Tour 1: 6th day

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 6

Day 6 - Brasov Day

The morning has come, and we are just minutes away from Brasov, the most “touristy” city in Romania. What should I mention first ? The Black Church ? Council Square? Schei neighborhood? Tampa ? Racadau ? The huge network of catacombs under the old city ? Weaver’s Bastion ? The gorgeous mountains surrounding this area ?

Well, maybe it’s because of the fact that I’ve been living in this city for the past 5 years and I got to see quite a lot wandering this place, I have an excellent opinion regarding this city and I consider it to be the most beautiful in whole Romania. Why is that? Well, let’s begin !
Imagine Brasov as 3 cities within a city: Naturally, the new city with wide streets, communist blocks but also amazing neighborhoods such as Racadau built as a peninsula of blocks into the mountain’s woods, the famous spot where the bears come at night to have dinner at the garbage containers .

Then it comes the old city which was until the end of 19th century surrounded by high walls, and, finally, Schei, the old Romanian neighborhood.
A typical Saxon town, Brasov (Kronstadt) has been one of the largest trade centers in Transylvania. This led to relatively high standards of living. This is why the Saxon community distinguished itself by building one of the most impressive “Burgs”, Kronstadt.

Earlier I mentioned some of this town’s main tourist attraction, and now I’m going to briefly describe them..
The Black Church took almost a century to be built, from 1385 until 1477. At that time, the famous Gothic church is said to have been the tallest and largest church between Vienna and Constantinople. It is still used today by the German Lutherans. It is called “The Black Church” because of the sooted walls, painful memory of a great fire which devastated the city back in 1689, when the Austrian army couldn't take over the city , so they rather set it to fire. Inside the church we can admire the original statues of the exterior of the Apse, but also Turkish carpets, gifts from the city’s merchants. Maybe the most important item is the famous organ, built in 1839 by Bucholz of Berlin. The 56 keys, 76 stops and 4000 pipes together with the incredible acoustic offered by the church’es high walls and ceiling make the organ concerts organized here unique experiences which shouldn't be missed by any traveler.

Piata Sfatului (The Council Square), just near the Black Church, is today the place where many teenagers meet, the place where periodic fares take place, where concerts are held, well, it has almost the same functions as it had for centuries. The 15th century Council House is now the home of the History Museum, where we can find out more about the town’s guilds and their glorious past.
Republicii Street is a pedestrian’s alley, where stores, musicians, clowns and other attractions which “entertain” the crowds. Especially in summer and autumn days it is the place crawling with foreign wanderers.

In the old town we can visit “The Weavers Bastion”, which now hosts a small museum whose most important item remains the excellent scale model of Brasov, the way it looked a few centuries ago.
Still, for the majority of Romanians, the main symbol of Brasov remains Tampa mountain, surrounded from 3 sides by the city and which provides an excellent place to admire the beauty of the town beneath it.

A few words about Schei: since in the old times the Romanians weren't’t allowed to live in the city the Saxons built, they built their homes up the valley, in a very beautiful area. They were allowed to enter the city during the day to sell their products in the central market, but were not allowed to build churches (other than Sf. Nicolae Church, the place were the first Romanian school was established many centuries ago). This is the reason why we can see today many roadside crosses, the Romanians keeping their Orthodox religion even if times weren't’t that favorable. Nowadays, besides the numerous roadside crosses (each one with its unique story), we can trek on the old road to Poiana Brasov, one of the most famous sky resorts in Romania.

I spite of the fact that a lot of unemployees live here and many of its inhabitants come actually from other regions of Romania (I’m one of them as well!), its charm is everywhere present even for the first-time visitor. The one who climbed up Tampa Mountain in the night to see how Brasov looks at night-time will never forget it. I can’t wait to show you the beauty of this city!