Brasov General Information
Location: centrally located, near the mountainside
Size: 267 sq km
Elevation: circa 600 m
Population: circa 237.000
Distance from Bucharest: 185 km
Situated in the heart of Romania, the city of Brasov benefits from the influence of an ancient history.
A little bit of history
Much before the discovery of written documents, the archaeologists discovered traces of civilisation going back to the Bronze Age. Therefore the site discovered on Dealul Melcilor became well known in Europe. Other archaeological sites found in different places around Brasov prove that there lived a strong community of native population, mixed later on with Roman colonists developing into the Romanian population.
At the beginning of 13th century the Saxons (German population coming from the region of Rhein and Mosel) colonised the region of Brasov, finding here a strong Romanian community.
The genuine character of the city will come from the mixture of two different cultures and mentalities. The origins of Brasov as a town are lost in the dark times of medieval age. However it is known that it developed as different communities living here decided to come together into a city.
The first written documents on Brasov go back to 1235, when the city was mentioned as Corona. Later on the city was known also as Brasco, Brasso, Stephanopolis, Kronstadt, and Brasov. However the most popular names of the city are the last two ones.
Thanks to its geographical position and the good connections to Moldavia and Wallachia, Brasov grew economically fast, becoming one of the most important centres of Transylvania.
Why is it so famous?
Today, it's one of the most visited cities in Romania thanks to its beautiful architecture and richness in history. Here you can find things such as: The Rope Street (name given because it's so narrow!), The Black Church, the city's gothic landmark, The Council Square, where you can find the greatest restaurants around and see the Brasov sign that watches all the toursits from above, and speaking of which...you can go uphill to it! These are only a few of the beautiful touristic objectives which you can visit, but basically, just a simple stroll around the city is bound to fascinate you!
It's a city that just feels different because of its many old buildings, the surrounding mountains that hug it, fresh air combined with the breath of history. Also, it is very tourist friendly, here you can find almsot anything you'd wish, and the distances are small. It is a city visited all year round.
- The Council Square is the heart of the city, where fairs took place during the Middle Ages. This was were merchants from all romanian provinces, Hungary and Germany came together to trade their wares. The picturesque Council House, in the middle, initially served as watch tower. After that it was used as town hall and today it hosts the County History Museum.
- The Black Church is a huge evangelical church built in the middle of Brasov at the end of the 14th century. It is the largest gothic church in south-eastern Europe. A huge fire broke here, the walls were blackened by smoke and since then it has been caled the Black Church.
- Another good finding for you could be Poiana Brasov, a remote resort tied to the city of Brasov, where you will feel even more in contact with nature, where you can go up top of a mountain in a cable car and can practice skii during the winter, because it's one of the best destinations for this.
This city is a must-see in your vacation in Romania, because it's close to Bucharest, also close to other cities in Transilvania in Moldova and acts as a "gate" towards them, and many beautiful objectives are to be found inside it and around it!