Welcome to County Braşov in the Transilvania region of Romania! Discover historic Braşov and surrounding villages, and understand the rich Transilvania culture unfolding in beautiful Brasov. Rest Romania will help you find the perfect hotel or B&B in our Braşov Accommodation section, or a guest house or pensiune in a village nestled in the mountains. Explore all of Braşov from Braşov to Făgăraş (Fogaras), Codlea (Feketehalom) and Săcele (Hétfalu), as well as the smaller towns of Ghimbav (Vídombák), Predeal, Râşnov (Rozsnyó), Rupea (Kőhalom), Victoria, and Zărneşti (Zernyest)!
Travel by rental car or tour bus and train through the Braşov region of Transilvania in Romania. Hotels in Braşov are well-priced, and great travel and tourism activities from shopping, to exploring the villages, folk art, castles, mountains and forests. See all of County Braşov, from Braşov to Făgăraş or Fagaras to Predeal and Azuga and Bran and all that!
The new
Rest
Romania Gallery
has photos from our contributors showing the best of Romania!
County Braşov lucks out by having easily accessible mountain
wonders, from sweet villages displaying their unique
Bârsa culture nestled under the spires of the King's Rock
National Park, to fascinating old Saxon citadels and world-class skiing at Romania's premier ski resort.
The Braşov region is one of the most visited by tourists, and
with good reason. The Teutonic Knights made certain you'll have over a dozen
fabulous old Saxon churches and fortresses to see, in all directions
around Romania's
"Fairytale" city of Braşov.
The city of Braşov mixes the
breathtaking mountain scenery in nearby
Braşov Meadows ("Poiana Braşov"), with very
apparant medieval history and Germanic influences in the main old
town area of Braşov.
Known as "Bârsa Land"
for centuries, County Braşov is protected by a ring of
mountains, and due to it's combination of ethnic groups, a prime example of Romania's multicultural heritage.
With Hungarian rulers and Saxon dominance for centuries, the ethnic
Romanian population survived outside the city gates and in the verdant
folds of the surrounding foothills and deep in high river valleys.
County Braşov was always the front line
against attacking Turks, Pechenegs, Visigoths and others, it's unique
location in a wide valley just beyond three mountain passes made
Braşov a naturally strategic and ultimately
defendable location. It's functional nodality at the intersection
of trade routes and happy location on a fertile plain but near the
mountains, meant agrarian and commercial success for the town.
In addition to the capital city of Braşov, the
County of Braşov has three other incorporated
areas,
Făgăraş,
Codlea, and
Săcele.
The city of Braşov itself is in the top 5 in Romania at
about 290,000 city-dwellers and around 380,000 in the surrounding area. The 6 towns of
Predeal, Râşnov,
Rupea,
Ghimbav,
Victoria and
Zărneşti are somewhat smaller and are complemented by over 45
communes and at least as many villages.
Braşov is up there with Sinaia and the surrounding mountain resorts
as the most visited city in Transylvania and Romania, being just 160km
from the main airport at Bucharest.
From Mount Tampa, the old Lutheran Black Church in
the middle. There was once a Romanian citadel on Mount Tampa
called Brassovia, which gave the Romanian name of the city, one later
used by the Hungarians aş well.
On the road between Bran and Wallachia, these
County Braşov pensions, farm-stays and
guest houses show off their best! (Click for full-sized
panorama!)
Known to tourists around the world as "Dracula's Castle" because of
it's convincing air of mystery and looming dread high atop a rocky
outcropping, Bran Castle was the main defensive fortification
controlling the Bran pass.
The castle is yet another "Vlad
the Impaler" slept/marauded/passed-through here site, having a
loose historical association with the de facto Dracula.
Owned by the Habsburg dynasty for generations, it and all
Transilvania was awarded to Greater Romania after the first world war.
Not having the resources to maintain it, the County
Braşov council gave it to Romania's royal family, after which it
was converted to a rather nicely appointed summer home under the
direction of Romania's beloved Queen Marie, with that work
finishing around 1927.
The stunning jagged crown of the limestone spires of
the King's Rock National Park are a natural wonder up there with Bryce Canyon in Utah,
the Twelve Apostles near Melbourne, the White Cliffs of Dover.
With caves, arches and gob-smacking views in all directions to both the
Făgăraş and Bucegi mountain ranges, King's Rock
("Piatra Craiului") offers hiking, folk villages, and abundant wildlife
year-round.
Several chalets dotted throughout the park were built on the sites of
old hunters' refuges, and now offer great respite for the weary
bushwalker, lovely for overnight stays there, or in any of the nearby
folk villages which line the apron of the sharp peaks of the park.
Going up the Bârsa river from Braşov, you encounter
Upper Bârsa Land, with Bran Castle, the King's Rock
National Park (Piatra Craiului), skiing at Poiana Braşov, and folk
villages featuring the pottery of Tohanu.
Down river you'll find
fortified Saxon churches, more stunning scenery, and in all of
Bârsa Land, the year-round festivals
exhibiting rich folk traditions, costumes, and cuisine which celebrate
the rich Ţara Bârsei culture.
This region has been mentioned as a cohesive separate culture for
over 1000 years, their costumes and folk customs distinct to the region,
and it's geographic containment between three mountain systems with high
passes has meant a preservation and definition of this culture too.
You'll delight in any of the farmstays or pensions in this area,
with fresh produce and shepherds in their traditional (and, for the cool
mountain nights, very intelligent) costumes. Check the local
calendars for events in the area when you're visiting, you will not be
disappointed!
Tohanu Nou, Sodohol, Moieciu de Sus, Peştera, Măgura,
Fundata and Şirnea are just a few of the area villages in the
Upper Bârsa Land basin where you can find great little farm stays, charming
mountain pensions, and lovely guesthouses perched along babbling brooks
and across verdant fields.
Whether you are visiting the region for a few days to take in the
hiking, skiing, sightseeing, or just driving in the immediate area,
you'll seriously fall in love with the home-cooked authentic Romanian
breakfasts, the delightful options for lunch, either at a cafe in Bran
or a picnic along a local little river, or a full course "Specific Românesc"
meal at a local restaurant recommended by your hosts, you'll delight in
the local colours, customs and flavours of Upper Bârsa Land.
There is a reason it's one of Romania's premier tourist areas!
The Lower Bârsa Land region, where the River
Bârsa wanders across the Braşov
plain to the Olt River, is full of the southern-most Saxon fortified
churches in Europe.
Here you can find, quite close to
Braşov, the wonderful old citadels,
fortifications and churches built during the early occupation of the
Teutonic Knights.
The Teutonic Knights went on quite a building spree in the 1200s
throughout this territory, then under the direction of the Hungarian
crown.
Churches went up with fortifications all around them, new
architecture in many ways for the greater Romania area, with it's
largely Orthodox population.
Dotted across towns like
Hărman,
Prejmer, Rotbav, and more are these
rather grand creations, many with super-thick fortified walls, and
mini-villages set up inside the walls along with the obligatory
churches. If you're in County Braşov, or
even just visiting the city, a stop in at one of these nearby
little towns will enrich your understanding of County
Braşov culture and history.
"I'm in love with
Transilvania. I love the way the horizon rolls, I love
how the Carpathian Alps soar like a tidal wave two thousand metres high.
I
love the sound of the words: Făgăraş(fugger-ash), Ucea(oo-chay-ah),
Braşov(brash-ov).
"I love the timeless images of rural life flashing past
the window of my train. A shepherd leans on his stick, wearing a
fleecy coat the size of a small car.
"A ramshackle wooden wagon jolts down a muddy track, lead by a prancing, skinny
black horse with blinkers and a faded rosette. Mucky kids squat in
ditches, tossing pebbles into pools.
Stout women in headscarves carry wood
or chat over a fence, tough as old boots. Wizened old men sip from small
glasses, playing chess in their rumpled black suits, white shirts and black
hats."
Do It Outdoors!
Summer means hiking and trekking
in County Braşov for outdoor types, and promises
a great mountain adventure. Winter in County
Braşov reveals that
Romania is THE
place to ski in Eastern Europe, and the crown jewel of the Romanian ski
resorts is
Poiana Braşov,
just 15 minutes away from Brasov's city centre.
Set in the pine forests of the Postavărul section
of the Carpathian mountains at around 1030 metres high, it has 19 marked runs and 35 km of unmarked runs.
Poiana Braşov has
12 ski slopes designated
from beginner to advanced. It's also just 20 minutes from Bran Castle,
where a booming Dracula-based tourist trade runs at the foot of the old royal
residence.
Braşov is up there with Sinaia and the
surrounding mountain resorts as the most visited city in Transylvania
and
Romania, and once you arrive in this fairytale city, you can't miss the
reasons why!
Braşov
boasts everything from dynamic modern life city life to old world charm
and fascinating scenery. Also, it's pleasant to have some of the
extras as well, including some of the best cleanliness records in the
country, great transport and great food.
Located in the centre of Romania, Braşov
city is the number two tourist stop in Romania
after the obligatory Bucharest stop.
Braşov has a population of 283,901 and is one
of the largest cities in Romania. It is located in the center of the
country and surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. The city provides a
mix of wonderful mountain scenery in the nearby Poiana Braşov and
medieval history with Germanic influences in the old town. The city is
160 km from Bucharest.
The old city of Braşov majestically sweeps
around the base of Mount Tampa, which peaks at 967m.
An important
industrial, cultural and business centre, Braşov is also a universal
centre of traditions. Owing to the numerous historical and
artistic monuments, Braşov is one of the most important tourist regions
in the country.
The town dates from 1211 and is divided into two distinct
components: The Baroque zone of influence which snakes along the
base of Mount Tampa and up onto the Postavaru tableland; and the more
modern zone of apartment blocks and light industry.
Due to fairly large minority populations, Hungarian and German are
also spoken in addition to Romanian, and most locals speak English!
The principal attraction in Braşov is the old
town centre favoured by Hungarian and Saxon merchants for centuries, and
the historical Schei district, full of charm where you can find antique
stores, especially religious wares.
One of the most accessible and equally interesting castles
towering over the Braşov plain is the mighty
castle at Raşnov, encompassing about twice the area of Bran Castle.
Râşnov has about 15,000 townsfolk, and is just 15 km
out of Braşov going towards Bran and the Upper Bârsa Land. The
near impenetrable citadel was built around the year 1215 by the
Teutonic Knights and was conquered only once around the year 1600 by
Gabriel Báthory.
According to local lore, the Râşnov citizenry were
concerned about the lack of potable water during an early siege. Two
Turkish soldiers, having been captured earlier, were then put to the
task of digging a well in the centre of the fortress. Told they'd
have their freedom when done, it took them 32 years to finish the well.
The well is 143 metre deep, being functionally until 1850, when the
wheel broke..
Clearly the well, along with the storehouses, and
formidable walls allowed those inside the castle walls to survive a
siege for a long time (as they often were).
Exploring the inner castle is a bit of fun, clambering
from room to room, sometimes on ladders. Spend a bit of time
in the little museum, with it's displays of various garish tools of
war, the odd skeleton and a few "hidden" passages.
But it's the view from Râşnov castle
which truly captivates everyone. You'll see people stuck on
the edge of a lookout or old wall, just marvelling at the red roofs
of the town below, and at the surrounding mountains.
Râşnov just has that feel, which is quite
inspirational on a clear summer day.
If you have time, go down into the town (about 20 minutes by
foot), where a stroll through Râşnov will
reveal rather grand wooden gates inset in thick stones walls,
leading to houses and courtyards inside, many painted in some great
colours. Find one of the markets and see what you can
scare up for lunch. Much, much, much more rewarding than a
tourist trap in the city!
More Saxon churches and fortresses abound in the northern
reaches of County Braşov, built by the Teutonic Knights under the
rule of the Hungarian overlords.
If you're travelling north from Braşov
through to Sighişoara, one or two stops in this great area is well
worth your time. Train travellers should (for once) make
certain to choose the Personal train to get off at Feldioara or
Rotbav (see above) other stops going up north.
The villages in this area all feature great old citadels and
fortified churches built in the 13th Century out of stone, instead
of the wood methods used up until then.
Feldioara
was a popular place from the stone age, through Dacian times, and
into the Medieval years as an important trade centre, happily sited
between mountains and along the banks of the Olt River.
Digs at Feldioara have revealed Ariujd ceramics and Greek,
Macedonian and fourth-century Roman coins and household items.
The Hungarian crown granted leave for the Teutonic Knights to
build one of their many fortifications here at Feldioara, with work
beginning in 1211. Feldoiara's importance peaked around
the mid-1400, after which the city of Braşov
ascendancy in the region.
In 1529, the Moldovan prince Petru Rareş,
son of Stephen the Great, aligned with the Ottoman empire and
delivered the region to rule from far away Istanbul, as was much of
neighbouring Moldova and Wallachia then. A decisive
battle at Feldioara saw Rareş join forces
with the half of the Habsburgs aligned with the Turks, lead by
Hungarian overlord János Zápolya.
The Orthodox Church
Most travellers to the area will not realise that the
now-predominant Orthodox flavour of Christianity only became
prevalent in the region in the 1700s. Before then, the
Calvinist and Lutheran Evangelism ruled the roost, with a smattering
of mainstream and Greek Uniate Catholics.
The church at Feldioara benefits from
this "late start", with it's 1788 building date meaning it is
architecturally consistent with others in there area and rather
pleasing to the modern eye. This church and it's nice grounds hold a
few surprises in the small museum, including a library with 18th
century works from the bishopric of Vâlcea.
The almost French looking town hall building was built at the same
time on the main drag.
The
Saxon Church
As was so often the case, the current Gothic edifice was erected
atop the older remains on consecrated ground on the east side of
sunny Feldioara. With the original church built by the
Teutonic Knights in the 13th century, today's church is typical of
many of the Saxon churches in the area, although this one really is
not quite as fortified as the ones north and south, as with the one
in Rotbav just a few minutes to the north by car.
Monument to the 1612 Uprising
This rather unique monument -- a tower looking like a grain
storage building actually -- is perched on the south-west edge of
town.
Built in 1912, 400 years after 39 young townspeople from
the region (oddly, the town of Braşov)
were slaughterd by yet another Hungarian despot, Gabriel Bathory
(who's family was rumoured to have vampires who bathed in the blood
of virgins).
The views from the top are rather nice actually, bucolic and
worth a few snaps. Do show reverence here, Romanians tend to
take their monuments to the cruelty of Hungarian rulers rather
seriously.
If your time is limited in this area, Rotbav makes and excellent
first or second choice for a few hours to familiarise yourself with
what a fortified Saxon church and citadel actually mean.
Rotbav is about 20 minutes north of Braşov
along the Olt River, and is believed to be a continuously inhabited
site since the Bronze Age.
It's believed locally that a couple of dozen Saxon families
settled just to the west of Rotbav in the mid-1200s, the town
quickly spreading north and south towards Măieruş
and Feldioara.
The name Rotbav means "red river", a rather sinister reference
to the way the local river ran red after townsfolk cleaned up after
a particularly nasty invasion.
The current Gothic style church went up in 1300 with
fortifications added as was so much the fashion in the 15th century
to survive the increasingly frequent sieges by the Ottomans and
others.
In addition to the obligatory well, the fortifications
provided reasonably well for the besieged inside, with stores,
offices, stables, a community kitchen, and beekeeping facilities.
A grand portcullis guards the Rotbav fortifications, along with
defensive towers and rather thick walls. Razed by the Turks in
1438 and 1464, the castle had it's worst assualt during the burning
of Rotbav in 1602 in a local skirmish involving Muntenian lords.
The wood portions were then rebuilt in 1602, with yet another fire
resulting in more rebuilding in 1738, giving the complex the look it
has today. Really, instead of "red river", perhaps "fire
town" would have been a better name for Rotbav.
The
church survived and well through all the turmoil, and in 1908 a
great organ was installed and a grand clock put into the tower.
The town crest (see above) can be seen over the entrance of the
church to this day, with the traditional meaning being "The Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit", although the more general secular
interpretation follows "Belief, Love and Hope".
The pre-World War II population of 469 Saxon residents has
dwindled to 28 today out of the 1650 townspeople of Rotbav.
In addition to the fortifications and the church, have a look at
the little village museum for some insights into local
archaeological finds and cultural history.
The local pond, Tânărogul, has a whole host of fairly unique and
surprisingly enough, some rare species of pond plant as well.
The large pond also provides a useful habitat for passing great
ducks, summer geese, lesser herons, golden herons, waterhens, and
night herons.
Rupea's location in the middle of the northern tip of
Lower Bârsa Land makes it a great base for
this historical area. It was known as Rumidava in Dacian
days, and during the Roman occupation, Rupes (meaning rubbles or
rocks in Latin).
Today there are much more than rocks in Rupea, thanks to a main
highway, rail and plenty of tourist traffic through the region along
the upper Olt River valley. This is the main
tourist appeal of Rupea, as a reasonably sized little town of 5500
with good transportation links and a good location to explore the
surrounding sites.
The Village of Roadeş
Just 10 minutes north of Rupea is the very charming little Saxon
village of Roadeş in the
wider Buneşti township. Perhaps not surprisingly, the
church is the centre of this village, under the bishopric of Sibiu.
Immediately to the east of Rupea is the little hamlet of Homorod.
It's 13th century church has a hugh tower for the choir built in the
15th century, and fortifications as late as the 17th century.
If you have decided to base your journeys of the Lower
Bârsa Land in Rupea for a few days, put
Homorod on the itinerary as it is both close to Rupea and a fine
example of the Saxon fortified church architecture.
While a 1623 fire burned the wooden portions of the fortifications,
most of the church was rebuilt by 1626, including a tower where
there is an incription by the pastor condemning the person who's
negligence allowed the fire to start. Just a bit of a family
stain.
The seven to eight metre high defensive walls went up in the
15th century in a rectangular pattern, the corners being straddled
by towers with two levels, and a rather interesting interior
courtyard.
Roughly meaning cross in the local tongue, the first church was
erected here in the mid-1200s with surrounding village houses.
The 15th century wall, up to 8 metres high in some spots, went up to
defend the church and courtyard.
The church was rebuilt in 1813 and without the clear threat of
marauding Turks, Moldovans, Pechenegs or others, the walls were
quietly used by the villages to built more houses and to build
grain storehouses in the courtyard. The northeast tower was
also rebuilt in 1955, and you can still see the original well, so
necessary for the odd extended siege. The carvings and
woodwork of the alter in particular (on left) is worth the trip.
The Buneşti township is the main centre
for surrounding Criţ, Mesendorf, Viscri, and
Roadeş villages, sporting a population of about 2500.
The Monastery of Saint George in Buneşti
serves the surrounding area, with a nearby little ethnographic
museum showing off the standard costumes and farming traditions of
the Lower Bârsa Land villagers of the area.
Curiously enough, they still hang bacon in one of the towers of the
fortifications, as no better place has been built in town. Get
a photo and send it to us if you're in Buneşti,
thanks!
If
you've made it as far as Buneşti, your logical
next stop is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Viscri Castle. As
so often happens in human history, what was once an important location,
in this case for a fortification along trade routes, has become an
out-of-the-way place.
From Buneşti, the fortifications at Viscri
are accessed by an unsealed road, about 7km south of
Buneşti proper. Once you see the great gleaming white
castle, you'll know you made the right choice to spend some time here.
Take a picnic lunch or spend a night at one of the farmstays and
pensions, because this is the sort of photo and historical information
opportunity that few Western tourists have a chance to enjoy!
All around the area are restored village houses, many having
benefited from funds organised through
The Mihai
Eminescu Trust, based in London and avidly supported by HRH The
Prince of Wales.
The 400 or so Viscri villagers have it all, their little valley
featuring the expected gothic church, built in the mid 1100s by the
newly arrived Hungariaqn migrants to the area, and was adopted by the
next wave of settlers from southern Germany, the Saxons.
Further fortified in the 1500s. This particular
fortified Saxon church gained a some notable architectural features from
even more additions, with walls and tours continually added through the
centuries, giving the complex a rather enjoyably organic balance with a
few surprises and some good views from the towers of the surrounding
village and forested hills.
Măieruş
At the northern-most limit of the historical Lower
Bârsa Land region, roughly defined by the
fortifications built by the Teutonic Knights, mighty little Măieruş
spreads out gracefully along the Olt river. The Knights put up
their standard church and citadel combination here in the late
1200s, at 30km from Braşov, the furthest
north from Braşov in Bârsa
Land.
It's Roman roots (and presumably Dacian before that) were noted
in 1377, when the settlement was recorded as "villa nucum".
The new road to Braşov was largely completed
by Italian labourers, and opened in 1866. By this time, sleepy
little Măieruş was mostly Saxon Germans (901)
with just under 500 ethnic Romanians and 40 others, with a few
Italians remaining from building the rail line.
This merry mix of cultures and the highway greatly boosted the
fortunes of Măieruş, as did the 1874 train
station, delivering yet more travellers and commerce to the
expanding village. Indeed, just 9 years later
Măieruş had it's own school, expanded in
1911.
Măieruş today boasts over 2500 happy villagers,
although the Saxon portion has dwindled to around 100 now.
The town today is principally based on wood products from the
extensive forested land in the area, as well as the riches from the
many pastures
The Church of Măieruş
This great little church, built in the 14th Century, was
designed with the typical fortifications, formerly about 7 metres
tall, but mostly little more than rubble now. After a rather
devastating fire, the church and belfry were rebuilt in the Gothic
style in 1573. The church has served admirable duty
through the years, sheltering townsfolk during WWII (42 died in
Măieruş), and proud home to the town's choir
since 1919.
Călătorii pt. sporturi şi activităţi,+40 (268) 258344FAX: +40 (268) 258344
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If the number you are calling in
Braşov is with the old state-run operator RomTelecom, it will
start with a (0268) if you're dialling in-country, or (268) without
the leading zero when dialling from abroad.
Most numbers in Braşov county
use the (268) county code, although some of the newer phone
companies will have a leading "3" before the 68, so you dial (0368)
in Romania or (368) outside of Romania.
Dialling a mobile number, you do the same, dropping
the zero from the (07XX) part of the number, to make it (7XX).
Both landlines and mobiles have 6 digits following the initial
county code.
For full dialling
information and a chart of county codes, see
our Dialling R
County Braşov lucks out by having easily accessible mountain
wonders, from sweet villages displaying their unique 
Feldioara
was a popular place from the stone age, through Dacian times, and
into the Medieval years as an important trade centre, happily sited
between mountains and along the banks of the Olt River.
The
Saxon Church
The
church survived and well through all the turmoil, and in 1908 a
great organ was installed and a grand clock put into the tower.
Have more info? Please Let us know!
Măieruş
Călătorii pt. sporturi şi activităţi,
