After a long a harrowing night in the overnight train from Budapest, we arrived in the city of Brașov. This city is the perfect base to explore mystical Transylvania – it has great transport links to numerous other great sights, and there is plenty to see and do in Brașov itself.
General Impressions
There’s a sense of time slowing down in this part of the world, that we sensed as soon as we stepped off the train. The train station had a strong Cold War era vibe that reminded me of train stations in the countryside of my native Poland. In fact, the surroundings of the station look like they changed little since the 80s or even 70s, with old apartment blocks and strange monuments.
Getting into the Old Town takes one even further back in time. Gone were the grey concrete flats, replaced instead with colourful plaster and orange roof tiles. The Old Town looked much like it did in the Middle Ages, with even large portions of the city wall being completely intact.
Bearing in mind my previous run-in with Budapest ticket inspectors it surprised us when we realised very few Romanians were scanning their own, and those who did appeared to have some sort of pass. Indeed, during our entire time in Romania, we did not meet a singe ticket inspector.
Food
We did not spend too much time eating out in Brașov, especially since we had precious few days to spend in the city. On our way out of Brașov however, we stopped by Restaurant Rapid, a sort of workmen’s diner. We ate a hearty portion of stew, bread and meat. The portions were generous, the food was tasty and the price was incredibly cheap, creating a food place with incredibly value and speedy service. I would highly recommend checking out this place, and places like this, if you’re in the area.
My Favourite Parts
The Old Town
The Old Town is very pretty, with picturesque houses, churches, and even a synagogue. The Old Town is dominated by the impressive Black Church (named so because the church turned black with soot after a fire – nowadays its more of a grey colour), which we did not enter after a recommendation from a local.
Tampa Mountain
Brașov is built next to Tampa Mountain (or Hill, depending on who you ask; to form your own opinion, its just over a kilometre tall). This can be ascended following a trial or by cable car. We chose to take the car, as the entire trial was covered with snow, and would be difficult and dangerous to ascend. We were told taking the trial takes about an hour to two in the summer, though it would have taken us far more considering the conditions. At the summit you are rewarded with excellent views over Brașov, and get to see the back side of the Brașov Hollywood-style sign. It is well worth a trip on the car, or a walk up the trial.
Bran Castle
Here we decided to go against the recommendations of a local, and took the bus to Bran Castle. This is the castle that supposedly inspired Dracula’s Castle in Bram Stoker’s horror novel, though the historic Vlad Tepes is not known to have spent any significant amount of time in the castle. There was an airy and mysterious atmosphere around the castle, and the snow helped to build the scenery and enabled us to take some great photographs. The exhibits inside were also quite cool, with most of the castle being modelled to represent what it would have looked like in various historical eras, and a whole section dedicated to Romanian folklore.
We May Roam 