Brasov is a Romanian mountain city hidden within the Fagaras or Southern Carpathians. It is well connected to the rest of Romania and the rest of Europe by train, bus and plane (as of 2024). Brasov can be reached by direct train from Budapest, as well as from larger cities in Romania such as Bucharest or Craiova (direct Softrans train Craiova-Brasov and Brasov-Craiova). I wrote another article about trains in Romania. Brasov also has an airport since 2024. If you go there in winter, it is very likely that it will be foggy, or at least foggy in the morning. I really liked Brasov and visited it a total of 3 times. These are my recommendations and the places I visited. The great thing about Brasov is that you can’t get lost, as there is always a sign on the hill that shows excellent orientation.
Brasov Mountains
What is making Brasov very interesting that its located in the valley between moutains. If you are going to Brasov from any side, you will notice many mountains around. Some of them are popular ski destination, like Poiata. There is also plenty of hiking spots in the area, and one of the most popular is Moldavianu peak. Moldavianu peak is also close Brasov county. Many of these mountains are hiding Castles, and most knowed ones are Dracula / Bran Castle, Rasnov, or peles. Poiana skiing mountian is probably most popular in the whole Romania.
Old City of Brasov
There are many shops, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops in the old town of Brasov. It is a pedestrian zone and there is one main car-free promenade. From the Old Town of Brasov, you can see the Brasov sign above in the mountains, which looks like the Hollywood sign. At night it looks very high, almost like a star. In this promenade there are also benches where you can rest during the walk. There are also some university buildings in the old town of Brasov. The architecture of the old town of Brasov blends in.
Cable Car to Tampa
To see city from above, its best to use Cable Car. Its a blessing to have something like this in the city, where you can go to very quiet area from very noisy area. During the weekends, there is usuall very big line to go there, so its better to go early. Once you are at the ending station of Cable car, there is just forest around you, and you can go around and just in the forest to hear birds. Comparing to other cable cars in Europe, including one in Sarajevo, this one is outdated but still good enough.
Aleea Aviatorilor
Not so many people know it, but Brasov had it own production of airplanes iunder the Industria Aeronautică Română Makets. There are also other makets about other machines you can see close to Gara de Nord. This company was designing and producing planes including ICA IAR-824 a propeller-driven civil utility plane designed in Romania during the 1970s. (see picture bellow). Operated 1927 to 2007.
Under the same company, there was another one for producing tractors. On March 6, 1965, the Romanian tractor U-650 won a gold medal and an honorary diploma at the Leipzig International Fair. In this time agricutlre was very imporant in Eastern Europe and there was a lof of investments in agricultural machines and trends.
Tiny street Sforii
This little street called “Sforii” is the smallest street in Europe (according to the locals), but probably the smallest you’ll ever visit. It’s full of graffiti and has perfect photo spots. It’s located near another national historical monument in the Old Town. It’s about 1 meter wide and 80 meters long.
Ice Skiiting
If you are visitngg Brasov in winter or early spring, there is opened ice skiing place. Its located just near the old city city walls. You dont need to have your own equopemnts since its possible to rent it there.
White Tower
Right next to the Black Tower is the White Tower. They are easily accessible on foot, and to reach them, you will have to cross a small river and walk a bit through the forest. There is a balcony that you can enter for free. It originally dates from the 15th century as part of the city’s fortification system. It was damaged during a fire, but was rebuilt. The height is about 20 m. The view from here is really worth coming and seeing the whole city (see second picture).
Bran Castle / Dracula Castle
Have you heard of Dracula? If you’ve ever heard of, or if you love history or myths, you’ll definitely want to visit Bran Castle near the city of Brasov. Brasov is the nearest big city and many people will come to it via Brasov. It is possible to get there by public transport or taxi drivers.
Black Church
The main symbol of the city is the Black Church. It was named so because of a great fire in the 17th century when the church changed the color of the walls. It is a Protestant Gothic church built by the German Saxon community. Today it is one of the main symbols of the city.
NH Park
At the foot of the Tampa cable car, or rather the starting station, there is a great park. It is also a playground for children, but there are also volleyball courts. It is located a little higher and was probably once a fortress. It is a great place to relax.
Oktoberfest Brasov
Just like in Munich, Brasov has its own Oktoberfest. It takes place in September and includes live music, performances, food, and a strong Bavarian atmosphere. At first, it feels a little strange to see Bavarian colors and traditions in a city in Romania. Brasov has a strong connection with Germany and the German-speaking world. The city was settled in the medieval period by Transylvanian Saxons, German-speaking settlers who played an important role in the development of the city. They left behind a huge cultural heritage
.
Architeture of Brasov
Brasov is interesting for many reasons, but one of the things that caught my attention was the unusual mix of architectural styles. In the old town, you can find Gothic buildings, medieval walls, Saxon houses, and narrow streets that remind you of Central Europe. The Black Church is perhaps the best example of this older architectural heritage., but there is also typical architecture that spread across many Eastern European cities after the Second World War.
