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Wandering in Brasov

by danpop 

(about Brasov, Romania, added on Jun 25, 2009)

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First of all I think it’s worth mentioning that in 2008 Brasov helped me to honor one third of one of my promises. I said to myself that in 2008 I will visit Brasov, Sibiu and Budapest. Unfortunately only Brasov objective was achieved. Next will follow shortly, well, at least I hope so. I visited Brasov not only once that year (I wonder if that counts to my promise two times), because also in the winter camp, again Covasna, in the last day of 2008 I was a bit in this superb Romanian city. I remember that I was quickly surrounded by the holiday magic that could be seen everywhere on the streets. From candles, Christmas lights, statues with snowmen and Santas, or even a guy who start playing to an accordion while passers started to dance on his music, everything was like in a fairy tale.

 

To Brasov

 

Brasov is highly connected with major Romanian and European cities by train, by car and in the near future also by plane. This is because in 2010 the airport construction is scheduled to end. But until then, the best connection with Europe is the train that connects Brasov with Budapest. There are now two trains that, one of them being temporary canceled (until 18 of September 2009). In our case, we came to Brasov from Covasna using one of Ecosil’s minibuses. The trip took about 1 hour, and it cost about 3.3 dollars. But I remember the problems we encountered during this trip. First of all, because we were so many (over 20), we barely got in the tiny minibus. After we beg the driver to let us in, all of us, we began our trip. But tight regulations and controls at that time prevent the driver to take us to Brasov directly. We stopped in a village and waited for a second bus to come and take over the trip. One of us was from Brasov, so the tourist guide was assured.

 

Sights in Brasov

 

Only one day we stayed in Brasov, but I can tell you it was a full day. First we headed to the center. One of the most beautiful city centers I saw, it’s packed with monumental buildings, stores, cafeteria, restaurants and souvenir shops. The City Hall Square is well known internationally by the “Golden Stag” Music Festival, the second most important in Europe after Eurovision. The Old City Hall, now the History Museum, is one of the oldest buildings in Brasov (1420). Without doubts, Biserica Neagra (The Black Church) is one of the representative monuments for Brasov. The name revolves from the big fire that partially destroyed it, in 1689, when the Habsburg forces invaded the place. A large part of the inner structure was though rebuilt, following the original design. It’s really impressive, but if you ask me I don’t see the reason for the carpets that are exhibit in the church. There, you can find a guide that will tell you about the history of this monument and other relevant data about it, even some myths or other interesting data. The entrance is free of charge.

After we visited the church we stopped for a pizza. I would not say I recommend the place where we ate, but everybody’s different so I will not insist anymore on this. With our hunger reclaimed we went to see the two towers that were used in the defense of Brasov. The towers were built at the end of the 15th century as a mean of protection against foreign invaders. The Black Tower and The White Tower offer a spectacular view on the city. The Black Tower houses a nice museum.

Now for something I was highly impress and I recommend it to everyone who visits Brasov. The view on the Tampa over Brasov is really impressive. You can go up by foot or by a cable car. The best spot is located at almost 1 Km height, but trust me, it worth the effort.

After we were stunned by the panoramic view, we descended and went to a church called “Buna Vestire”. The Church is located next to the central park and it’s a very nice orthodox church. After this we visited the park, one quite small, but really pretty, painted in many colors by its numerous flowers.

We had time to visit also the citadel of this city, a medieval monument not to miss. Here you can taste traditional Romanian food, because there is a nice restaurant located just inside a building of the citadel.

If you want to see one of the most beautiful cities in Romania, don’t forget Brasov.
Start from beginning | 1 - 3          Journal overview

1. Jul 21, 2008 Foreword for Fun (Covasna)
2. Jul 21, 2008 Covasna – The Little Wonder (Covasna)  ( 60)
3. Jul 25, 2008 Wandering in Brasov (Brasov)  ( 53)

Start from beginning | 1 - 3          Journal overview

Read about Brasov in our travel-guide