Brasov remains one of Romania’s favorite destinations, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The city of Brasov is full of history and has a special cultural importance for Romania. Read further on
Brasov remains one of Romania’s favorite destinations, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The city of Brasov is full of history and has a special cultural importance for Romania. Read further on what you can visit, where you can eat well and discover the history of the place. Will we start our new virtual journey?
5 minutes of history:
- the archaeological discoveries, have documented the existence of Dacian temples in the area of Pietrele lui Solomon, as well as some food stores in Piata Sfatului, of settlements and fortresses on Melcilor Hill, and in the Valley of Cetatii district. Most of them were damaged or destroyed by the communist authorities within the systematization program.
- the name of the city of Brasov comes from the name of the local river Barsa, a name taken over and transformed later by the Slavs in Barsov.
- 1211: It is built the oldest edifice in the city, the Church of St. Bartholomew. The church built by the Teutonic knights in the 13th century underwent substantial changes in the 15th century. At present, only a small part of the choir and adjoining rooms are left untouched.
- 1377: The construction of the church of St. Mary (or the Black Church, as it will be named after the fire) begins on the site of an older basilica. The church is finished in 1477. Because of the lack of funds, the second tower of the church will never be built.
- 1399: An act by Pope Bonifacius IX (1389-1404) speaks of the church of St. Nicholas in Schei, and allows for the existence of a teaching place around the church.
- 1533: The first printing house in Brasov was founded, and in 1544 the first gymnasium in the locality was founded.
- 1559: The first book in Romanian is printed: “Christian Question”.
- April 1689 – April 21: A great fire destroys the city almost entirely. The authorities of Brasov decide to ban the construction of wooden houses. The renovation of the city lasted more than a century, when it changed the architectural appearance of the facades.
- 1804: Introduce the public lighting inside the fortress by installing the oil lanterns.
- 1987: November 15 Brasov revolts against the communist regime.
The Black Church
The Black Church is the parochial church of the Lutheran Evangelical Community in Brasov, and is one of the most representative monuments of Gothic architecture in Romania. It is more than 89 meters long and is considered to be the largest church in the country. Due to its size, when it was completed, it was awarded the title of The Greatest Church between Vienna and Constantinople. The church was partially damaged in the fire that followed the temporary invasion of the Turks in 1689, when its walls became uneven and received its present name. In the Church, shooting and / or filming is strictly forbidden.
Timetable:
- Summer program: 9 April – 7 October
- Tuesday-Saturday: 10: 00-19: 00
- Sunday-Monday: 12: 00-19: 00
- Winter program: October 8 – April 2020
- Tuesday-Saturday: 10: 00-16: 00
- Sunday: 12: 00-16: 00
- Monday: closed
The last entry is 15 minutes before the closing time.
Tickets:
- adults: 10 lei
- students: 6 lei
- students: 3 lei
- children <7 years: free
More info here!
Rope Street (Strada Sforii)
The street is attested in documents from the 17th century, as a simple corridor, to help the firemen’s work. The width of the street varies between 1.11 and 1.35 m, being the narrowest street in Brasov and the third narrowest street in Europe. The Rope Street (Strada Sforii) is 80 meters long. There is a legend that has resisted over the years and will probably be there for a long time. It is said that young lovers who kiss on Rope Street will remain together for life. So romantic!
White Tower
The tower was built between 1460 and 1494 and is 59 meters away from the fortress wall. The tower communicated with it through a mobile bridge connecting the tower and the Graft Bastion. The tower was occupied by the fire flames of 1689 and refurbished only in 1723. Today it is a museum point, and you can admire the chimney above a hearth that was kept inside the tower. The chimney could also serve to warm the guards and defenders.
Timetable:
- monday: closed
- Tuesday-Sunday: 10: 00-18: 00
Tickets:
- adults: 7 lei
- pensioners: 4 lei
- pupils / students / preschoolers: 1,5 lei
- people with disabilities: free
The Black Tower
The Black Tower is one of the four observation towers of the Fortress of Brasov and was built at the same time with the White Tower. After a series of natural cataclysms, the tower was rebuilt only in 1996 and today is a museum point.
Timetable:
- monday: closed
- Tuesday-Sunday: 10: 00-18: 00
Tickets:
- adults: 7 lei
- pensioners: 4 lei
- pupils / students / preschoolers: 1,5 lei
- people with disabilities: free
The Schei Gate
The Schei Gate was built between 1827 and 1828 to streamline the traffic in this area. The gate was built after the visit of Emperor Francis I in Brasov in 1817. It was built of stone and brick in a classic style, and has the shape of a triumphal arch with three entrances.
The Ecaterina Gate
The Ecaterina Gate is definitely one of the oldest and most beautiful gates, which has retained its original appearance until today. It was right next to the Schei Gate, and it was for centuries the only gate in the west of the fortress. The gate was provided with a mobile bridge with chains to ensure the passage over the water ditch.
Memorial House Stefan Baciu
Stefan Baciu was a poet, essayist, memorialist, journalist, art critic, translator, diplomat, university professor. The building (basement, ground floor, attic, attic) was built in the years 1930-1931, according to the plans of the architect Coloman Halasz. The “Ştefan Baciu” building is the first museum dedicated to a diaspora novel.
Timetable:
- Monday – Saturday: 09: 00-17: 00
- Sunday: closed
Tickets:
- adults: 5 lei;
- pensioners: 3 lei;
- preschoolers, pupils, students: 2 lei.
County Museum of History
The activity of Brasov History Museum takes place in several buildings, most of them being historic class A monuments:
- The House of Counsel
- The Graft Bastion
- The Weavers Bastion
1. House of Counsel
The fortification was built between 1521 and 1528, for the “granting of rights” and for the magistrates’ meetings (city council). At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the tower became the “trumpet tower”, named after the watchman who had climbed the tower, blowing the trumpet every hour, marking the hours of the day. On April 21, 1689, the great fire destroyed the city, the House of the Council being severely affected. In this fire the archive that was deposited here was partially burned. In 1950, the old town hall became a museum.
Timetable:
- Monday: closed
- Tuesday-Sunday: 09: 00-17: 00
Tickets:
- adults: 7 lei
- preschoolers, pupils, students: 1,50 lei
- pensioners: 4 lei
- people with disabilities: free.
For more information click here!
2. The Graft Bastion
The Graft Bastion was built between 1515 and 1521 to ensure the communication of the defenders in the White Tower with the fortress. The bastion had a movable gate with a base thickness of about 4 meters. It was sheltered and maintained by the harpsichord guild (trackers, harnesses, straps).
Due to a torrential rain in 1809, the fortress walls sank into the Graft area and consolidation was required. Three springs were built over the creek, of which one still exists today.
3. The Weavers Bastion
The tower, guarded and maintained by flax weavers guild, was built in two stages, between 1421-1436 and 1570-1573. Following the 1710 earthquake, the northeastern tower collapsed and the current bastion was lifted (1750). Following the evolution of military technique, especially of firearms, the military role of the tower was lost from 1750 to 1800, and the bastion was abandoned. The tower became a museum after the restoration of 1910, and hosts the permanent exhibition “Fortress of Brasov and the fortifications of Tara Barsei. ”
Timetable:
- Monday: closed
- Tuesday-Sunday: 09: 00-17: 00
Tickets:
- adults: 7.00 lei
- preschoolers, pupils, students: 1,50 lei
- pensioners: 4,00 lei
- people with disabilities: free.
More info here!
Museum of Urban Civilization
The Urban Civilization Museum of Brasov won the ICOM Romanian Committee Prize, which recognizes the remarkable modern exhibition of the restored historical monument, as well as the unique thematic concept for the museums in Romania. In the basement you will find the Lapidarium, where you can watch the documentary film about the history of the building and the restoration works, as well as The cellar. On the ground floor you will discover how they looked like commercial shops in a rich and powerful city like Brasov: The commercial space and the Spice Estate are part of the permanent exhibitions in the museum. Hurry to discover them too! Child Room, Embroidery Workshop, Fashion and Flower Workshop, Photographers’ Workshop and Souvenir Courtyard are exhibitions you will find on the third floor, called the “patrician interior.” The attic is designed for temporary exhibitions.
Timetable:
- Tuesday – Sunday: 09:00 – 17:00
- Monday – closed
Tickets:
- Adults: 7 RON
- Retired: 3 RON
- Students: 2 RON
More info here!
Ethnography Museum
The museum, founded in 1990, illustrates the civilization of the rural community from the ethnographic areas of Bran, Rupea, Tara Oltului, Hartibaciului Valley, Tara Barsei.
Timetable:
- Tuesday – Sunday: 09.00 – 17.00
- Monday: closed
Tickets:
- adults: 5 lei
- pensioners: 3 lei
- students: 2 lei
Find more information here.
Art Museum
The Brasov Art Museum was founded in 1949 and comprises more than 4500 cultural goods (easel painting, graphics, sculpture, decorative art, icons, tapestry, oriental rugs, etc.).
Timetable:
- Winter program (1 October – 1 April): Tuesday-Sunday: 09.00-17.00 (except for legal holidays)
- Summer program (April 1 – October 1): Tuesday-Sunday: 10.00-18.00 (except for legal holidays)
Tickets:
- Museum entrance (Permanent exhibitions and temporary exhibitions):
- adults: 5,00 Lei
- pensioners: 2,50 Lei
- preschoolers, students, students: 1.00 Leu
- Temporary exhibitions (exclusive):
- adults: 3,00 Lei
- pensioners: 1,50 Lei
- preschoolers, students, students: 1.00 Leu
Here’s more information.
The bastion of rope man
The bastion of the rope man is the first bastion of Brasov, and was mentioned in documents in 1416. The bastion was 10-12 meters high and was equipped with pulling holes for moving parts. The great fire of 1689 caused great disruption to the original architecture. After being rebuilt, the funeral bastion became a warehouse for materials. In 1794 the guild built a house in the bastion, which is still inhabited today.
Drapers Bastion
It was built between the years 1450 and 1455 by the goldsmith’s guild, and in 1640 only, it was taken over by the guild. It was one of the best bastiones. Today, the drapers Bastion houses the first virtual museum in Romania. The gallery offers multi-touch explorers.
Tickets | Timetable: |
adults – 4 RON reduced – 3 RON |
Winter: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 17:00
Monday: closed Summer: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 18:00 Monday: closed |
The Hunt Tower
The tower was part of the tower suite, of the Brasov fortress. The tower is today a museum and hosts a collection of antique weapons and hunting specific items.
Old Synagogue
The Old Synagogue is a Jewish place of worship built in 1924 in Moorish style. Besides the synagogue, there was a ritual bath and a central cemetery. Currently, the synagogue is decommissioned, being used as a warehouse. The building requires consolidation work.
The first Romanian school
The building was built in 1495 and preserves the Baroque style of the modifications made during 1760. The museum complex contains several rooms and buildings: the “Anton Pann” classroom, the “Deacon Coresi” Hall, the “Braşov Book and Cartridge” Hall, the Hall “The Book, National Unity Factor”, Hall with fireplace, Church “Sf. Nicolae “Museum,” Ex-Libris “Museum,” Brasov Juni “Museum,” Tudor Ciortea “Museum.
Tickets:
- pupils / students – 5 lei
- adults – 10 lei
Find more information here or you can make a virtual tour.
Statue of the unknown soldier
In Union Square in Brasov there is an important monument of the heroes of the First World War. On an inscription you can read the sign: “Thanksgiving of the heroes destroying the nation”.
Fortress of Straja
The fortress on Straja, or the Hill of Fortress, as it is called today by locals, was in the past a military defense of the fortress. Over time, it has lost its role of defending, serving as a prison or warehouse for the State Archives in Brasov. Since 1981, after being restored, the fortress has become an important medieval tourist destination of the region.
Where do we eat?
Well, if you arrive in Brasov you have to eat at Sergiana. You will find here a traditional atmosphere and you will taste the most delicious dishes.
At La ceaun, keep the traditional area, and serve you the best bean soup in bread.
At the Festival’ 39 you will discover the intimate atmosphere of an inter-war café. Try the duck breast, with anise star sauce, accompanied with baked pineapple, and basmatic rice. It’s absolutely delicious!
I hope this article will be useful and you will have the most beautiful vacation!