Brasov Free Walking Tour

We joined a Walkabout Free Tour in Brasov. We met in Piata Sfatului (Council Square) near the fountain and found our guide with an orange umbrella. The walk takes 2-2 1/2 hours and gives a nice overview of the town.

https://brasov.walkaboutfreetours.com

Piata Sfatului is large and is lined with historic buildings and cafes.

The fountain in the center of the square.

Off in the distance, you can see the Brasov sign on Mt. Tampa.

The Council House sits in the square. It was built in 1420.

The coat of arms of Brasov--a crown with tree roots--is on the side of the Council House.

The Black Church is another important site near Piata Sfatului. It is Romania's largest Gothic church. It got its name after Brasov's Great Fire burned some of its walls in 1689. It costs 10 lei ($2.35) to enter the church.

The face of the clock is beautifully painted.

This statue signaled that this was the rope makers street.

The Strada Sforii is the narrowest lane in Europe at a little over 3 feet wide. It was an access lane for firefighters.

Brasov is an old walled city. Catherine's Gate was built in 1559 for defensive purposes and is the only city gate to survive from medieval times.

Schei Gate was built near Catherine's Gate and allowed for increased traffic flow as compared to the smaller Catherine's Gate. The 2 smaller openings allowed pedestrian traffic. The Schei Gate led to the Schei Quarter, which is where the Romanians lived when Brasov was a Saxon town.

The tour ended at Saint Nicholas Church, a 13-minute walk from the Black Church. The church was initially built of wood then replaced with a stone structure in 1495. Inside is a mural of Romania's last king & queen, which was covered by plaster to protect them during the communist regime. It was uncovered in 2004.

On our own, we walked around Brasov the next day. Around town, you'll find beautiful murals.

Different guilds built protective fortifications and this was the Weaver's Bastion.

Olimpia Sports Complex

On the way back to town, we found Gelato Mania. It had a long line so we got into it. A scoop of Avocado Lime was 6 lei ($0.55). It was actually quite good. It was creamy avocado with a  hint of lime. We found out this was one of the most popular flavors. 

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La Ceaun

It was a 5 minute walk to the Old Town.

We found dinner at La Ceaun, located on Strada Michael Weiss.

Sarmale (cabbage rolls) with Polenta--28 lei ($6.60). The cabbage rolls were stuffed with meat and rice and so good. The polenta was plain and boring.

Deep Fried Pork, Sausages, Garlic Sauce, Polenta--39 lei ($9.20). The sausage was very flavorful and it was lean. The garlic sauce didn't improve the flavor of the polenta. Of the 2 entrees, the sarmale was definitely better.

The best part of the meal was the dessert. Papanasi--spoon donuts with sour ceam and homemade jam--18 lei ($4.25). This was so good but then again how can deep fried dough not be good.

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Antler Hotel, Brasov

From Rasnov, it was a 30 minute drive to Brasov.

Our home for the next 2 nights was Antler Hotel, near the historic center. It's a small boutique hotel with just 8 rooms. The hotel advertises that it has parking but it's street parking. It wasn't too hard to find a spot though. The reception desk has limited hours.

I booked the room the night before and paid $66/night for a midweek stay in mid September.

The rooms are spacious and have a refrigerator. The free wifi is strong. No breakfast.

The bathroom is modern and has good water pressure.

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Rasnov Fortress

30 minutes north of Bran Castle is Rasnov Fortress.

The fortress sits on a hilltop with a Hollywood-style sign that is visible from many areas in town.

Park in the large lot at the bottom of the hill and ride a tractor-pulled train to the top of the hill for 5 lei ($1.18) roundtrip, take the elevator on the backside for 12 lei ($2.83) or walk.

There's a nice view from the fortress.

Admission to the fortress is 12 lei ($2.83). There's not much there except a bunch of buildings. The grounds are dusty and uneven--wear appropriate shoes.

A watchtower in the fortress.

Some of the buildings are used as souvenir shops.

The buildings are empty so it doesn't take long to tour the fortress. Allow 30 minutes.

Halfway up the hill is a Dino Park--admission is separate.

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Bran Castle

Bran Castle is located 1 hour north of Sinaia.

You'll see an occasional horse & cart en route.

Park in the lot for 4 lei ($0.94) per hour then pass the souvenir stands to enter the castle complex.

Admission to the castle is 40 lei ($9.43) and there is no tour. 

Bran Castle is associated with Dracula but there is no evidence that Vlad Tepes (the Wallachian prince who inspired Bram Stoker to create Dracula) ever stayed here. Nor was it mentioned in Bram Stoker's book.

The castle was built for fortification and protection of the German colonists in Transylvania. It was given to Queen Marie (the last queen of Romania) in 1920. Her daughter Princess Ileana used it as a hospital during WWII. It was later seized by the communist regime and finally given to Dominic von Habsburg in 2006, Princess Ileana's son.

The castle does play up the Dracula association.

The path leading up to the castle.

Climb the stairs to enter the castle.

Inner courtyard of the castle.

There is no tour but there are English descriptions posted throughout the castle. It's easy to follow the route of the tour.

Some passageways in the castle are very narrow.

The rooms display Queen Marie's furnishings.

Views of the forest from the castle.

King Ferdinand's (Marie's husband) bedroom.

The Torture Room

More medieval instruments of torture.

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Peles Castle & Pelisor Castle

Peles & Pelisor Castles are Sinaia's claim to fame. It was a quick 10 minute walk from the Hotel Marea Neagra to Peles Castle. Follow the Googles Map route that takes you through a wooded path.

Peles Castle was built by Romania's first king, Carol I, as his summer retreat. Building began in 1873 and took 10 years to complete. It was turned over to the state after King Michael abdicated in 1947. In 1997, the castle was returned to the royal family. Today, it's owned by Princess Margareta but still houses the Peles National Museum.

It's closed on Mondays but the hours of operation are different on the website vs what's posted on the sign at the castle. To complicate things, winter hours are different from summer hours.

Peles Castle was definitely worth a visit. Plan on spending 1-2 hours touring.

A statue of King Carol I stands guard over his castle.

The grounds are beautiful.

The inner courtyard is painted with murals. It reminded me of Oberammergau in Germany.

Admission is 30 lei ($7.07) and is supposed to include an English tour. There is a camera fee but quite a few people were taking pictures with their cell phones and I doubt they paid the fee. On Tuesdays, the tour is limited to the first floor.

After buying your ticket, wait in line to enter the castle. You enter in groups. After we entered, we discovered that there was no tour so we rushed ahead to join a Grand Circle Tour group that had entered just before we did. They had their own guide who spoke English and we tagged along.

This is the Arms Room, where over 1600 pieces of war and hunting implements are displayed.

Next to the Arms Room is a small room where a glass case displays the most prized possessions, including a sword with shark skin.

The stained glass windows are beautiful.

In the Library, there is a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth, wife of Carol I, tatting (similar to crocheting). She was an author and wrote with the pen name Carmen Sylva hence it made sense for her to be in the Library.

The Library has a secret passageway hidden behind one of bookshelves. Look for the panel with fake books.

The Florentine Room with 2 large chandeliers

The Moor Hall

The Dining Room could seat 40.

The Theatre has 60 seats.

A short 100 meter walk from Peles Castle is Pelisor Castle. It's closed on Tuesdays but you can walk around the grounds.

Pelisor Castle was built by Ferdinand I, nephew of Carol I, who didn't like Peles Castle.

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