Things to Do in Braşov, Romania

Quick facts: Over 600,000 visitors come here every year to see with their own eyes the place connected to the Dracula legend. In reality, Vlad the Impaler, who is said to have served as the model for the vampire count, never lived here. The castle served mainly as a customs fortress and royal residence.

Highlights: In the courtyard you can still find the original 60-meter deep stone well, once hand-dug by Turkish captives. In the basement you will see a secret passage that connected the castle to the surrounding forests and served as an escape route for the royal family.

Quick facts: It is among the oldest functioning pipe organs in Europe, its casing adorned with gilded details and colorful ornaments. The walls inside are covered with a layer of soot several centuries old, giving the interior a mysterious and unique atmosphere.

Highlights: The soot on the walls is not the result of a fire, but a deliberately preserved patina from the time when open fires were used for heating inside. If you look up, you will see a 700-kilogram brass chandelier beneath the ceiling, illuminating a space that can hold over 3,000 people.

Quick facts: Witch executions once took place here, and on the pavement you can still find a stone marking the spot where the pillory once stood. In the middle of the square stands the 15th-century Old Town Hall building, adorned with a clock tower and colorful roofs.

Highlights: Beneath the pavement of the square lies a network of medieval passages that once connected the town hall to the surrounding houses and served as an escape route. Every summer, music fills the historic center during the Musica Brixiensis festival, when the entire square turns into one big stage.

Quick facts: Tampa is a 960-meter-high limestone peak that rises directly above the historic center of Brasov. A 450-meter-long cable car with a vertical rise of 180 meters takes you to its summit.

Highlights: At the top of Tampa stands the medieval fortress Brasov Citadel, which was never taken by assault, only surrendered due to famine. On a clear day, you can see up to 100 kilometers from here, including the snow-capped peaks of the Carpathians.

Quick facts: Schei Gate was originally part of Brasov's medieval fortifications and served as the only entrance to the city from the south. It has retained its original Baroque appearance from 1827, although its foundations date back to the 15th century.

Highlights: At the top of the gate, notice the stone coat of arms with the inscription "Salva Guarda." This was a privileged entrance through which only Transylvanian Saxons could pass without customs duty. When merchants passed through with carts loaded with salt, they had to pay a toll measured by the width of the wheels.

Quick facts: The first Romanian school in Brasov preserves the oldest document written in Romanian, from 1521, known as Neacsu's Letter. In the museum you can see the original classrooms, a printing press, and a collection of more than 4,000 rare books and manuscripts.

Highlights: Neacsu's Letter from 1521, which you can see with your own eyes in the museum, is the oldest surviving text written in Romanian and uses the Cyrillic alphabet. The letter warns of Ottoman military movements and is considered the birth certificate of the Romanian language.

Quick facts: Only parts of the walls and two massive bastions remain of the 14th-century medieval fortress, which still surround the historic center. Locals call it Cetatea Brasovului, and its ramparts offer the best view of the entire city and the surrounding Carpathians.

Highlights: One of the bastions houses a small museum where you can see original medieval catapults and cannons that you would not easily find in other castles. When you climb to the top of the northern bastion, a panorama of the Old Town with the Black Church right in the center opens up before you.

Quick facts: Saint Nicholas Church in Brasov is the oldest Romanian Orthodox church in the city, with origins dating back to the 13th century. Within its walls you will find over 1,000 rare icons and religious books, including the first Romanian translation of the Bible from 1688.

Highlights: Beneath the church lies a secret passage once used by priests to flee from the Tatars. When you step inside, you will notice that the floor is covered with dozens of hand-carved tombstones over 300 years old, each telling the story of wealthy merchants and local nobles.