//
City in Romania
Photo: Doru10stefan, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro via Wikimedia Commons
Brașov (pronounced Bra-shov in Romanian) is a city in Transylvania, Romania. It's set in the Carpathian Mountains in the centre of the country, 180 km from Bucharest. It's mostly a modern industrial city with a population of about 250,000, but the reason to visit is the well-preserved Old Town. It's also an alternative base for skiing at the nearby resort of Poiana Brașov.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Built as a Roman Catholic church in the 15th century in late Gothic style with three naves. It became Lutheran under the influence of Johannes Honter, the Luther of Romania. It was scorched by the Great Fire of 1689, hence the name "Black Church", and later restored in Baroque style. Its main features are the six-tonne bell, the 4000-pipe organ built in 1839 by Carl August Buchholz which is still played during weekly concerts, and a rich collection of Anatolian carpets, donated in the Middle Ages by city merchants.
Muzeul Județean de Istorie
Local exhibits from the stone age to the present day.
Presents the life of the local patriciate between the 17th-20th centuries. It is a branch of Museum of Ethnography (Bulevardul Eroilor 21A), enquire about combi-tickets.
Muzeul Memorial Casa Mureșenilor
On main square commemorates the members of the Mureșanu family (including Andrei Mureșanu, the writer of the National Anthem). In Romanian only.
The best preserved and most interesting bastion of the walled city. In the courtyard there is a small building hosting a museum (a branch of the County History Museum) where you can see old weapons, and a large clay model of 17th-century Brașov.
Biserica Sf. Bartolomeu
The oldest Gothic church in the city, dating to 1241. It's 1.5 km N of old town at the foot of Strada Lunga, bus 5 and 28 runs this way.
Biserica Sf. Nicolae
The first Orthodox church of Brașov, and an old cultural and spiritual centre for the Romanians. It church dates from 1495-1512, Gothic embellished with Baroque, with fine murals by Mișu Popp.
This was the first school on the territory of present-day Romania where Romanian language was used in education (previously Romanians used Church Slavonic). The school was founded in the 14th century, the present building is from 1761, now a museum presenting old books and texts.
This is the mountain that looms over the city, with the Hollywood-style "B-R-A-S-O-V" letters lit up at night. It's 900 m elevation, accessible by a steep one hour hike, or take the cable-car (Telecabină) which runs every 15 min (or when at least 10 passengers are present) to 22:00 (30 lei up, 30 lei down, 45 lei roundtrip - as of Oct 2026). Stout shoes recommended on the ridge trail, and essential if snow is still lying.
The valley south of the peak is Valea Cetății, its lower slopes urbanised, but with various bosky hiking trails around and across the mountain.
Parcul Zoologic
Pietrele lui Solomon
(Not the biblical Solomon, but a Hungarian king who had a lucky escape here.) Bus 50 runs out here from the old centre. This area is good for hiking, biking and climbing.
Feast Days of Brașov
Held in the week leading up to Orthodox Easter. It has several fairs with craftsman, wine, food, etc. It ends with the Parades of Juni on Easter Sunday (Duminica Tomii), which in 2019 will be Su 28 April, one week after the western Easter.
Beer Festival / Festivalul Berii
Smaller but less industrial version of the Munich event, with beer tents, music and of course sausages.
Classical concerts and recitals.
Free classical music recitals
This road twists and turns through spectacular mountain passes about 100 km west of Brașov. A private tour from Brașov for two or more people will cost 450 lei per person. Open July 1-October 31.
Fast food place with menus and sandwiches (chicken and fish) at low prices.
French-themed pub serving a wide range of sweet and savoury crepes. Part of a chain. Inexpensive.
Good quality Romanian fare. Good service.
French style restaurant but also burgers & breakfasts. Madame is idiosyncratic about who she admits.
Friendly long-established pub.
formerly Gott Pub
Scottish themed pub. Nice atmosphere, rugs covering everything. It has darts and a big plasma TV screen for football games. Wide selection of beers and they also serve breakfast.
You can get Guinness, a host of Irish coffees and an Ulster Fry.
Friendly & spacious.
Just round the corner from Aro Palace Hotel, but an unrelated business, this is a clean modern budget choice. Rooms are small and minimally furnished but include a sink.
The Postavarul is a separate wing of the Coroana (see "Mid-range") and bookings are made through that hotel. All of the immaculate rooms have washbasins, but some share a shower and toilet. Good location and service.
Complimentary beer or soft drink, cereal breakfast, coffee and tea all day long, unlimited Internet & Wi-Fi access, bed sheets & towels, big lockers and tour information make this a great value. This hostel has a great staff and is blast to stay at. The staff regularly hosts barbeques in their new awesome yard.
Bright, clean, comfortable guesthouse located between bus station (Autogara 2) and old centre. A family-run hostel with informative, friendly, helpful owners. Free Internet.
Small hostel set in the middle of the old town, 200 m from the central square. Airy dormitories, wifi and friendly, helpful staff. Sheets provided, no lockers but room keys.
Family-run place, offering both dorms and privates. Cheapest bed is €10 with all that you need included (kitchen access, clean sheets, towels, laundry, Internet Wi-Fi). Tours available for all surrounding sights.
Breakfast included, clean sheets, Internet Wi-Fi.
3-star hotel near the Old Town, offers very friendly service. All rooms have showers, minibar, international telephone, as well as some which have very nice balconies. If you want to splurge, there are some high-range apartments with all the amenities including jacuzzis.
3-star hotel, friendly & spacious.
Slabby modern block, 3-star, situated in the old centre overlooking park. Has 184 double rooms that are modern and comfortably furnished (TV, phone, fridge.) Hotel has a restaurant, conference room, reception suite, room service, safe for personal belongings services, currency exchange, and courier service.
In the old centre, the oldest hotel in town, built in an impressive baroque style. Facilities: extensive reception area, "Brasserie" restaurant, breakfast lounge, conference hall, currency exchange office. 155 beds in 2 suite, 2 singles and 69 doubles furnished in classical style having telephone, TV - set, fridge, radio.
Beware, there is another "Hotel Coroana-Brasovului" on str. Dr Saftu, 1 km SW of here.
Japanese design, quiet and clean, free WiFi. One can have breakfast with ones own food in a big common room or on a terrace. The very friendly landlord is from Japan, speaks Romanian, Japanese and English. The hotel offers free transfer from the railway station and a cheap transfer from the airport. Parking in front of the house.
Quiet 2-star place.
Premier hotel in the centre of the Old Town, with 15 suites, 262 double rooms and 30 singles. Most rooms offer minibar, satellite TV, telephone, radio and room service. Facilities include a Romanian, Italian and international restaurant, nightclub, bar, garden restaurant, breakfast lounge, conference hall, tourist information office, parking area, hairdressing salon and a casino.
Unirea Shopping Center
By train
From Bucharest Gara de Nord there are 13 direct trains daily between 06:00 and 21:00, taking about 2 hr 40 min (49 lei, Sep 2018). Travel via Bucharest from Bulgaria, Moldova and Turkey.
By car
Brașov has good road connections, as it's in a valley where several routes across the hills converge. Main highways are:
By bus
Buses run every hour or two to Sibiu (2 hr 30 min), Cluj Napoca (4 hr 30 min) and Bucharest (3 hr). The Bucharest buses also stop at Otopeni airport.
By bus
Buses in Brașov are run by RATBv (Regia Autonomă de Transport Brașov). They mostly run weekdays 05:30 to midnight, weekends 06:30 to 23:00; there's no night service.
By taxi
Taxis make sense if you're struggling with luggage between bus and railway station and old town, reckon 3 lei per km. A trip from the train station to the old town should not cost more than 20 lei.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Brașov (Ghimbav) · International · GHV
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Brașov and Romania.
ItinerariesThe Braşov cultural itinerary is an itinerary of the city of Braşov (in Transylvania, Romania) from a cultural point of view.
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesThe Transylvania Triangle Train Tour is a 12-day "self-guided" train tour of the main attractions of Transylvania, Romania.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsDracula is without question the most famous vampire in fiction. Based on Bram Stoker's interpretation of Eastern European vampire myths and with a very tenuous relation to the 15th-century historic figure Vlad the…
Wikivoyage
Food & drinkA Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many other countries.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.