I never heard of Brasov before signing up for this trip to the Balkans. I never had any dreams of coming here, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this place and how historically interesting it is.
In the afternoon we participated in a guided tour of Brasov led by Vio who is local guide, as this was his home town, though he no longer lives there. We basically walked around the old city centre of Brasov and our guide interpreted what we saw. There is no doubt in my mind that a good interpreter is worth his or her weight in gold. Unless you have a vast amount of historical knowledge it is difficult to understand what you are seeing in an old city centre. Get a guide if you can!
Brașov is a city in the Transylvania region of Romania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. It’s known for its medieval Saxon walls and bastions, the towering Gothic-style Black Church and lively cafes. Piaţa Sfatului (Council Square) in the cobbled old town is surrounded by colorful baroque buildings and is home to the Casa Sfatului, a former town hall turned local history museum. Of course, I loved to photograph those old buildings.
Located at the heart of old medieval Brasov and lined with beautiful red-roofed merchant houses, the Council Square, known to the Saxon population as the Marktplatz, is a nice place to rest and watch the locals and visitors. That is exactly what Christiane did here.
The central square is surely one of the most picturesque squares in Europe. It has been claimed that it is the spot where the legendary Pied Piper led the children of Hamlin. It is a great place to rest, and Christiane did exactly that while the rest of us clamoured along the cobblestones which she failed to admire.
Brasov is surrounded by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains, that can be seen on some of my photos. Brasov is an incredibly beautiful city that I thought matches or surpasses the beauty of most European cities. The walk through the old part of the town was stunning.
Brasov was founded, in 1211, by the Teutonic Knights, on an ancient Dacian site. In the 13th century Brasov was settled by the Saxons after it got permission from the man Vio claimed owned all of Europe, Sigismund of Luxembourg. It soon became one of Transylvania’s famous seven walled cities (Siebenburgen or seven walled citadels). Strong defending towers were erected and maintained with funding provided by the town’s craft guilds.
Thanks to its location at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and western Europe, and a friendly tax regime because Sigismund did not levy taxes, though the Turks often tried to do that, the merchants of the city amassed considerable wealth. Naturally, that wealth allowed them to obtain significant political influence in the region. That was why the name of the city in German at the time was Kronstadt or Corona in Latin, meaning the Crown City.
This city has a lot of churches and frankly I don’t remember some of them by name. It’s hard to lug camera gear, take photos and make notes too.
Some of the churches are too large for their space so that you can’t walk away from them for better and more complete photos. I had to do the best I could from up close. That is a pity. I think every church should be surrounded by open space so it can be appreciated properly from a distance where you can get an overview.
The Transylvanian Saxons built massive stone walls and seven bastions around the city (still visible today), as well as ornate churches, elaborately decorated buildings and one of the most picturesque central squares in Transylvania.
Many people like Mount Tâmpa with its Kitschy Hollywood like sign. Personally, I consider such structures, whether here or Phoenix, a desecration and would prefer an uncluttered mountain. But each to their own. Apparently, the sign can be seen for over 15 miles.
We also stopped to admire Catherine’s Gate (Poarta Ecaterninei) which was built in 1559. Please note the 4 turrets on the building. This tells us that this building housed a judge who had the right to impose capital punishment. It symbolizes the fact that Brasov was independent city with judicial autonomy. What we saw here, looks like a fairy-tale tower, but originally it was actually part of a much larger structure. That larger structure was demolished in 1827. Above the entrance, can be seen the city’s coat of arms, a crown on a tree trunk.
We also walked by what some call the narrowest road in Europe. I think such claims are dubious and meant to lure tourists to their doom. But I remember one very narrow street from our earlier trip to the Balkans and specifically remember I could barely walk through it. It was that tight. It was definitely narrower than this street, though this was impressively narrow. The street is called Rope Street and is 3.6 to 4 feet wide and 265 feet long. Clearly, big American cars are not welcome here. Another legend, equally unbelievable, was that couples who kissed on Rope Street will never part. Christiane refused to kiss me here, as such a prospect was too daunting for her. OK I never tried, but I am sure that would have been her response. Apparently, this myth though gave comfort to young couples whose parents disapproved of their relationship.