The Carpathians' Cultural Centre (Brasov)

Member Name: fizzywizzy

Product:	Brasov
Date:	12/01/09 (239 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of history, proximity of the mountains, caters to tourists well

Disadvantages: Getting more expensive, quite hilly

Picturesque Brasov is one of Romania's major cities and sits nestled in a valley where the southern and eastern Carpathians meet although as the city prospers the town is gradually creeping higher up the hillsides. Although Brasov gets a lot of visitors because of the nearby skiing resort of Poina Brasov and because of its proximity to Bran Castle with its associations with Vlad Dracul, it is a really charming and attractive city in its own right with plenty to see and do, lots of great places to eat and some really lovely accommodation.

Like many towns in this part of the world the main bus station is situated on the outskirts and you need to take a taxi or shuttle bus into town. As we had a vague idea of the area where we wanted to find accommodation we splashed out and took a cab; we knew that if we weren't lucky with the first place we'd have plenty others to try.

When we alighted the bus that had brought us to Brasov from the northern city of Iasi, we were immediately besieged by people bearing flyers for the many hostels in Brasov; if this is the sort of accommodation you're after then you'll have no trouble finding a bed, even in the height of summer. Worry not, though, there are plenty of swanky hotels, mid-priced pensions and some more quirky accommodation which is what we had in mind. (I will review this separately so won't describe it here)

SOME BRASOV HISTORY

Although there is plenty of evidence of Bronze Age and Roman settlements in the area, Brasov's history is primarily that of a medieval town. Saxon settlers came in the thirteenth century and there is a strong German influence in the city even today. Brasov stands at the meeting point of the regions of Wallachia and Moldovia which contributed to the fast growth of the city into an important economic, political and commercial centre. As a result it was the target of invaders throughout the centuries and had more than its fair share of dramas. In the late seventeenth century the Austrians were gradually taking all the strongholds in Transylvania, Brasov was the only one not to fall. However, in 1689 Brasov was hit by a serious fire in which thousands died; the Saint Maria Church was also hit and now bears the name "The Black Church" as a result of the damage done to its exterior.

Many of Brasov's important buildings were badly damaged during the Second World War at which time most of the German population and all of the Jews living there left the city. Some Germans have returned and enjoy status as a protected minority according to the Romanian constitution. The buildings that we re damaged were restored and this is why Brasov has such a high concentration of handsome and historic architecture. Under the Communists Brasov became highly industrialised though you will only see evidence of this on the outskirts of the city in the many apartment blocks and factories.

THE CHIEF SIGHTS

The Piata Sfatului is the heart of the historic centre of Brasov, a large square with fountains and plenty of seats to rest, enjoy an ice cream and admire the wonderful buildings that line the square. The Saxons referred to this as the Marktplatz and it is the Germanic influence which is most evident in these buildings. The Council House stands alone like an island in the middle of the Square. It dates from the fifteenth century but its tower is even older; known as the Trumpet Tower it was built in order to keep watch for invading barbarians. Whenever danger presented itself to the city and its citizens, the alarm was raised from this tower.

Just off the square is the Black Church which holds the distinction of being the largest gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul. It was originally a Catholic church but later became a Lutheran one and still holds weekly services for the German community today. It also hosts concerts, especially organ recitals, one of which we attended and enjoyed very much. In spite of the striking architecture and remarkable history, my favourite thing about this church was the rather wonderful collection of Anatolian carpets it contains; these were given to the church by wealthy merchants to show their gratitude to God on their safe return from the East.

Walking around Brasov you can see that this was a city that was under constant threat of invasion. There are two main watch towers - the Black Tower (surely not the inspiration for that wine?) and the White Tower - from where guards watched diligently for approaching Tatars or Turks. The Black Tower got its name because it was struck by lightning which discoloured it in the sixteenth century. The white tower is, indeed, white and, should you feel energetic enough to climb its steps, gives great views over the city.

The best view, though, is to be gained by taking the cable car (walk at you own peril - there are often reports of bears in the woods beneath the cable car) to the top of Mount Tampa; a short way from the upper cable car station is a terrific viewpoint from where you can see the picturesque red roofs of the city. You also get a great view of the Shei district of Brasov which is the old Romanian district of the city distinguished by its narrow cobbled streets and red-tiled seventeenth century houses. Down in twon you reach this area by going through Porta Schei the old entrance to the suburb. Although there were several gates into the Saxon part of Brasov, Romanians were only allowed to use Porta Schei. They were not allowed to own property within the fortress proper and so they started to build houses outside the walls and were forced due to space constraints to start building up the hillside. We had to walk though these wonderful cobbled lanes in order to get the centre from our accommodation on the hill and it is really scenic and worth a wander.

Brasov has several museums; we visited just one, the Ethnographic Museum. It focuses on traditional peasant life in the area and has a fascinating collection of folk costumes and, accompanying these, a brilliant exhibition of black and white photographs that shows the costumes being worn in local villages. There are also exhibitions on local industries such as weaving and agriculture which replicas of looms and other fabric making machinery. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to this museum as it was well presented and an interesting mix of the costume with history, engineering and culture.

Unlike many Romanian cities, Brasov caters well for tourists with a wide range of eating places, plenty of supermarkets for self-caterers and some good places to drink. There is the obligatory Irish pub and several backpacker favourites but there are plenty of quirky little one-off places that are worth seeking out. We especially liked a tiny little cowboy themed bar where the seats were actually saddles!

Ask most people who have been to Brasov and they will have either been or have been recommended to visit Bella Musica which is housed in a four hundred year old cellar opposite the main square. Bizarrely it serves Mexican and Hungarian food (thankfully not a mixture of the two) but it is best known for its extra menu which lists all the CDs available for diners to listen to. Just tell your waiter and he will put it on for you; we chose Neil Young. Like most shop, museum and restaurant workers in Brasov our waiter spoke excellent English and kept coming back to our table with the football scores (it was during the World Cup).

Elsewhere you can find lots of traditional Romanian food, a smattering of pizzerias (there is an excellent one just behind the Black Church) and several Mexican restaurants as well as lots of smart places serving that old cover-all "international cuisine". There are lots of expensive restaurants in Brasov but you can look around and get some good deals. A good snack are little pizza flavoured pastry snacks from a Romanian chain called Fornetti.

As well as the attractions in town Brasov has plenty of things to do in the surrounding area. Castle Bran is just a bus ride away and the Tampa mountains are a great place for trekking. The ski resort of Poina Brasov is on the doorstep and offers the cheapest skiing in Europe right now. There are lots of country houses which are open to the public and the fabulous mountain town of Sinaia (also reviewed on this website) with its twin castles that were once used by Romanian royalty would make a worthwhile day trip.

Although I liked Bucharest I much preferred Brasov in spite of its very touristy vibe. The place gets very busy in summer but I think it would be most enjoyable in late spring or early autumn. It's a charming combination of history, culture and green scenery that serves tourists well and is very welcoming. Recommended without reservation.

Summary: Romania's charming second city