braşov!
In addition to being the end of an apparently very long fairy tale
tunnel, Braşov
fought off invaders and proudly survived the rule of Saxons,
Hungarians, and even it's decade as "Stalin Town" under the mad
Communist regime.
An easy 166
km from Bucharest, it is the second-most visited city by tourists,
and surrounded by the Southern Carpathians, and possessing an almost
Disney-esque charm, this capital of Transylvania is sure to impress!
Old
Town including the Black Church and main square or Council Square (Piaţa
Sfatului). Features medieval buildings in different architectural
styles.
It was smart in medieval times to be near one of the
mountain passes -- it meant you were on a trade route, and you also
had a slightly more limited area you had to defend.
Thusly, Braşov grew as a Saxon fortified town
serving the trade routes down to Wallachia.
Around the main square you can find the picturesque pedestrian-only Republicii street, the
Black Church,
former Council House, indoor and outdoor terraces and restaurants,
the Orthodox Cathedral, Mureşianu's House, the
Hirscher House and
more.
On Tāmpa Hill, located on
the southern side of the city, there was a citadel called Brassovia,
and the remains can be seen there today, along with the Weavers
tower and the cable car station going up to the top of Mount
Tāmpa.
If you have some information for us about Braşov or County Braşov,
please
Let us know about it now! We appreciate all of your efforts!
The Enchanting Saxon Town
Braşov was first recorded as Terra Saxonum de Barasu
("Saxon Land of Baras"), in a 1252 document. The German name,
"Kronstadt" means "Crown City", and is reflected in the city's coat of
arms, as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The three names
of the city (Braşov/Brassó, Kronstadt, and Corona) were used
simultaneously in the Middle Ages.
"Rope Street" was newly refurbished
in 2003, worth a look and some photos! Strada Sforii is
just 1.3 metres wide, making it the narrowest gazetted
street.
Some truly inspired spires on this
fairytale church near Braşov's
Piaţa Unirii in the old Romanian
quarter of town. Frankly, any town without a
Unification Square is known as "Hungarian".
The church, the oldest
Orthodox churches in Transylvania, was built of wood
in 1392 and replaced by stone in 1495. Like other
medieval churches, it is surrounded by walls with
large wooden gates. Inside the enclosure is a small
cemetery and three exhibitions: the first
Romanian-language school (1495), the Library, and
Archives of the Church.
Looking more inspired by Disney than
Emperor Franz I who commissioned it, this small but fanciful gate
separated the ethic Romanians from their richer Saxon and
Hungarian neighbours from 1825 onwards
Braşov is the largest resort town in Romania,
with a very well preserved old city centre in the Saxon tradition, and
Romania's first ski complex at the adjoining Poiana
Braşov.
Stroll along the pedestrianised Republic Street with beautiful Saxon
inspired shops, churches and old government buildings, and take the
cable-car to the top of Mount Tāmpa (995m) which provides a fabulous view of
the old town below.
In addition to being a great base for your Transilvanian tours to
Sighişoara or Sibiu, the
immediate Braşov
area
has it's own rather enduring charms too.
Poiana Braşov is just up the mountain a bit
and offers fantastic scenery and skiing through the winter, and super
hiking and camping in the summer months.
Piaţa Sfatului, or Council Square is the
main square at the end of the pedestrianised Str.
Republicii.
The main attractions is undoubtedly the old Council
House, which stands alone in the wide plaza with it's icon golden
clock tower and distinctive Saxon architecture.
The Merchant's Hall (known as the
Hirscher House) saw
many meetings of the old towns guilds of Braşovian
merchants. Built by the widow of a Braşov mayor from 1539 - 1545, it now is home to the
Carpathian Ox restaurant.
The house of the local Mureşianu family
was founded in 1968 from the kind gifts and donations of the
descendants of the original publishing tycoon family.
You'll get a reasonable insight into the interior furnishings,
paintings and art and sculpture of the time, from pieces collected
by the family.
The archives at this museum are admirable, with the long list of
notable family leaders keeping the tradition of saving almost
everything seemingly. Some owned newspapers, and others were
in politics in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Stop by for a fascinating insight into what it meant to be in
Braşov as part of a leading family 100 years
ago!
A celebrated Gothic site - the
building dates from 1477, when it replaced a 1384 church. Its acquired the
name after being blackened by smoke from a 1689 fire.
Biserica Neagră (German: Schwarze Kirche) is the main
cathedral in Braşov, a city in south-western Transylvania, Romania.
It was built beginning in the 1384 by the German community of the
city and stands as the main Gothic style monument in the country, as
well as being one of the most important Lutheran (Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Romania) places of worship in the region.
The originally-Roman Catholic cathedral was know as
the Church of Saint Mary until it was partially destroyed during a
great fire set by invading Habsburg forces on the April 21, 1689
(during the Great Turkish War). Afterward, it became known as the
Black Church (Biserica Neagră in Romanian).
The current structure was probably erected on top of
an older chapel destroyed during the Mongol invasion of 1241.
Completed in 1477, the architects planned a
three-nave basilica, all the same height, as was preferred during
the 15th and 16th centuries in the German lands, where most of the
architects and masons originated.
Following the fire of 1689, Biserica Neagră was repaired with the
help of masons coming from Danzig (today Gdańsk, Poland), as local
craftsmen did not master the craft of completing the enormous
vaults; these were to be completed in Baroque style.
Today the cathedral is a major symbol of Braşov, and
a museum open to visitors of the city centre. A Lutheran service is
held each Sunday for the small German community in the city.
The First Romanian School, St. Nicholas Church and Book Museum
The First Romanian School is within the 16th Century church of
St. Nicholas, located in the historic district of Şchei, now part of
the city of Braşov.
It is also home to a printing press, bible and what
can be loosely described as the first school magazine. The next door
museum houses a variety of first Romanian books and the first
printing press.
Vasile Oltean is both the caretaker and the guide,
and has spent the last 40 years of his life working at the First
Romanian School, as a priest for the last six, and a teacher and
pupil before that.
The church of St. Nicholas was built in the 14th century the
school was believed to have started in 1583, using the Cyrillic
alphabet for teaching.
The church was the first Orthodox church to be built
on Transilvanian soil by the princes of Wallachia, and it served the
Romanian quarter of Braşov, still called the
Schiu neighbourhood.
This changed over two and a half centuries later, in
1833, when the principalities united and higher education started
and the language changed to Latin, which immediately enhanced the
standard of education.
The background of the students was varied, and being
the only school in Transylvania, people came from far and wide,
although mainly the southeast of the region. However not everyone
went to school.
Each village paid for one student to attend the school, in order
to learn to teach upon returning and share their education.
Over time, a total of 1730 students attended the
school; however the most at one time was 110. It is now known
exactly how the school was funded, but it was recognised by the Pope
in 1395.
The school remained in use right up until the 20th
century, and closed in 1941. The spectacular collections of archaic
and original items were gathered starting in 1933 and were first
organized in a museum in 1964.
The first Romanian letter in Latin was produced by the press,
the first Romanian schoolbook and the first bible, which was printed
on goatskin and had a cover weighing a hefty seven kilos.
The museum also contains the first printing press. Only 39 books
were made by this press, which is hardly surprising given the labour
required, however the work it did produce included plenty more
firsts. Several more books that were used have been preserved; in
fact the library contains six thousand books, which were used in the
school.
Central Braşov is surrounded by a defensive citadel, which in
times of trouble had towers manned by townspeople who locked
themselves in the bastions to survive the onslaught.
The threat of Turkish terror rising up from the south
caused the fine citizens of Braşov to build
some fortifications, most of which can still be seen along the south
side of town along the base of Mount Tāmpa.
Each guild in town, organised by the vocations of it's members (such
as tailors, blacksmiths, butcher's, etc) had their own towers (or
"bastions") along the walls at regular intervals to fight off the
invaders.
At the base of Mount Tāmpa you'll
see much of the citadel wall, along with the reasonable well
preserved Weaver's Tower, built in the early decades of the 1400s.
The various levels inside the tower were used
for sleeping, cooking, and a large area to store the grains, meats
and other foodstuffs required to last out a siege by the Turks or
whoever was overreaching for Transilvania at the time.
Have a look through the little museum there before heading up the
mountain.
If you happen to particularly enjoy this tower, you can see a couple
of others on the hill opposite the main square. The Black and
White tower and the Blacksmith's Bastion date from slightly later in
the 1400s, although not quite as well preserved due to various
attacks and ravages of man and time.
In addition to the towers and bastions, the other
notable element of any self-respecting fortified city are the gates.
On the west side, the gates built there led out to the old
Romanian "Schiu" quarter, just outside the walled Saxon township
inside the fortifications. The ethnic Romanian
population, who were not allowed to live within the fortified walls
of the Braşov citadel, had to pay for the
privilege of entering to sell their wares and produce.
The most impressive of the Braşov city
gates is undoubtedly the Catherine Gate, built in 1559 as the
western gate of the citadel, replacing on there from the 14th or
15th century.
It was one of the best fortified gates in it's day, and it was
through this gate that Romania's legendary hero Michael the Brave as
one of his three stops in Braşov.
The gate suffered greatly through it's centuries, enduring a
great fire in 1689, earthquakes in 1738, and by the late 1820s, the
Catherine gate was supplanted by the Schiu gate.
In 1971 the old gate was restored and now houses the
offices of the Architectural Union.
Erected near the Catherine Gate in 1828, the classical
architecture of the Schei Gate features three openings, two
passenger arches on either side, and the central gate for vehicles
(these days more cars than carts use the central opening).
You can still see the inscriptions in Latin above the gate (see
left).
Beautiful view of the old city and the surrounding
nature from 900 meters above sea-level. Tāmpa is the mountain that
you see from any point in Brasov, with a large TV transmitter
antenna on top.
The antenna building also houses a restaurant and a
cable car station. Accessible by foot (a one hour hike, sometimes
steep, but low difficulty level nonetheless, recommended in
snow-less seasons only) and also by cable car (called Telecabină).
Cable car operates daily except Mondays, 9:30am -
9pm
Annual Fun Days
The
Beer Festival is a great little event which is very popular with the
locals and tourists alike.
Usually held in the fall. Dozens of tents from
several beer companies offer their products. Also, you will be able
to get a taste of mici (Romanian grilled sausages) and other
traditional foods. Local and national bands and artists of all
persuasions take the stage.
Braşov's best known festival is the
annual Golden Stag (Cerbul de Aur,
logo to right) international music festival, held in August and
September.
The weeks long festival sees the main square festooned with all
manner of sound equipment, and camera crews getting every angle as
music stars old and new perform live, beamed across the nation in a
celebration of all that is good in Romanian modern music.
Well, good unless you love Paraziţii or the hip-hop
forms of Manele.
Other Great Sights to See
Mount Tāmpa
The lookout area and complex atop this mountain
which towers over the old town of
Braşov is The Tāmpa
Panoramic, affording memorable views of this old fairytale city
from over 900 meters above sea-level. Much like the Hollywood sign,
you can't miss the bright "BRAŞOV"
letter shining from the mountain during the night. The complex also houses a
restaurant and a cable car station. If you have a nice Spring day
to spend, the one hour hike up the small mountain is delightful,
affording views at several of the switchback turns. It's steep in
a few parts, but not difficult, and most healthy travellers can achieve
the summit in less than an hour. Of course, the cable car is also
a great ride. Don't forget to stop in at the Weaver's Tower at the
base of the mountain to see the small museum there.
The Brasov Citadel (aka Cetatea Brasov) -
Situated atop the Citadel Hill (Dealul Cetatii). This 16th Century
fortress-like citadel houses several restaurants with outdoor terraces,
a bar, a winery, an armory, an 81 metres (240 ft. ) deep fountain, four
defense towers and, of course, a night-club. Makes for some great
pictures inside and out.
Stay safe
Brasov is generally safe for tourists and police
presence is very noticeable, especially in places frequented by
tourists. Usually the main risk is getting pickpocketed or scammed
through various "techniques", all of which can be avoided. For more
safety tips see Romania and Transylvania, and especially read about the
"maradona" technique.
In addition to the pleasing
architecture of this temple, it's perhaps more important
to reflect on the the anti-Semitic hatred which allowed
in the removal and murder of over 350,000 proud Romanian
Jews during the bloody rule General Antonescu.
La République
Str. Republicii 33. It's
a nice French-themed crźperie
serving a wide range of crźpes
(clătiţi in
Romanian), both sweet and sour. It's a
chain, so you might find it somewhere
else. It's the cheapest way to eat
something good in the historical center.
Braşov is blessed by having
it's own nearby ski resort at Poiana Braşov, or
"Braşov Meadows". At just over
1000m in elevation, Poiana Braşov offers good
intermediate slopes and some fairly stunning views of the
surrounding Postăvarul Massif.
Whilst the city of
Braşov is down on it's own plateau north of
the Bucegi mountains, the
Poiana Braşov area is the first high ground
south of the city. It was just a few cabins until the late
1800s, but by 1906 it was operating as a ski resort, hosting
Romania's first competition ski event in 1909.
Also called "the Sunny Meadow", or
Poiana Soarelui, the little Poiana Braşov
basin has a temperate-continental climate (that means chilly for 9
months of the year!). The average temperature in summer is 20 °C and
in winter -4 °C (yes, that's the average!). There is a snow cover of
about 50-60 cm which lasts from mid-November until mid-March, for
about 120 days a year. Snowfalls can start as early as the end of
September in some years.
This established recreational wonderland has something for
everyone in all seasons. A ride to the top of Mount Postăvarul
on a spring day will reward you with some fabulous views of the
surrounding mountains.
Bushwalkers will delight in the hiking trails criss-crossing the
verdant region, with several trail-heads starting in Poiana Braşov.
You can secure a hiking guide for a reasonable daily rate at the
tourist office or through your local travel agent (recommended).
Horse enthusiasts can find a riding stables on the north side of
town, and bowling is also available.
It does rain quite a bit during the autumn months, but this turns
to snow quickly, giving Poiana Braşov about
four months of good snow annually, usually beginning around October.
Stop in at any major hotel for information on local
events when you're in town, which usually has some sort of festival
every few months, regardless of the season.
Lessons for
beginner skiing are popular and can be arranged through any local
travel agent or at the Complex Favorit tourist office.
The low air pressure and the ionization of the atmosphere in the
Poiana Braşov region are said by holistic medicine adherents to be
favourable elements in treating neurasthenia, endocrine and
respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis asthma, and so
forth.
Area travel agents in Braşov
and hotels at Poiana Braşov offer some good package
deals for summer or winter fun. You'll find peak rates around
the December, January and February snow season, with long shoulder
seasons. Mid and low-end accommodation have similarly
lower rate changes.
Eating, Drinking, Being Merry
Nightlife is surprisingly active during the autumn
and winter months, with lovers of winter sports loving to drink late
into the night as well!
The restaurants all tend to favour the rustic
mountain look, with a few licks of local history folded into the
mix. Romanians generally are lovers of "traditional"
cuisine, and Poiana Braşov is full of these
paragons of country cooking.
Do not be surprised if halfway through your meal the
lights dim and a spotlight is turned on to reveal a woman in
traditional costume singing her heart out for a lost love, a lost
pig or generally lost opportunities in life. Realise
that you've lost your last chance to find wait staff for the next
half hour at least too!
Check out the Capra Neagră in the middle of town
along the main drag of Str. Poiana Soarelui,
for a bit of after-hours fun (the pizza place next door is fine for
a quick bite), or for dinner, go for the Şura Dacilor (The
Dacian Barn) and Coliba Haiducilor (The Outlaws' Shack). Most
tourist restaurants such as these are open for lunch and dinner,
many to midnight.
The major hotels also offer standard restaurant fare,
with the larger ones offering reasonable buffet breakfasts as well.
Do your best in the winter months to find some traditional
mulled wine (vin fiert) and, as always, plenty of the plum brandy
called ţuică as well as other traditional Romanian fare.
The Land of the Bārsa
(Ţara Bārsei)
comprises about half of County Braşov, from
Apaţa in the north, the upper region around Bran Pass in the southwest and
along the lower Bārsa river at Prejmer in
the east.
Named after the river Bārsa, a tributary of the Olt River,
German colonization of the region started in the middle of 12th
century during the reign of King Géza II of Hungary, and in the 13th
century, it was given to the Teutonic Knights by King Andrew II of
Hungary, giving the knights the right to establish markets and
administer justice.
However, the Knights disregarded the rights of the local
bishopric, and were ousted by the Hungarian crown in 1225.
The Hungarians continued their importation of Secklers and Pechenegs to the region
during the 12th and 13th centuries. These new arrivals partly
supplanted the ethnic
Romanian populations around Braşov, although
Romanian village life flourished in the upper Bārsa
river valley at Tohanu, as well as around Braşov, at
Sacele and of course at the Schei district next to
the Braşov city walls.
The ethnic Saxon population of the region remained until after
World War II, with most expelled by the Communist Romanian regime
beginning in 1976, with exit visas granted for a healthy fee.
These towns to the northwest of
Braşov boast some of the most interesting examples of Saxon
churches in the region.
Harman and Prejmer are well within the
lower Land of the Bārsa region, not far from
the Bārsa river, and the hilly region was
known in Dacian and Roman times as Mons Mellis ("honey hills"),
first recorded in modern times under the reign of Bela the Fourth of Hungary around 1240. The Mons
Mellis names have their origin in the surrounding area, where
beehives were traditionally kept in the surrounding
Lempeş hills.
Very little in these charming towns has changed
since the 19th century, when Saxon influence coalesced in these
towns. The gorgeous little rounded windows and doorways of the
colourful houses greet you and warm your heart on sight, looking
more like something a set designer would create for a fairytale
movie.
The Fortified Churches
If you're in the area, both of the citadels at
Harman and Prejmer area must on your itinerary.
The fortified church at Harman was built
in the Cistercian style in the twelfth century. The
Cistercians were a conservative branch of the Benedictine monks,
originating in France in 1098, and growing in popularity across
Europe in the 12th to 15th centuries, ending up with about 750 such
Cistercian churches at their zenith.
The 12-metre high walls around the the
main structure were built in an oval pattern as with those around
the church in Prejmer. The chapel at Harman has lovely
15th-century frescoes, open daily except Mondays, closed for lunch
from 12pm - 1pm.
Crowned with seven lovely lookout towers
and a 52-metre clock tower, this formidable church-fortress
amalgamation managed to repel the attack of the great Moldovan
Prince Ştefan Tomşa.
In nearby Prejmer, you can visit
the 13th century fortress, one of the biggest in South-Eastern
Europe, with massive battlements, a charming bell tower, and a great
example of the traditional Saxon church buildings, complete with
medieval accommodation wing, storehouses, administration complex,
grand tours and the church building itself. Keep an eye
out for the fresco of The Passion from the late 15th century, as
well as the wonderful late Gothic vaulted ceilings, all well worth a
few hours there and in the little museum adjoining.
It's open daily from 9am (11am on
Sundays), the church was originally built in the form of a Greek
cross, but was later amended in the thirteenth century to the more
popular Cistercian format.
The inevitable Turks raided in 1421
(Turks and the Ottoman empire were a constant threat on the other
side of the Carpathians for centuries), and Harman's church was
raised, along with those in the surrounding towns of Sanpetru,
Halchiu, Bod, Ghimbav and Vulcan. Today the surrounding
moats of the fortifications have been filled in, making for a nice
parkland apron.
Yet another wave of Turkish destruction
ensued in 1432, followed by invasions of Tatars, Wallachs,
Moldovans and Secklers, along with the rather nasty epidemics which
plagued the area.
Harman and Prejmer saw the Black Death
in 1553, 1572, 1603, 1660, and 1718-1719, gaining it the title "Prejmer:
Plagued by Plague Three Centuries in a Row!" Okay, not really,
but the place was clearly cursed. Years of heavy rains killed
hundreds, the fortified church was burnt over and over by a wide
variety of local princes, and also by accident.
Just up in the Lempeş
hills is also an old 5th century fortification from Harman's days as
a stop on the trade routes.
Check out the sweet little museum at
Harman too if you're in the area, and if you're staying, check out
the pool, gym and sauna facilities at the Beitrans centre.
Amongst the traditions and customs found in Harman
include the traditional Plumage Ball in the first week of the year
after the New Year's celebrations. A small army of young
men and women leave the town and travels around the township in
traditional costume with a great peacock feather inserted in their
(usually) felt caps.
The peacock feathers are often arranged
around a panel with beading
The parading of the peacock feathers culminates in a
great ball for the entire community, with the larger feathers being
worn by the elders of the community.
This grand celebration infects villages and towns
alike, heralding the beginning of Spring, with houses, doorways and
town squares festooned with wreaths and garlands, and boughs and
branches used to decorate fencelines and entryways alike.
Picnics and feast tables crop up in open fields, and
villagers get out to enjoy the sun, camaraderie and spring foods.
Rooted in an old country tradition dedicated to the
great tree spirit Arminden, the placing of the new spring buds and
leaves warded off evil spirits and welcomed the good spirits of the
plant world with decorated villages and festivals promoting the new
season.
A great Maypole is erected in an open field or
sometimes in a village green, and is decorated with flowers and ears
of corn and said to embody the Arminden spirit, named after the
Dacian leader Armin.
The Days of Lamb and Wormwood
Roast lamb is a favourite dish at these celebrations,
so try if you're in Romania a bit early for the summer season, make
sure to find a Maial celebration!
You'll delight too in the unique wormwood wine (a bit
bitter but good for the blood!) and spring veal which was days
earlier rolling in the grass with their faces washed by the dew.
During this time, villagers call out the name of the
local witch or spirit to stop them stealing the cow's milk and seed
crops. The day of Arminden is considered the beginning
of the summer pastoral period, and the first day you should
realistically plant corn.
If you're in town in mid August, don't miss these
festival days of parades and market stalls where locals show their
handicrafts, prepare great local cuisine, and enjoy the musical
performances of soloists and groups alike.
The township celebrates halfway through August and
this community celebration is always a moment of reaffirmation for
the cultural heritage and history of the region.
This festival really is a happy occasion for all who
have their origins in the region. You cannot miss the
splendour of the evening program, where the popular costume parade
of the townsfolk and villagers proudly show off their
traditional costumes from Harman and from the surrounding villages.
You can get to Harman and Prejmer by taxi
(about 15RON by taxi), bus, maxi-taxi, or train from
Braşov. See
other transportation options below
Feldioara Village
Really rather charming and so typical of
the Saxon villages along the river Olt
Feldioara Fortress
This ruin has a surprisingly
inspirational feel about it -- not spooky, just placid.
A great place for a summer picnic!
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Have more info? Please Let us know!
The
Beer Festival is a great little event which is very popular with the
locals and tourists alike. 
Around
Braşov ("Braşov meadows")
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