Things to see and do Braşov

This is the heart of the old town. Council Square takes its name from the Council of One Hundred Citizens, which once governed the city and met here. Called Marktplatz by the Saxons, it's probably one of the most beautiful pedestrian squares in Romania, beautifully paved and with a fountain. It's surrounded by solid, colorful houses, each with a shop or restaurant on the first floor, some with pleasant terraces. In the center, the Council House(Casa Sfatului) dates back to 1420, but has undergone numerous alterations over the centuries. Badly damaged by the great fire of 1689, it underwent major restoration work at the end of the 18th^century , and was remodeled in the Baroque style it retains today. The 48-meter-high tower was added in 1528 and restored in 1910. This former town hall now houses temporary exhibitions, as well as the History Museum. Here, you can familiarize yourself with the town's history, through medieval documents relating to the various trade guilds, while contemplating the square from above. Back on the cobblestones, notice the vast orange medieval-style building, whose color contrasts so well with the dark green backdrop of the Tâmpa hill forest. Known as Casa Hirscher (or Casa Negustorilor, the Merchants' House), it was built in 1545 by the widow of a nobleman, Apollonia Hirscher, who turned it into the town's covered market.

In the heart of the Schei district, this wooden church built in 1292, rebuilt in stone in the 15th century and enlarged in the 18th, blends Gothic and Baroque styles. With its main tower and the four others flanked at the corners of the building, it looks like a castle! At the time, it played a very important cultural and religious role for the Romanian communities in the surrounding area. Inside, you will see beautiful icons, some of which date back to the 15th century.

Arriving in Brașov in the early ^19th century, the Jewish community built a synagogue here, completed in 1901. Concealed at the far end of a courtyard, this elegant building of red brick and white stone is in the neo-Moorish style. Its size reflects the importance of the community until the Second World War. The immaculately white interior walls are finely sculpted. The synagogue features interesting stained-glass windows, notably the geometric motifs above the entrance porch. It also houses a small memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

The country's largest Gothic church, it was built between 1385 and 1447, alongside an earlier one destroyed by the Tatars. In the fire that ravaged the city in 1689, part of the church was destroyed and its walls turned black, hence its name. Restored, it has been remodeled many times. Its 4,000-pipe organ dates from 1839. The stained glass windows are superb, as are the 119 oriental carpets (15th-18th centuries), statues and paintings in the Italian Renaissance style. Concerts are held here on a regular basis; see the website.

This large village-like district is different from the medieval Saxon center, and for good reason. It was the only part of the city where, for centuries, the Romanians of Brașov were allowed to live, while the Saxons had most of the city. Romanians could only enter the center at certain times, subject to a toll. The fairly straight streets of the Saxon quarters are contrasted by narrow lanes winding between the hills, lined with small houses. To get there, pass through Poarta Șchei, at the end of the street of the same name.

Located in an attractive neo-Romanesque building at the entrance to the town center, this tourist office can provide information on the area's main tourist attractions, as well as free maps and brochures. There's another information point in town, at the News Caffe (bulevardul Eroilor, 10). For cultural events, you can consult the website https://zilesinopti.ro/brasov/ (of which there is a free paper version, Zile și Nopți Brașov, available in some cultural venues).

This baroque church was built between 1776 and 1782 with the support of Empress Maria Theresa. It was built on the site of a 14th century church erected by the Dominicans, which was abandoned after the Lutheran Reformation. Inside, the walls are richly decorated with stucco. The stained-glass windows were made at the end of the 19th century in the workshop of the master József Palka in Budapest. It is the only building in the city that is entirely Baroque in style.

Before 1781, the Orthodox were not allowed to build places of worship within the city walls. At the end of the ^18th century, however, they were allowed to erect a discreet church without a steeple. Occupying two former Saxon houses, the Church of the Holy Trinity(Sfânta Treime), invisible from the street, is characterized by its rich ornamentation, beautiful icons and precious collection of religious objects. It was used by the Greek community.

In the ^19th century, Romanian Orthodox were not allowed to build overly visible religious edifices within the city walls. That's why the Church of the Assumption, built in 1896, is located in a courtyard behind the parish house: to reach it, you have to cross a long porch, which passes under the house. A faithful copy of the Greek church in Vienna, its frescoes and decorations are impressive. Major renovation work was carried out in 1972.

Strategically located to dominate the city and the northern plains, the citadel(cetatea) was part of Braşov's fortification plan, after that of Mount Tâmpa had been abandoned. Modified and remodeled many times over the centuries, the citadel lost its defensive role in the ^19th century, serving in turn as a prison, a military barracks and a repository for state archives under Communism. It was extensively restored in the 1980s. You can't visit the interior, but the view over the city is sumptuous.

Dedicated to the ethnology of southeastern Transylvania, this museum illustrates, through its precious heritage, the rural civilization of the Bran, Rupea, Ţara Oltului, Valea Hârtibaciului and Ţara Bârsei areas. A permanent exhibition, dedicated to the history of the region's fabrics, shows the changes in raw materials, techniques and dyes, in relation to the evolution of rural and urban society. The exhibition also presents the lifestyle and clothing trends of the early ^20th century in south-eastern Transylvania.

Occupying a neo-baroque building dating from 1902, it boasts fine collections of national art (Tattarescu, Aman, Grigorescu, Mattis-Teutsch...), illustrating the evolution of Romanian art (painting and sculpture) in the ^19th and ^20th centuries. The permanent exhibition also features Transylvanian art from the ^16th to the ^20th centuries, as well as a series of ^18th-century portraits of the city's notables. The decorative arts section features fine porcelain from Europe and Asia. Temporary exhibitions are organized on a regular basis.

Located in the courtyard of St. Nicholas' Church, this beautiful building, built in a baroque style in the 18th century, instead of an older wooden one, housed the first Romanian school, established in 1495. There are the printing works of Deacon Coresi, who had the first books published in Romanian in the 16th century. There will also be old textbooks, printing machines and school furniture from different periods, as well as a small ethnographic section dedicated to the Schei district.

Located in a village on the outskirts of Brașov, the museum occupies a 1543 building that was used to collect taxes for three centuries. It features an exhibition on the traditional civilization of the Southern Carpathians: trades, crafts, technical facilities, a living space and traditional costumes. It reflects the multicultural nature of the Săcele region, where Romanian shepherds cohabited with a population of Hungarian origin, known as Csangos.

Housed in a building dating back to 1566, this museum traces the evolution of urban society in Brașov, a trading city at the crossroads of East and West. We discover various aspects of daily life: the notable's living room, the children's room, the spice counter, the embroidery workshop and the photography studio. Wall paintings, with floral decor inspired by the Transylvanian Late Renaissance of the ^18th-19th centuries, have been preserved.

This lively and colorful park, located in the old town center, is a popular place to cool off in summer. Children flock to play in an area devoted entirely to them, while chess players compete in frenzied games. While following these scenes of life, you can contemplate the buildings that surround the park, such as the post office and the town hall. You can also visit a number of nearby monuments, such as the citadel.

Subjected to numerous enemy attacks and incursions, the town's inhabitants decided to build truly effective fortifications. From the ^14th to the ^17th century, stone walls were gradually erected all around Brașov (3 km long, 12 m high), along with watchtowers and gates, making it one of the most fortified cities in Transylvania. The best way to appreciate this defensive system is to visit the best-preserved of these bastions, the Weavers' Bastion(Țesătorilor), built in 1436. In its wood-panelled galleries, you can visit a museum, where a huge 1896 model depicts the Brașov of the 1600s. Among the other visible remains, Poarta Ecaterinei, from 1559, once the town's main entrance, is the only gate that has survived the tests of time. Poarta Schei, at the end of the street of the same name, was built much later, in 1827. To the west of the old town, along Strada După Ziduri (the "Street Outside the Walls"), at the foot of Warthe Hill, the Black Tower(Turnul negru) and the White Tower(Turnul alb) served as observation posts. Not far away is the Graft bastion, which served as a bridge over the stream and can also be visited. The construction of the fortifications was financed by the Saxon trade guilds, and the bastions were named after one of them:Postăvarilor,Fierarilor orFunarilor, from which the cable car to Tâmpa departs.

This small, densely forested mountain dominates the old town at an altitude of 960 metres. A cable car at the foot of the ramparts climbs to the top every 15 minutes. You can also climb to the top via a footpath from the same point (approx. 1h walk). The view from the top is exceptional: the city is at your feet and you can see the different stages of its construction (medieval city, Șchei, modern city), with the majestic Carpathian Mountains as a backdrop. Until the ^15th century, the hilltop was home to the citadel.

At the very end of the long Rue Lungă (hence the name!), heading towards Bran and Râșnov, you'll see the evangelical church of St. Bartholomew(biserica evanghelică Sfântul Bartolomeu). Built in 1223 by Saxon settlers, this Romanesque church is the town's oldest. Its Gothic elements are later additions. Today, it is used by a small community of Saxon parishioners. In July, organ concerts are held here.