BraÅŸov

BraÅŸov is located in the central part of the country being part of the Transylvanian region. This town surrounded by the Southern Carpathians is considered to be one of the most beautiful towns of Romania.

The first thing you'll notice when arriving to Braşov is the Hollywood like sign at the top of Mount Tâmpa. There are a number of important places and monuments that you should see if you visit this town.

I will start with the Council Square, which is the heart of the medieval BraÅŸov and the finest in Romania. There are a number of houses lined up, all with red roof. The Council House is in the center of this square. This is a very nice place to rest and just soak in the beautiful scenery. In the late summer the Golden Stag music festival takes place here, this is a festival, which is definitely worth seeing.

Since you are in the Council Square you will surely see an imposing building right at its border. This is called the Hirscher House and has an amazing Renaissance architecture.

At the east side of the Council Square lies the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral. This cathedral was built in a Byzantine style. It is worth entering the church just to see all the frescoes and the other interesting decorations.

From the Council Square you can walk on the Republicii street, this is Braşov`s pedestrian street and, as you will observe, it is a cornucopia of cafés, restaurants and shops, absolutely wonderful. If you have time, just stop by one of the cafés and relax while drinking coffee.

Since I've been talking about streets, one of the narrowest streets in the world is to be found in BraÅŸov and it is called the Rope street. You will see a plaque which marks the street. This street is 80 m long and has a width of 111 - 135 cm. I don't think that two people can pass through at the same time, maybe if they turn sideways, but even so. Luckily I didn't encounter anybody when I was passing through this street.

The Black Church is the best-known landmark of BraÅŸov and a great example of Gothic architecture. This church was built between 1383 and 1477. Along the history it was nearly destroyed by a fire caused by the Austrian army and from its blackened walls it got the name of Black Church. If you want to go inside the church you will have to pay a small admission fee, which is around 1-2 euros. If you visit it in the summer perhaps you will have the chance to listen to some great organ recitals.

Ecaterina`s Gate should be the next place on your list. This is the only gate that survived from medieval times. The tower beside the gate is only a part of the gate, there was a wooden structure as well, which was demolished. Even so, by visiting this gate you'll receive a part of history as well.

BraÅŸov was once fortified in order to be protected from the attacks of the Turks and Tatars and seven bastions were erected around the city. However, only a few of these bastions survived, one which you can visit is the Black Tower, which houses a museum. You will be charged a small fee for visiting this bastion and museum. Personally, I wasn't that amazed by the museum itself than by the view of the Black Church, which you can get from the tower.

Another one of the seven bastions is the White Tower. This tower is located high up the hill and you will have to do some exercise to get there, there are about 300 stairs to climb.

If you want to see Braşov from above, you can go with a cable car to the top of Mount Tâmpa and you will have the most spectacular view. It should cost you around 5 euro, but it is definitely worth that price!

All in all, I hope you will have the chance to visit this wonderful town and if you do visit it, I am sure that you will have a wonderful and unforgettable time.Less