Top tourist attractions in Brasov

Brasov is one of the most beautiful and beloved cities in Romania. Located close to the Bucharest Airport (3 hours by car), this city is included in the top destinations to see right from your first visit to Romania.

Being very proud of their city, the people of Brasov will list for you breathlessly many places that you must include in your trip and, especially, that only in Brasov you can taste the best ice cream or you can enjoy a top lunch at Aro Palace!

We also thought of making a TOP of the tourist attractions that we love and recommend to our guests:

1. The Council Square

Being the city emblem, the image of this Square is present in all the travel guides of Brasov. This Saxon market is bordered by the houses of the Saxon merchants and, of course, Tampa Mountain, which invites you for an outdoor walk. The Council Square has been the host of the Golden Stag festival, which is the most important event in the city, starting from the first edition.

Since the Middle Ages, this has been a shopping center, then known as Marktplatz. In any season you will find a terrace from where to admire this architectural jewel.

The dominant building, placed in the center of the square, is the Council House (which also gave the name of the square). The Council House was originally a watchtower. In the early 1500s, the building was mentioned as a town hall. A press campaign saved this building from demolition in the early years of the twentieth century.

Since 1950, the County Museum of History has its headquarters in this building. The tower that completes the Council House has a height of 48 m and is called the Trumpeters’ Tower due to the role played in the past: from here the possible invasions were followed and announced.

Along with the Council House, the Church of the Assumption, the House of Merchants, the House of Mureș and the House of Filstich-Plecker are on the list of tourist attractions to visit. Our hotel is located just a few minutes walk from the Council Square.

2. The Black Church

Located in the south of the Council Square, the Black Church is one of the most representative monuments of the Gothic architecture in Romania and the largest in the southeastern Europe, also the most important Lutheran church in Romania. Soon after the construction was completed, due to its size, the church received the title of “The largest church between Vienna and Constantinople.”

It dates from the 14th – 15th centuries, being initially called the Holy Virgin Mary. In 1689 a fire partially damaged this building, and starting with the 19th century it gave it its current name, due to the blackened walls.

3. The first Romanian School

Brasov bears the pioneering of the Romanian education. The first Romanian School was built in 1495 and rebuilt in 1760. The building is located inside the courtyard of St. Nicholas Church, in the Scheii neighborhood of Brasov. In 1583, the first courses held in Romanian language were historically recorded in this building.

The building was transformed into the First Romanian School Museum. The first books printed by Deacon Coresi, an emblematic person for Brasov, also date from the same year.

4. The Rope’s Street (Strada Sforii)

Against its size, this street is very well known. Strada Sforii was built in 1800, for easy access for the firefighters and it is considered the narrowest street in Europe (having between 1.1 and 1.3 m wide). The street is located between Poarta Schei and Cerbului Street, not far from the Council Square.

5. The Tampa Mountain!

The Tampa Mountain, a part of the Postavaru Massif, is one of the most beloved places in Brasov. Below Tampa is the meeting place for the young people of Brasov, for the runners or for their daily walks with their pets. This is the place where many of us grew-up.

If you want to get to the plateau on which the letters of the Hollywood brand are installed, with the name of the city, you can travel a route of about 1.5 hours, through the forest, or you can choose to climb by cable car. Once you reach the top you will enjoy a wonderful view over Brasov.

6. The fortress of Brasov

At the end of Dealul Cetatii’s street, which starts near the Brasov City Hall, you will find the Fortress of Brasov. Surrounded by forests, the Fortress was the guardian against the Habsburgs attacks, the attempts of those attempts are seen on the walls of the Fortress today.

The Fortress can be visited only from the outside, where many festivals have been organized. A labyrinth of streets forms the Fortress, with a restaurant in the center where severa events were organized.

7. The White Tower and the Black Tower

The two towers, built for defense, date back from 1460 and 1494.

The White Tower is between 18 and 20 meters high, and the Black Tower is 11 meters high. The Black Tower is located near the Blacksmiths’ Bastion, another important tourist attraction. The White Tower offers a nice panorama over the city of Brasov and is visited especially by the photography enthusiasts. A route through the forest was formed between the two tournaments, which we recommend to follow during the warm season.

8. The Hirscher House

Considered by many to be part of the Renaissance style, the Hirscher House was built between 1541-1545 and witnessed two large fires.

The house is also known as the House of Merchants, being the place where Saxon, Hungarian and Romanian merchants carried out their commercial activities. The house was given as a gift to Apollonia Hirscher, the wife of the merchant Lukas Hirscher, to host the merchants. Hirscher House is, of course, located near Council Square and our hotel as well.

9. The Orthodox Cathedral

Built on the northen side of the Council Square, the Orthodox Cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanian architecture, combining the Baroque style with the neoclassical. Built between 1895 and 1896, it followed the model of the Greek church in Vienna.

The cathedral is dedicated to the “Assumption”.

10. The Museum of Art

Sheltered by a neo-baroque building (built in 1902), the Art Museum of Brasov exhibits works by Romanian and international artists, among our favorites being: Gheorghe Tattarescu, Stefan Luchian, Nicolae Grigorescu and Theodor Aman. Near the Museum of Art you will find the Museum of Ethnography.

Brasov will surprise you at every visit and a single vacation spent in the city below Tampa is certainly not enough. Especially when you know that you can opt for an exceptional accommodation, with delicious dishes, in the center of Brasov, at Aro Palace. We look forward to seeing you in Brasov!