More to know – History Tourist attractions
It is the perfect, ideal and unforgettable place, where you can have the vacation you dreamed of. Absolutely everything you find in Brașov takes you to high peaks of soul satisfaction. From castles full of history to museums where you leave more knowledgeable and cultured, from winter sky slopes or summer hikes to walks through the old city center, where you will find a lot of shops and restaurants, all of these will make everyone who comes to this city spend dream moments.
Brașov is the city of residence of the county with the same name, consisting of the localities of Brașov and Poiana Brașov, with a population of 253,200 inhabitants, representing one of the largest cities in the country. Poiana Brașov resort is located 12 km (7 miles) from the city center and has an infrastructure developed for winter sports.
Brașov, in German called Kronstadt and in Hungarian as Brasso, was first attested in 1234 in the “Catalog of Ninivensis” and extends its historical existence to the distant times of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, finding traces of settlements. in the area of the Snails and Sprenghi hills. This city becomes an important point of connection between Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova 700 years ago, being located between the great passers-by of the Carpathians: Bran, Predeal, Oituz, and Buzau. It was named the City of Stalin between September 8, 1950 and December 24, 1960, after Joseph Stalin and was the capital of the Stalin Region. It was declared a municipality on February 17, 1968.
At present, Brașov is one of the main economic, cultural and sports centers of the country, but it is also an important tourist center and a city of historical monuments such as the Black Church, the bastions of the fortress, the statue of Johannes Honterus, the Council House, Andrei Saguna High School and many others.
Tourist attractions
The Black Church
The Black Church is located right in the old center of Brasov, in Council Square, so you can’t miss it. In fact, I warmly recommend you to visit this wonderful tourist attraction, unique in Romania and full of historical significance. This is the parish church of the Evangelical Lutheran community in Brașov. The Black Church is one of the most representative monuments of Gothic architecture in the country, dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and has a length of over 89 m, being considered the largest church in Romania. The name of the Black Church comes from the fire of 1689 that damaged the entire building, blackening the walls of the church and thus receiving the current name. With the exception of the Topkapî Museum in Istanbul, the Black Church has the largest collection of oriental carpets in Europe, dating from the 15th – 16th centuries. Organ recitals have been held here since 1953, a tradition begun by organist Victor Bickerich and continued by Hans Eckart Schlandt. Every year, organists from both the country and abroad are attracted, who want to hold a concert in this wonderful place. During the summer, the organ concerts take place 3 times a week, thus being an extraordinary opportunity for visitors to be delighted at the same time by the location and the inviting music.
The Council Square
The Council Square (Piata Sfatului in romanian) is a location of great value for Brasov and implicitly for Romania. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in this city, with thousands of tourists passing through it every year. Periodic fairs were once organized in the Council Square, in the Middle Ages and in the Modern Age, where merchants from the Romanian Lands and Hungary met. The goods were taxed near the gate at the end of Vămii Street, today called Mureșenilor Street, from where you could go directly to the square. The magistrate and the city officials supervised the observance of the market order, so that each merchant would place his goods in the place established by the City Council. Today it is a special promenade, full of terraces, restaurants, museums, bookstores and shops around the market and inside it.
The White Tower
If you want to see the whole old center from a height and have a dream view in front of your eyes, you must definitely get here. Everything here seems magical and unreal and makes you want time to stop. The White Tower was built between 1460 and 1494 and still impresses today with the massiveness and suppleness of its architectural lines. Its architecture consists of an open semicircular plan, with 30 m difference in level from the city walls, a height of 20 m to the city and 18 m to the hill. Along its walls, the tower has some parapets as reinforcement of the pillars, pit openings and balconies supported by consoles carved in stone. Inside the tower, the chimney above a hearth was kept, which was also used to heat the guards and defenders. Due to a large fire in 1689, the White Tower was burned almost entirely and was renovated only in 1723. It was restored several times in 1902, 1947, 2002 2005 and 2006, currently holding a museum point.
The Black Tower
The Black Tower is one of the four observation towers of the Brașov Fortress and was built as an independent fortification located outside the walls of the fortress, which is 11 meters high. The construction of the Tower was started at the end of the 16th century, the beginning of the 17th century. You could enter the tower on a gate that was located 2 meters high from the base and the connection between the fortifications of the city and the tower was made through a drawbridge. The roof of the tower was originally built in the shape of a pyramid, but in 1559, due to a lightning, it was completely destroyed, and later its walls were blackened due to a fire in 1689, thus taking the name of the Black Tower. It was last used as a shelter and base for the cordon guards around the city, during the plague epidemic of 1756. The Black Tower has suffered countless degradations over time, being renovated only at the end of the last decade. It was opened to the public in 2001 through an exhibition on weapons from the seventeenth century. Like the White Tower, it is one of the most important and charming tourist attractions in this area that should not be missed.
Poiana Brașov
Poiana Brașov is the most beautiful and important area in the vicinity, attracting thousands of tourists every year. It is famous both for winter sports, holding 12 sky slopes, with varying degrees of difficulty and for the sports fields, clubs, restaurants and the lake here. Poiana Brașov was founded in 1895 and has served as a tourist location for Brașov ever since. The first cottage was built in 1904, and the resort was recognized as a winter one two years later, in 1909 the first winter competitions were already held here. Poiana Brașov is positioned at the foot of Mount Postăvaru, which has an altitude of 1030 meters and has the highest peak of 1799 meters.
If you have never been here, I suggest you do it as soon as possible and you will not regret a moment. This wonderful area is the ideal place for a few days vacation where you can spend magical moments with your loved ones.
