Things to do in Brasov: complete list of best things to do in Brasov
Last Updated on November 9, 2024 by Ingrid
Brasov is one of the most beautiful cities in Romania. While it would also make for a good day trip outside of Bucharest, there are plenty of things to do in Brasov. Thus, I would suggest spending the night there.
No matter how often I go back there, I never get bored. I like testing out new hotels with pretty views and trying restaurants and cafes.
From Brasov, you can go on day trips and explore castles, citadels, nature, and much more.
Read on to find out more!
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Table of Contents
Things to do in Brasov
How to get to Brasov
Getting to Brasov is easy from Bucharest, whether you rent a car and drive there, take a private transfer, or take the train.
By Car
Take the highway to Ploiesti by car, and from there, drive on DN1 on Prahova Valley to Brasov.
The trip takes around 2.5 hours, depending on the day of the week and traffic.
If you can, I strongly suggest going during the week and avoiding Fridays and Saturdays as much as possible. Traffic is really heavy on the weekends.
My go-to car rental company is always Discover Cars. It helps you save up to 70% on your car rental. Get your best offers here!
By Private Transfer
If you don’t feel comfortable driving in Romania (it can be a bit hectic), book a private transfer from Bucharest to Brasov and back.
You will get your private driver at an affordable rate, and you won’t have to worry about itineraries, finding a parking space, or anything else. See more here!
By Train
If you would instead go there by train, I encourage you to book your tickets in advance. Several companies operate trains from Bucharest to Brasov at very affordable prices.
RegioTrans and Softrans are your go-to companies for fast, affordable, and comfortable trains. You can also travel with the state-owned carrier, CFR, now that they are modernizing their aging fleet.
You can buy the ticket at the train station or online (advisable especially during the peak season or on weekends). The train ride takes roughly 2 hours, and a one-way ticket costs up to 10 EUR.
By Organized Tour
If you don’t have too much time, you can always go on an organized day tour from Bucharest to Brasov.
It’s a full-day tour, so you don’t have to worry about getting there. You will have a guide to help you choose the best things to do, and you will also have some free time to explore.
How to get around Brasov
The city, especially its old part, is relatively small, so it is easy to walk around. However, if you want to go to Poiana Brasov, you will want to use the public transportation system from the train station.
Taxies are available around town and come at affordable prices, but the city buses link some of the most critical parts of the city. You can buy a ticket from the ticket kiosk in front of the train station or at some of the bus stops.
Bus number 4 will take you from the train station to the Old Town. A one-way ticket costs 2.5 RON (0.50 EUR).
Where to stay in Brasov
As previously mentioned, in the past 2-3 years, I have returned to Brasov as often as I can and have tried and tested a few of its most beautiful hotels.
I love hotels with a good location, beautiful interiors, comfortable rooms, and a terrace or balcony with a view. Brasov has a few great hotel options I would always recommend and go back to.
SCHUSTER Boarding House
Conveniently set in the heart of Brasov’s Old Town, this boutique hotel will place you steps away from the famous “Rope Street.”
I loved the interior design, the comfortable beds, the small windows offering a glimpse of Tampa Mountain, and the handmade cookies set on our beds at check-in.
The hotel’s lobby and reception are also nice, but its most impressive feature is the rooftop terrace.
You can get a 360-degree view of Brasov and its surrounding mountains from here.
On certain days, yoga or pilates classes are organized on the rooftop, and there is also a spa offering massages.
The Upper House
Set at the foot of Tampa Mountain, The Upper House is another small boutique hotel in Brasov.
You can choose from different rooms, but I strongly encourage you to book the one with the balcony and city view.
You can walk to the city center; the cable car is minutes away. The breakfast was delicious (but not buffet-style), and the rooms had a nice and cozy interior design.
The Pines Boutique Villa
Set a bit further away from the city center, this hotel will make you feel like you are in the forest, yet it is within walking distance of everything you need and want.
The interior design is highly Instagrammable, and you will be close to Poiana Brasov as well.
Here, you will also find a terrace with a panoramic view, and you can also rent bikes and explore nature.
A short history of Brasov
By the 12th century, the kings of Hungary—the rulers of Transylvania at the time—decided to develop the sparsely populated lands of Transylvania.
For this reason, they invited German merchants, craftsmen, and farmers to settle in what became known as the Burzenland. Moreover, in 1211, King Andrew II granted Burzenland to the German crusading order of the Teutonic Knights to defend the kingdom’s borders. Although the Teutons were soon evicted, the city of Kronstadt (“The Crown City”), founded by them, continued to grow and prosper.
Over the centuries, Kronstadt became one of the leading centers of the Transylvanian Saxons. It was run autonomously by the local German burgers, with little interference from the Hungarian kings or Transylvanian princes.
In addition to the German-speaking majority, the city was home to a significant Romanian and Hungarian minority, among others, who called it Brasov or Brasso after the Barsa River.
In the aftermath of World War I, Transylvania joined the Kingdom of Romania, and Brasov flourished as an economic and cultural center.
Unfortunately, at the end of World War II, many of the Transylvanian Saxons were forcibly deported to Siberia and other far-flung corners of the USSR.
To add insult to injury, the Romanian communist authorities renamed the city to Stalingrad (“Orasul Stalin” in Romanian).
While the town reverted to its Romanian name of Brasov in 1960, the few Saxons who returned from Russian captivity eventually immigrated to West Germany.
Today, only a fraction of the once numerous population of Transylvanian Saxons remains.
Since Romania joined the European Union, Brasov has experienced an economic and cultural revival. Most of its historic buildings have been renovated and are ready to transport visitors to a time when Germans called Burzenland their ancestral home.
What to do in Brasov: the best things to see in Brasov
If you have decided to give Brasov a chance and have two or more days to explore the old Saxon town, here are some of the best things to do in Brasov.
The Black Church
One of Brasov’s most well-known attractions, the Black Church, sits at the center of the Old Town and is one of the most important gothic-style churches in Romania.
Originally built as a Roman Catholic Church in the 14th century, the impressive gothic-style building became the center of Lutheran worship after the Protestant Reformation. The initial workers were of Bulgarian origin, and their descendants stayed on to form the basis of the later Bulgarian community in Brasov.
After the fire damaged it in 1689, the local leaders brought master masons from the Prussian city of Danzig (today Gdansk, Poland) to repair it. They added a series of baroque-style elements to the church.
Contrary to popular belief, the dark appearance of the church is not the result of the 1689 fire, but it occurred in the 19th century due to air pollution. Thus, the name Black Church appeared in historical documents only in the last century or so.
Book your ticket for “Brasov by Night + Black Church Fast Track” and save on a guided walking tour + fast track tickets to the Black Church!
Catherine’s Gate
Commissioned by the Tailors’ Guild in 1559, Catherine’s Gate is Brasov’s only surviving medieval gate. It is named after the ancient Monastery of St. Catherine, the one around which the later city of Kronstadt was built.
The four corner turrets of the gate, seen in other Transylvanian cities as well, symbolize the town’s autonomy and right to decide on capital punishment (the so-called “Right of the Sword”).
At present, the gate hosts a museum.
The Council Square
One of Brasov’s iconic places, the Council Square, was used as a market and meeting place as early as 1354.
During medieval times, the square hosted merchants from all over the region and beyond, bustling with goods from faraway lands—exotic oriental silks and spices, tools and machinery from the Holy Roman Empire, and wine from Italy.
The plaza also hosted most of the significant public events of the time, including executions and witch trials.
One particularly humiliating punishment based on today’s standards was putting someone into the pillory.
The offender’s head and hands were secured into a wooden frame so they would stand in the public square for hours or days while being tormented by their fellow citizens. They were spat on, thrown rotten vegetables at, or verbally reprimanded for their crimes.
Today’s visitors could rest in one of the elegant coffee shops while admiring the 18th and 19th-century architecture surrounding the plaza.
The Weaver’s Bastion
Commissioned by the Weaver’s Guild, the bastion is one of the original guard towers to survive today.
Apart from its imposing exterior, the tower hosts a small but interesting museum. It contains several medieval guns, impressive weapons decorated with Arabic symbols used by the Turks against the Christian defenders, and a series of old photographs of other guard towers demolished since.
The most impressive exhibit is a large maquette of Brasov in 1600. It was made for the 1896 Millennium Exhibition in Budapest, which celebrated 1000 years since the Hungarians migrated to Pannonia.
When the former communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu saw the maquette in 1964, he ordered the addition of the Schei district as it had been in 1850.
The Small Fortress (Cetatuia)
North of the city center and its defensive walls, the burgers built a smaller fortress on Martin’s Hill (Martinsberg in German, Dealul Strajii / Guardian’s Hill in Romanian) to guard against incoming invaders.
In 1699, when the Treaty of Karlowitz took the autonomous Transylvania from the Ottoman Empire and awarded it to the Austrians, the inhabitants of Brasov rebelled.
The Protestant Transylvanian Saxons were more comfortable under the religiously tolerant Turks than the militantly Roman Catholic Austrians. As a result, the Austrians defeated the rebellion, executed the Saxon leaders, and confiscated the Small Fortress, using it to garrison Imperial troops.
A century later, the Austrians offered to sell the fortress back to the city of Brasov, but the burgers weren’t interested. So, the Habsburgs used it to hold prisoners of war during the Russian-Austrian-Turkish war of 1787-1792.
During the 1848 Revolution, a group of Hungarian revolutionaries led by a Polish officer, Jan Szydlowski, were besieged in the fortress by the Russian army called in by the Austrians to restore order.
Having not been involved in the revolutionary struggle, the citizens of Brasov gathered in front of the city’s defensive walls to gawk at the battle unfolding at the Small Fortress. The fun was not to last as a stray cannon projectile hit next to the gathered spectators.
The Small Fortress can be visited by tourists every day from 09.00 to 19.00.
The Neolog Synagogue
The first documented Jewish inhabitants settled in Brasov in 1807 with approval from the City Council. However, they could be employed only in workplaces undesired by the Saxons.
In the following century, the Jewish community grew from a few hundred inhabitants to over 6,000 by 1940.
Although there were no mass deportations of Jews from Brasov during the Second World War, many immigrated to Israel after the war concluded.
In 1877, the community split into Orthodox Jews and Neolog Jews, and each faction built its own synagogue. Thus, the Neolog Synagogue was built in 1899-1901 in the Mudejar style originating from Moorish Spain.
The Neolog Synagogue is still used as a place of worship and was added to the historical monuments list in 2015.
The White Tower and the Black Tower
Erected in the second half of the 15th century, the Tower was once Brasov’s highest observation point.
The White Tower’s sister building, the Black Tower, was erected during the same period and was one of Brasov’s four defensive towers.
Both monuments can be visited as they each host a small museum.
The Rope Street
The third narrowest street in Europe, this 80-meter-long street, has a width varying between 1.11 m and 1.35 m.
The street was first mentioned in a document dating from the 17th century, and it was initially built as a shortcut for firemen.
Today, Rope Street is one of the most popular attractions in Brasov, one of the top attractions in the country, and part of some lesser-known fun facts about Romania. One shouldn’t miss it.
Go for a stroll at the foot of Tampa Mountain
No matter the season, this is an excellent place for a stroll in nature. You will be close to the city but in nature.
Along the way, you will admire some of the old citadel’s towers and the city from above. You will also find the starting point for a few hikes and the Tampa cable car.
Tampa Mountain
The mountain with the Hollywood-like sign guarding the city of Brasov offers one of the best views in the city.
If the weather allows, the cable car will take you to the top in less than 10 minutes. From there, walk for 5 minutes to 2 of the best viewpoints.
The First Romanian School Museum
Hosted inside the St. Nicholas Church, the museum showcases relics of the Romanian language, from the country’s first printing press to the first Bible written in Romanian.
Day trips from Brasov
If you choose to stay in Brasov, you will also have plenty to do outside of the city.
The city is the perfect starting point for many Transylvanian beauties, from medieval citadel towns, castles, and nature reserves to other cities once part of the Sieben Burgen (“The Seven Cities” region of the Transylvanian Saxons).
Rasnov Fortress
A short drive from Brasov, the Rasnov Fortress is a medieval fortification built by the Teutonic Knights in the early 13th century.
Although the village at the foot of the fortress was raised several times by Tatar, Turkish, and Wallachian armies, the citadel was conquered only once, in 1612, by the armies of the Transylvanian Prince Gabriel Bathory.
According to the legend, during one particularly long siege by the Turkish armies, two Muslim prisoners were promised their freedom if they could dig water well within the walls of Rasnov Fortress.
It took the unfortunate couple 17 years to excavate the 143-meter-deep well, but untrue to their words, the defenders executed the Turkish prisoners nonetheless.
The infamous well can still be seen today in the center of the remains of Rasnov Fortress.
Bran Castle
After you visit Rasnov Fortress, you can also go to Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) to enjoy the perfect day trip.
Known in popular culture as “Dracula’s Castle,” the medieval fortress from Bran inspired the Holywoodian depictions of Count Dracula’s residence. Despite the 20th-century narrative, Bram Stoker never visited and probably wasn’t even aware of its existence.
Nonetheless, built by the Brasov Saxons to guard their southern border, Bran Castle would have been a highly sought-after piece of real estate in the eyes of any self-respecting vampire.
As it turns out, its engaging architectural style appealed to more gentle souls as well—during the 1920s, Bran Castle was Marie’s favorite residence, the last Queen of Romania.
Pestera and Magura
Pestera and Magura are some of the most picturesque natural areas in the Carpathian Mountains. These areas have kept their uniqueness and traditional vibe, and they will inspire peace and tranquility.
Sighisoara
Another famous Saxon town from Transylvania is Sighisoara, a two-hour drive from Brasov. Its medieval fortified city is a UNESCO World Heritage site worth a day trip or overnight stay.
What makes it unique in the region is that it is still a living city—people reside and work in the ancient buildings to this day.
Sibiu
You should go on a day trip to Sibiu.
Hermannstadt, as its Saxon founders called it, was one of the leading Transylvanian cities together with Kronstadt (Brasov).
Sibiu’s city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site that showcases Transylvanian Saxon architecture. In recognition of its beautiful old town and vibrant socio-cultural life, Sibiu was designated the European Capital of Culture in 2007. The food is also good, so in 2019, Sibiu was named a European Region of Gastronomy.
As for its people, the EU leaders had the chance to sample the locals’ hospitality during the 2019 EU Leader’s Summit. The images of Chancellor Merkel and Commission President Junker being unexpectedly hugged by passersby in Sibiu’s main square made global news at the time.
Read more about the Sibiu Christmas Market and see why the city is so popular.
Go hiking in the Carpathian Mountains
Where to eat in Brasov
Even for us, traveling to the mountains means eating traditional Romanian food. And Brasov has plenty of restaurants offering Transylvanian dishes cooked in a traditional way.
Don’t say no to a portion of papanasi, gulyas, or bulz; you will love them!
Here are a few of my favorite restaurants in Brasov:
- Sergiana Restaurant in Council’s Square
- La Ceaun Restaurant
- Ursul Carpatin (Carpathian Bear) Restaurant
- Sub Tampa Restaurant
If you want a good coffee in the morning in pleasant surroundings and ambiance, my go-to place is CH9 Specialty Coffee, right next to the Black Church. Next door, you will find a nice souvenir shop with plenty of handmade products.
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