Built-in the 13th century as a fortress to protect the border between Wallachia and Transylvania, the castle towers over this border, perched almost precariously atop a slender and tall outcrop of rock.

Looking almost as though it grew out of the stone itself, Bran Castle is one of the most delightfully and beautifully gothic buildings in all of Eastern Europe.

Long associated with the Dracula legend, it is often the first place people want to go when they’re ready to take a day trip from Brasov.

While the infamous Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), who inspired the Dracula myth, is thought to have never set foot in the castle, this particular structure best matches the description Bram Stoker gives of Dracula’s castle in the novel meaning you will find no end to the fun Dracula souvenirs and themed events there.

Inside the castle, you can enjoy stunning views over Bran and see some of Queen Marie’s most prized furniture, all in a traditional folk style.

The town of Bran itself is lovely with quaint houses, shops, and plenty of places to find some traditional Romania food and drink.

Exploring Transylvania is one of the best things to do in Romania and Bran Castle is a perfect starting point!

Luckily it is very easy to get Brasov to Bran Castle by public transport or even by car if you’d rather drive. Find out how

Brasov to Bran Castle by Bus

Getting from Brasov to Bran Castle by public transport is simple, in fact, the hardest part is getting to the bus station since it’s a little outside the city centre.

You can walk it in about forty minutes but the easiest way to get there is by taking an Uber (or the number five bus) from the city centre. Once you get to Auto Gara 2, you will need to buy a ticket.

To avoid confusion, the bus station is also the Brasov train station but has a separate name.

There are kiosks just in front of the train station entrance, next to where the buses wait and you can buy a ticket from one of the kiosks (they have English signs).

Alternatively, you can wait for the bus to Bran to show up and buy your ticket from the driver; just make sure you have cash for either method.

Buses come twice an hour, on the hour and half past the hour but, of course, they are sometimes late.

Luckily, we didn’t encounter this and found all of the buses in Romania to be punctual!

The tickets cost about 8 lei each way (under two euros).

Once you hop off the bus, you will be able to see the imposing castle looming ahead so you won’t get lost.

Getting from Brasov to Bran Castle by bus couldn’t be easier.

There isn’t a train available so public transport wise, the bus is your best and cheapest option.

Brasov to Bran Castle by Car

Hiring a car in Romania is really easy but the traffic can be quite bad so it is best to set out early if you want to avoid the traffic.

Driving in Transylvania is a lot more relaxed than in and around Bucharest so it’s much more suited to people who are less confident on the road but I would still say be wary of sudden lane-changers and people trying to overtake you.

Driving gets quite passionate in Romania.

Make sure you have travel insurance, I highly recommend SafetyWing!

However, it is a gorgeous drive through mountains and fields and there are plenty of villages around Bran Castle if you’d like to make use of the car.

I3I’d definitely recommend renting if you are able.

As it is only a 30km drive, you will be there in under an hour making this a quick and easy day trip from Brasov.

You essentially follow highway 73 the entire way and it is very easy to pull off to visit the stunning Rasnov Fortress on the way there or back.

You will be pulling off the highway onto road E68 for the final leg.

There are gas stations and services along the way if you need anything.

Once you get there, there is free parking on the streets around the castle but there are also paid carparks within five minutes’ walk of the castle.

These cost less than a euro per hour and you shouldn’t have trouble getting a space.

Tip: If you don’t want to drive in Romania, you can also consider taking a taxi which will work out more cost-effective than a tour if you are travelling as a group.

This will also give you a degree of flexibility.

It costs about 20€ each way and you can use Uber, the Bratax Taxi App or ask your accommodation to book one for you.

Useful Information About Bran Castle

Bran Castle is open between 9:00 – 18:00 every day but they close two hours early during the colder months (October to February) so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time.

You will need a couple of hours to explore the castle properly.

A ticket costs 8.60 euro, and they hold plenty of extra events and festivals throughout the year (particularly at Halloween), so make sure you check their website.

They have a restaurant at the base of the castle which serves wonderful soups and coffee at standard prices if you want somewhere to sit down, otherwise, there are plenty of delicious street food kiosks surrounding the castle.

You can even take a picnic since the ground are free to walk and sit in.

The walk up and down from the castle is quite steep and a bit slippery in Winter so make sure you wear decent shoes!

Top tip: If you have time, walk over to the resting place of Queen Marie’s heart at Inima Regina Maria.

You can carefully climb the hill leading from the tomb and get an amazing view over Bran Castle.

Other articles you will love:

• What to Do in Brasov, Romania
• 7 Castles in Transylvania That Will Blow your Mind
• Best Tips to Prepare for a Balkan Road Trip

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While Transylvania is not home to Romania’s capital city, it is instead a wide and expansive landscape of flat valleys and rising mountains.

And all of this expansive landscape is peppered with medieval Saxon towns, gothic castles, and untouched hilltop fortresses.

One such hilltop fortress is Rasnov Fortress (sometimes known as Rasnov Castle or Rasnov Citadel).

Rasnov Fortress has sat overlooking the wide open valley below it for hundreds of years, and remains almost entirely untouched by human hands since it was first built (though not completely untouched, and that’s a funny story we’ll get to shortly).

Rasnov Fortress is a beautiful building that any visitor to Transylvania should explore.

So here’s everything you need to know about, as well as how to get to Rasnov Fortress.

A Handy Guide to Rasnov Fortress, Romania

History of Rasnov Fortress

Rasnov Fortress, much like its neighbour Bran Castle (which is only a short drive away) has stood on an imposing and powerful hill overlooking the town of Rasnov since the 13th century, with the citadel having been finished by around 1225.

Since then, that same stonework has remained intact and what you see when you visit is almost exactly what was seen and touched by the medieval Romanians of the 13th century.

Transylvania might be a mountainous region, but the central area where the city of Brasov can be found is a wide open flat valley where you can see for miles and miles.

Areas like this were once prime targets for attack and invasion, and so any hilltop that provided views and protection needed a fortress.

Rasnov Fortress was one of these. It provided a lookout to spot invading outsiders, as well as fortified and defensive hilltop retreat where locals from the area could go to be protected.

Seeing Rasnov Fortress from both the ground and from inside gives a real dynamic idea of how the people of the 13th and 14th centuries lived in this area.

It’s especially clear because of how well preserved Rasnov Citadel is.

The citadel is not entirely preserved, however, which brings us to our funny story.

The tale goes that, more than a hundred years ago, an Italian man purchased the fortress and, since they were ruins and no tourists visited at the time, he decided to fix it up himself and turn it into a hilltop hotel.

And so he managed to use red brick to rebuild several of the smaller houses within the fortress before the government realised what he was doing, stopped him, and shut down his plans.

When you visit Rasnov Fortress, you’ll find today a few houses that have been partly renovated in red brick, which might spoil the aesthetic a little bit but adds a delightful story to the citadel’s history.

What to See at Rasnov Fortress

Since it was built as a place to protect the people of the area, Rasnov fortress is mostly made up of two things: the surrounding fortified walls and the buildings inside that served as homes for the people who lived there.

The first thing to do upon entering Rasnov Citadel is to climb up onto the very walls you just entered under, and get a stunning view of the surrounding mountains and flat plains.

The wall itself has a wooden tower which you can climb to get an even higher view if you want to.

It’s perfectly safe and secure, so don’t worry about that.

Within the heart of Rasnov Fortress are homes that are now used by locals as little shops to sell souvenirs.

Most of them aren’t tacky, either, but rather hand-made local crafts.

You’ll find a lot of hand-woven clothing and blankets for sale, as well as soaps and perfumes.

All of it is locally made and reasonably priced, so actually worth browsing and considering.

Rasnov Castle naturally encourages visitors to delve deeper as you go, and when you get to the furthest point from the entrance, you’ll find yourself stood on a heap of ruined stone overlooking the rest of the fortress and the landscape beyond.

This is an incredible photo opportunity, and one of the best for miles and miles around.

The citadel is situated atop a fairly prominent hill, and the best way up and down is via a large trailer pulled by a tractor, though you can walk if you want.

But whether you walk or ride with the tractor, you can also choose to stop halfway up for a unique surprise.

Recently, a dinosaur park has opened in the thick forestry halfway up the hill.

It’s a small area, perfect for children to explore, which is populated by enormous, lifelike recreations of dinosaurs of all kinds.

It’s not a museum but it is a lovely place for children to walk around, especially if they find the fortress itself a little underwhelming.

So, if you’re a family, make sure to stop by the Dino Park.

How to get to Rasnov

The best and simplest way to get to Rasnov Fortress is by car.

Renting a car in Romania is a very popular activity since Transylvania is such a wide-open place with little towns and villages separated by mountains and endless miles of hills and open roads.

It is worth mentioning that renting a car in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, can be a little intimidating.

The average driver in Bucharest can be aggressive, and for tourists, it isn’t a fun experience.

But Rasnov Fortress is nowhere near Bucharest.

It’s in Transylvania and in Transylvania, people drive calmly and safely.

It’s a pleasure to drive around Transylvania, which is why when you’re looking at how to get to Rasnov Fortress, renting a car is your best and most entertaining choice.

You can rent your car from the nearby city of Brasov after getting a train from Bucharest to Brasov, then enjoy a nice and easy drive to Rasnov, which is only a half-hour drive from Brasov.

From there you can also easily drive to Bran Castle.

Make sure you have travel insurance just in case something does go wrong on the road. 

I highly recommend SafetyWing (which starts at $47 per month).

Other articles you will love:

• What to Do in Brasov, Romania
• What to Do in Bucharest, Romania
• Traditional Romanian Food: 14 Must-try Dishes!

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The post A Handy Guide to Rasnov Fortress, Romania appeared first on Travelling Balkans.

While Bucharest might be Romania’s capital, Brasov is its city of history; one that’s full of fascinating attractions and has been injected with a vibrant nightlife and coffee scene.

There are a lot of fantastic things to do in Brasov, even if you choose to visit Brasov in winter.

There isn’t another city in Romania like it, and the city wins over visitors every year with its kind and happy locals, its hipster bars and cafes, its fantastic food scene, and all of its gorgeous religious architecture.

Here is what to see in Brasov when you visit Transylvania.

Brasov is separated into two different things to do: seeing the historic sights and architecture and enjoying the more modern culture scene of bars, clubs, and great restaurants.

Both are fantastic and full of a variety of sights and experiences that you must see when you visit Brasov.

1. Visit the Black Church

Brasov’s Black Church has a fascinating and dark history.

In the 17th century, there was a great fire in Brasov, which spread across the town and even engulfed the church’s insides, permanently charring the stone black and forever officially changing its name.

The Black Church is an impressive and darkly gothic building that deserves to be explored completely.

On the outside, you can admire so much dramatic and rugged detail in its architecture, while inside you’ll find a legendary painting known as the Black Madonna.

This painting depicts the Virgin Mary and has been hanging in the church since before the great fire.

Legend says that the dress she is wearing in the painting turned black after the fire because she was mourning the victims of the fire.

Be aware that you can’t take photos inside the church, so you won’t be able to get a photo of the Black Madonna, but it is still very much worth seeing regardless.

2. Climb to the Brasov Sign

Brasov is a unique city in a few surprising ways, and one of which is the Brasov sign, which is unashamedly inspired by the Hollywood sign.

It does have a practical reason for being there, which can be traced back to Romania’s communist-era but, regardless, what we have now is a fantastic and unique sight that’s one of the best attractions in Brasov.

The Brasov sign sits on a hill within the old town limits, and can be seen from almost anywhere in Brasov old town.

It can also be reached very easily, either by hiking or by taking a short and cheap cable car ride.

If you’re visiting Brasov in winter, you’re definitely better off getting the cable car for safety reasons and then walking along the top of the hill until you get to the sign.

The Brasov sign also trumps the Hollywood sign because it is lit up at night and the lights that illuminate it change shape and colour, making for a very captivating and photogenic sign indeed.

3. Walk down Rope Street

Rope Street is the narrowest street in southeast Europe and one of the narrowest streets in all of Europe.

At its narrowest point, two people can’t stand side by side.

Fun fact: the street was installed as an emergency point of access for firemen only a few centuries ago, and the requirements for its width were that it had to be wide enough for one fireman carrying two buckets of water.

Walking down it is one of the stranger things to do in Brasov, and you can also get a cool view of the Brasov sign from it.

4. Explore the Bars and Cafes

Brasov, beyond the old architecture and medieval history, is a city with a vibrant and youthful scene consisting of fantastic bars, cafes, and restaurants.

One of the best things to do in Brasov is try some of the local food, and a great restaurant for that is La Ceaun, a local restaurant which serves the best Romanian meals: mici, sarmale, and papanasi are all must-try Romanian dishes.

If you’re looking for good coffee, Kafe Pub is a rustic and atmospheric cafe that has a decor of vintage objects and bookshelves.

Or there’s the Pharmacy Cafe, also known as Dr Jekelius, which is a vaguely alchemy-themed cafe that serves great coffee and a decent selection of dinner options.

How to get to Brasov

Brasov appears, at first, to be a relatively isolated city in Transylvania.

And while that is true, to an extent, it is very easy to get to Brasov from not only the bigger cities of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, but also the smaller medieval towns like Sighisoara.

So, here’s how to get to Brasov by train or bus.

If you’re coming from Bucharest to Brasov, the easiest way is by train.

From Gara de Nord train station in Bucharest, you can hop on a train which takes less than two hours to get to Brasov and leaves multiple times a day. You can also take a bus but the trains are far quicker and don’t cost much more (travel in Romania is incredibly cheap, including taxis and Uber!)

If you’re coming to Brasov from a smaller town in Transylvania, like Sighisoara, your only public transport option is the bus.

There is a bus which begins in Cluj-Napoca and passes through Sighisoara, finishing at Brasov.

But from Cluj-Napoca you can also take a train. The bus is very cheap and easy, but certainly slower than the train.

If you’re looking to rent a car and you’re wondering how to get to Brasov, the best strategy is to rent a car outside of Bucharest.

This is simply because drivers in the capital are frighteningly manic and quite intimidating. be sure to have travel insurance when hiring a car in Romania. 

I highly recommend SafetyWing (starts at $37 per month)!

If you head out of the city on a bus or a train, then rent a car in another town (Sinaia is a great choice), you’ll find that the rest of the country is much more pleasant to drive around.

Driving to and around Brasov is completely stress-free.

Other articles you will love:

• What to Do in Bucharest, Romania
• Traditional Romanian Food: 14 Must-try Dishes!
• How to Get from Bucharest to Transylvania + the best stops!

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