Visit Romania: Brasov
This summer, more preachily in July my family and I will visit once again Brasov. I used to visit it every year with my parents and my sister in our country round trip. Brasov is one of my favourite cities in Romania and in the whole world.
I can’t say I visited as many countries as others or as many as my husband did but I really want him and my girls to visit and fall in love with it as well. After all, Brasov is Vlad Tepes home – known to the whole world as Dracula.
Brasov is so different to the part of Romania I am from Dobrogea.
Brasov is a mountain city and you find a combination of gothic, baroque, renaissance architecture.With lots of historical attractions Brasov is one of the most visited places in Romania.
Reasons and attractions that should bring you to visit Brasov
The Council Square (Piata Sfatului) – you can see a picture with the square above. As you can observe it is a nice place to rest and soak in the beautiful scenery.  In the centre of the square stands the Old Town Hall(1420), now home to Brasov’s History Museum, while the southeast corner is dominated by the town’s most famous landmark, the Black Church. Around the square, you’ll find the renaissance-style Merchant’s House (now the Cerbul Carpatin restaurant), the beautiful archway of the Orthodox Cathedral and the memorial museum of the Mureseanu family. In late summer, the Golden Stag (Cerbul de Aur) music festival takes place here.Â
The Black Church – Brasov’s most famous landmark and Romania’s leading gothic church, the Black Church towers over the Council Square and the old town. Originally dedicated to Virgin Mary the church was Roman – Catholic for more than a century and a half. Later when the reformation swept across Europe it become lutheran. To this day every Sunday a service is still held for the small German community in Brasov.
 The church exhibits the heaviest mobile bell in Romania – 6 tones, murals in the Italian Renaissance style and an organ with 4000 pipes, 7 scales and 4 key boards. The organ recitals here are very famous and many tourists attend them.
 Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church (Biserica Sfantul Nicolae)
 I just love those towers! First built in wood in 1392 Saint Nicholas Church dominates the Schei District. Replaced with a stone structure in 1495 and considerably expanded in the 18th century the church is a true architectural masterpiece. The church has a mix of byzantine, baroque and gothic styles and it features a slender tower and four corner towers. Like other medieval churches it is surrounded by protective walls with large wooden gates. The enclosure shelters a small old cemetery where several prominent people of Romania are buried. One of them is Nicolae Titulescu(1882-1941) – finance minister, foreign minuter and president of the League of Nations. The monument that is near his grave quotes a line from his will:
 “I wish to be buried in Transylvania. My friends will know to find a place according to my wish.”
 Bran Castle – (Dracula’s Castle) – The famous castle is not in Brasov but quite in close distance at only 30 km in Pasul Bran-Rucar.
The foundations of Bran Castle were laid in 1377 and in less than five years it was completed. The famous castle was built with two things in mind – to develop important custom points into Transilvania and to strengthen the Southern borders of the emerging state. Very quickly the castle became the guard post of Transilvania.
Now I know called the castle as Dracula’s Castle but in fact Bran Castle isn’t quite closely linked to Dracula as you might imagine. Dracula – the one that everyone across the planet knows of is just a fictional vampire created by Bram Stoker in 1897.
The character of Dracula however was based on a real individual – Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler). Vlad was a very cruel and truly inhuman some historians might say. He gained infamy for simply impaling his enemies upon spikes while they were still alive! It is assumed that Vlad might’ve lived in Bran Castle during the 1400’s and also fought battles in the area. However, Bran Castle was not his main residence.
Vlad the Impaler |
For more about the actual history of the Bran Castle you should visit the Bran Castle Official website.
There you can also find information and directions to the castle.Â
I strongly recommend you to visit the Bran Castle if you ever come and visit Romania as it reflects the simple living that even the leaders back then were living. The ticket for an adult is only 25 lei which is the equivalent of £5 or €6.
Poiana Brasov – the most popular ski resort from Romania situated about 12 km from Brasov and easy to get too by car or by catching the two regular buses from Brasov. There are lots of places to stay nearby or you can simply stay in Brasov and commute here.Â
Summer season from above:
Â
 The Food and The Places to have fun in – There are lots more places to eat and party in then they used to be when I was visiting Brasov with my parents. You can even find pubs but with more of a germanic influence.Â
Places recommended by friends that visited Brasov recently: Times – if you are looking for live music and different events every day this is the place for you.
Fusion – Musik Cafe – Over 65 beers from around the world wait for you to try them on here.Â
Sergiana Restaurant – a restaurant where you are received with traditional romanian music and food:
Prezentare Restaurant SERGIANA Brasov pe videoguide.ro
If you are looking for a nice place to stay then I am recommending you the place where we will stay in July – Curtea Brasoveana. The place looks really nice and quite traditional and is not at all expensive. For £200 we will be staying there for three nights in their Suite Junior – it has two double beds and is organised between two interior floors so is quite great for a family of four like us.Â
Â
There are lots of other places to stay in Brasov though from hostels for the single travellers to nice 5 star hotels.
If you would like to visit Brasov then is good to know that the closest international airport is the Otopeni Aeroport. Brasov has an airport but is only available for internal flights. From Otopeni Airport you can hire a car and make your own way in a couple of hours. Or you can catch one of the transfer buses to Bucharest from where you will find buses that will take you to Brasov in about 3 hours or by train in a couple of hours.Â
What do you say? Are you going to visit Brasov and Romania all at the same time? This is the first of my series of “Visit Romania” post so standby by as it is more to come!
Follow Otilia Stocks’s board Romania my country on Pinterest.Â
19 Comments
Janice Vickers
Looks lovely.x
Janice Vickers
Would love to be there with you all xx
Stressy Mummy
Wow it looks amazing. Such a lovely range of photos, it looks like a brilliant place to visit.
jbmumofone
Stunning looking buildings! Some of them don't quite look real they are so pretty.
becky abeautfulspace
wow what an unusual and amazing looking place
My recent post 20 Fabulous and Inspiring Children’s Book Quotes
MummyNeverSleeps
Nice one missus! This was super interesting and I cannot get over those views of the ski resort!
Stepharoo
Woah, seriously beautiful. That's another place added to my bucket list!
My recent post Ceviche Inspired Fish Tacos
mummybarrow
You have sold it to me!
Mammasaurus
Ooo I want to visit I want to visit!!!!!
Liz Burton
The home of Dracula? I must go, I love a bit of gothic drama me!
My recent post Turn your journey into an adventure
PinkOddy
I love Dracula too – shame it hasn't as much association as people think.
My recent post Encourage Eating – Kids Co-op
susanna
I've always heard of Brasov and the Dracula connection – so nice to learn more about it. x
marisworld
What a great post, I love your photos and Brasov looks so stunning! My son is in Romania right now with his wife and children, one day I will get over and visit it myself
My recent post Where to go for holiday ideas – Superbreak app
Sandy_Calico
Wow, Brasov is beautiful, and so much to see and do *adds it to my list of places I want to visit* x
Thinly Spread
Wow! It looks amazing and just our sort of place to visit – my teens would love the Dracula connections!
My recent post Castles, Castles Everywhere and Walking in the Footsteps of Dylan Thomas – Visit Wales Part 3
dorkymum
Gosh, it looks like there's so much interesting stuff to do! And it's so beautiful. I think I'd be starting off in the bar with 65 beers though 🙂 xx
pennyalexander
Biserica Sfantul Nicolae looks straight out of a story book, can see why characters like Dracula came from here. just beautiful and magical! My brother went years ago and has been telling me to go, this was lovely to read.
My recent post Our Family Caravan – Inside and Out
@BeingMrsC
Romania has always been on my (ever growing) list of places to visit once the kids are a bit bigger but I think it's just jumped up a few places. Brasov sounds fascinating.
@emvanstone
Oh gosh, just beautiful!
My recent post Living Arrows 18/52