Intro

Brasov is one of the biggest Romanian cities with a population of over 300000 inhabitants and the capital of Brasov county.

The name derives from the Pecheneg word “barasu, meaning “fortress”. There was also a Romanian citadel on the Tampa hill named “Brassovia” which gave the name of the city.

Its German name, Kronstadt, means “Crown City”. It was shortly named as Stalin City (“Orasul Stalin” in Romanian) between 1951 and 1961.

Braov is first mentioned in a document dating from 1252 as “Terra Saxonum de Barasu”.

Temperatures vary around 23°C from late spring to early autumn.

Location

Brasov is located in central Romania, 160 km (~100 miles) north of Bucharest. The city is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is one of the most important centers of Transylvania.

Being centrally located would make Brasov an ideal starting point for trips around the country.

Getting to & around

Unfortunately, Brasov lacks an airport and this nullifies much of Brasov’s advantage of being an ideal starting point for trips around Romania. The closest airport to the city is the one in Bucharest, 160 km south. There are plans underway though from local authorities on building an airport at international standards and work should kick off in the near future.

With that said, the two best ways of reaching Brasov is either by car, using one of the European or national roads that reach the city, or by train. There’s work underway for the Transylvania highway linking Brasov with the western border of Romania (with Hungary) but the completion deadline is 2013, so you’ll have to wait a bit for that. Work should start soon for the Bucharest – Brasov highway as well.

The local transport network is decently developed with trams, buses, trolleys, minibuses and taxis. Night service is available on some of the lines.

There are bus lines connecting the city with Poiana Brasov on a regular basis as well.

Attractions

Some of the most important tourist attractions in the city of Brasov are:

• The old city – very well preserved; take a cable care to the top of Tampa (995 m) for the best view;
• The Black Church – Gothic style, built in 1477 replacing a 1384 church; it’s been blackened by smoke in a fire from 1689 and thus the name;
• Tampa – a hill situated in the center of the city, 995m high;
• The Jewish synagogue;
• The “First Romanian Book” museum (“Prima Carte Romaneasca” in Romanian) – it exhibits the first printed book in the Romanian language;
• The Orthodox cathedral – built in 1858;
• The Saint Nicholas Church (Biserica Sfantul Nicolae) – built in the 14th century.

Other important attractions surrounding Brasov are:

• Poiana Brasov – a ski resort;
• Bran Castle – former home of Vlad the Impaler;
• Predeal – another ski resort;
• Sinaia – ski resort, home of the Peles and Pelisor castles;
• Rasnov – home of the famous Rasnov fortress;
• The Bucegi Massif, with Omu peak (2507 m).

Accommodation

Please visit our page of Brasov hotels to get further information on Brasov accommodation or to comment or rate a specific hotel.

Sports

Brasov is home of the FC Brasov football team, an important team in Romania despite the lack of notable silverware.

Another team of note from Brasov is the female handball team Rulmentul Brasov, national champions and Challenge Cup winners (the UEFA Cup equivalent of female handball) in the 2005-2006 season.

Given the number of important ski resorts surrounding the city, Brasov is also a hub for various winter sports enthusiasts.