5 Reasons To Visit Brasov This Year

Last Updated on: 5th July 2023, 09:01 am

I will be honest with you all and say that I had never heard of Brasov until I started looking for places to visit on our Interrail trip this summer. Tilly had shown interest in going to Bran as she wanted to visit Draculas Castle, but Brasov is so much more than that. Brasov is a beautiful city in its own right and it is worth a visit. There are many reasons to visit Brasov this year, and it is totally going to blow your mind away.

As I had never been to Romania before, I was so worried about bringing Tilly. BUT I didn’t know how wrong I could be! From the moment I stepped off the plane in Bucharest at 4 am, there was someone to help me make sure I arrived in Brasov safely.

The Environment – One Of The Top Reasons To Visit Brasov This Year

One of the things that I instantly fell in love with was the scenery. It is so green and lush. All too often, trees in cities are cut down to build infrastructure. But Brasov is surrounded by tree-covered mountains. Not only does this give it a clean living feeling, but also an environmentally friendly feel too.

The buses are electric, so it cuts down on petrol and diesel fumes, again making the environment cleaner. There are scooters around the city that you can use on a PAYG system. A lot of the places to visit can be done on foot so you do not need to drive.

The Mayor of Brasov is striving to become the top European Green City over the next few years. He also cycles around the city to get from place to place.

The First Romanian School Is There

Something you don’t think about is a time before schools. Afterall it is something that has always been there. But in Romania, there was no school until the 1500s. The school was built on the grounds of Saint Nicholas Church and is still standing today. Although the school closed in 1968, it was then made into a museum. So many of the original school pieces are still there.

When the school first opened, people would come from all over Romania to learn. One person per village was educated. Then that person would return to their village and become a teacher, to teach the uneducated people.

In the First Romanian School, you will find the first Romanian Bible and the first Romanian printing press. The printing press was a very slow way of printing things and as it was a hard manual process, less than 50 books were printed on it. But it did print, and now it is used for display purposes only.

You can visit the First Romanian School at Piața Unirii 2-3, Brașov,

The Food Is Another Of The Reasons To Visit Brasov

The Romanians do love their food, and it is a great way to socialise with each other. There are many different places to eat in Brasov. The old town is lined with restaurants and bars which really come to life at night. There is food from different parts of the world and Italian seems very popular there.

One of my favourite places to eat was Sub Tampa, at the base of the Tampa mountain. You can get to it behind the old town. It is shaded in loads of greenery and you are made very welcome there. There are all types of food there from shepherd’s pie to authentic Romanian dishes. You can read more about it here.

The Black And The White Towers In Brasov

There are two towers that overlook the old city of Brasov. You can find them on the northern side of the city. To get to the White Tower you need to climb about 100 steps. These are steep and you need to be steady on your feet. It is not for the faint-hearted, but well worth the walk. The white tower is beautiful and you get the best view over Brasov. As it was a fort to look over the city, there are little windows where look-out soldiers would poke their weapons out to shoot.

Although there are two towers, they are both different but were built about the same time in the 15th century. The reason the Black Tower is called this is because there was a fire in Brasov in 1649. This fire destroyed much of Brasov and darkened the outside of the tower. So although it is not really black, the appearance is darkened by the fire.

After you have reached the White Tower, you walk a path that is alongside the old city wall and the water. Then you see a sign for Turnul Negru. This is the Black Tower.

It Is Perfect For A Female Solo Traveller To Visit

As a first-time visitor to Brasov, I can absolutely assure you that it is perfectly safe for a solo female (or male) traveller to visit on your own. Even though I went out to eat one night at 10.30 pm, the streets were buzzing with people. These people were families out enjoying a get-together with friends and family.

Hotels are cheap enough to stay in during your stay. I stayed at Aro Palace Hotel, you can read more about the hotel here. There are also hostels to stay in where you will meet other solo travellers.

The old town is separate from the new town. The train station is quite a way from the old town so you will need to order an Uber or get a bus. Booking an Uber is the best way, as you pay for it upfront and you can let your friends know your Uber details.

Take A Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

As a traveller, I always say that this is the best way to see a new city. Brasov has a Hop On Hop Off bus where you drive around the city and there is a QR code, where you scan and listen to the commentary. The bus takes you right up into some mountains so you can get off and take photos of the awesome view overlooking the city.

Of, course you don’t even need to get off, you could just do a round trip. Sitting upstairs you get an awesome panoramic view of Brasov.

The Old City Square Is One Of The Reasons To Visit Brasov

When we went to the old city square there was a Moldovan market. They were selling produce from Moldova and spreading awareness of what they made to sell. This was an enjoyable experience and shows the square to be the centre of hustle and bustle in the summer.

There is also Catedrala Ortodoxa Adormirea Maicii Domnului, a cathedral that is open for people to look around or worship. It is free to enter and well worth a visit.

There are plenty of places to eat and drink with outside seating areas, shading you from the sun. And also to keep you warm in the colder weather.

In medieval times this was the heart of Brasov and it was where the town councillors would meet at the council house. The Council house (Casa Sfatului) was built in 1420 and at the top is a tower called Trumpeters Tower.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might like to read about Tiny houses in Romania too