The most beautiful religious buildings Braşov

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 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.

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.