Travel Destination That Meets Everyone's Budget - Brașov!

So, Brașov is a nice town, but if it was not near the castles of Bran and Peles, there would be no need to visit it. Romania has many more beautiful cities such as Bucharest, Sighisoara, Sibiu, etc. I visited Brașov, as well as Krakow, thanks to an info tour.

I have to admit that the company was really unique and that was when I realized that the company was maybe more important than the place you visit. You can be in the most beautiful place on the planet, but it's no use if you are surrounded by snobs and bad guys. In this case, it was the other way around. We were in a city that is not really among the top 10 must-sees, but the company was great and that is why I will remember Brașov fondly.

What to visit in Brașov?

If you have already decided on this trip, I repeat that the emphasis is on optional excursions during which the castles of Bran and Peles are visited. But, since you will have some free time at your disposal in Brașov as well, use it for a walk around the center and take a couple of beautiful photos of the panorama, from a small lookout point.

The city is one of the smaller ones, but it has a lot of beautiful, medieval sights to offer, it is cheap and you can visit it quickly. That kind of dark, medieval atmosphere is what I like the most in Romania. Among the sights of Brașov, I single out the Town Square, the Black Church, the Catherine, the Shay Gate, and finally the Strada Sforri street.

Brașovor Kronstadt in German is the capital of the district of Brașov, which is located near the entrance to Transylvania. Originally, the city was called Corona, which means a crown, and the Germans later called it Kronstadt, which would mean crown city, the city of the crown.

During the Middle Ages, both names were in use. Since Brașov is quite an old city, there are also medieval quarters. You can see the old citadel and numerous old towers. In the old part of Brașov, numerous shops and restaurants are serving traditional food. Tavern Sarbului serves the best food in town.

Due to its medieval ambiance, the Brașov landscape has been used in many films.

The Main Square

Brașov has its own main square. The history of this square (Piata Sfatului) is related to the period when the Saxons ruled Romanian territory. They built massive, stone walls here and around the city as many as seven ramparts, which are still visible today.

Among numerous churches, they built this main square, which is considered the most beautiful in the country. It houses the remains of the Old Town Hall, where city councilors used to gather, and today it houses the History Museum. At the top of the building is the Trumpet Tower, which in the old days served as an observatory and from which the inhabitants were informed about the approaching danger.

In summer, this square is full of people and it is the place where the summer music festival is held. The famous Black Church is also located on the square.

The Black Church

The Black Church is really an imposing building and a symbol of Brașov. The epithet black refers to the walls of the church that turned black after the terrible fire of 1689. The church was demolished and reconstructed several times, and after that terrible fire, the reconstruction lasted as long as 100 years.

The interior of the church is really beautiful and luxurious, with balconies, a huge organ, elegant pillars, and Turkish carpets on the walls. It is interesting to note that the windows of the church are made of special UV-filtering glass, which protects these 119 Turkish carpets, from the sun's radiation.

German merchants also donated carpets to the church in the 17th and 18th centuries, as a sign of gratitude for surviving their travels along the Carpathians. The church boasts the largest collection of carpets in Europe. The mentioned giant organ contains as many as 4,000 pipes and you can enjoy their sound in summer. That is the time when concerts are held in the church three times a week.

Catherine's Gate

As for Catherine's Gate (Poarta Ecaterinei), this is the only original gate that has survived from the Middle Ages to the present day. This remnant of the gate was once part of a much larger structure, a model which can be seen in one of the museums. Above the entrance is a symbol of the city coat of arms: a crown on a tree trunk.

I find the story of Shay County and Shay Gate very interesting. In a way, the Shay Gate is a milder version of the Berlin Wall. Namely, the Saxons ruled Romania for four centuries (from the 13th to the 17th century). During that period, Romanians were strictly forbidden to own any property within the city walls, so they decided to move to the northwestern Shay district.

In those days when they wanted to enter the city, they could only do so through the Shay Gate. At the entrance, they paid some kind of duty. The duty was paid because it was a privilege to sell their products within the city. We are complaining about VAT today, and imagine how cruel those times were. However, once a year, Romanians were free to enter the city, and that day Romanians still celebrate with numerous picnics and celebrations around the city.

Strada sforii

At the end of this walk around the city, I will take you through one of the narrowest streets in Europe. This street is called Strada sforii (translated as narrow street). This street used to be used by firefighters. Its width is between 113 and 135 centimeters, while it is about 80 meters long. Legend has it that if a couple in love passes this passage without touching it, they will be together for a long time. Otherwise, they will constantly quarrel.

After this long walk and sightseeing, go to the main street where you have nice restaurants and I suggest the Rastafarian Jamaican bar, in one of the streets on the right, which intersects the main street, near the square. This bar is more for a relaxed after-lunch option. I note that Romanians use Romanian lei, not euros. Approximately, one euro is about 4.42 lei.

At the end of my visit to Brașov, I leave another interesting inscription. Namely, Brașov came up with the idea to put up an inscription with the name of its city, in Hollywood style. So, in the hills, you will see the giant inscription, Brașov. I leave it to you to conclude what the similarity is between Brașov and Hollywood.

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By: Nitza - Gossip Whispers