What to Do in Brasov, Romania: 7 Things I’d Do in One of My Favourite Cities

1. Visit the Black Church

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

In 1689, a great fire swept through Brașov and blackened the church’s walls, which is how it got 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 detail in its architecture, while inside you’ll find one of the largest collections of Anatolian carpets in Europe and a huge Buchholz organ with around 4,000 pipes.

In summer, there are organ concerts, which are a lovely way to see the inside.

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.

The Brașov sign sits on Tâmpa Mountain, right above the old town, and you can see it from almost anywhere in the centre.

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

If you’re visiting Brașov in winter, you’re definitely better off taking the cable car for safety reasons, then walking along the top of the hill to the sign.

The sign is also lit up at night, so you can spot it from all over the old town.

3. Walk down Rope Street

Rope Street (Strada Sforii) is one of the narrowest streets in Europe.

At its narrowest point, it’s only about 1.1 metres wide.

Fun fact: it was originally built as an access route for firefighters, and the story goes it only had to be wide enough for one firefighter 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 Brașov is try the local food, and a great restaurant for that is La Ceaun, which serves Romanian classics like mici, sarmale and papanași.

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 Jekelius, a cafe in an old pharmacy with an alchemy theme, which serves great coffee and tea.

5. Wander around Council Square

Council Square (Piața Sfatului) is the heart of Brașov’s old town, lined with colourful merchant houses and cafe terraces.

In the middle stands the Council House, built in the 15th century, which is now the Brașov County History Museum.

In December, the square fills up with a Christmas market.

6. See Catherine’s Gate and the old city walls

Catherine’s Gate, built in 1559, is the only original medieval city gate left in Brașov.

From here you can follow the old city walls and walk up to the White and Black Towers for a great view over the rooftops.

7. Take a day trip to Bran Castle and Râșnov Fortress

Bran Castle is about 30 km from Brașov, and Râșnov Fortress is on the way, so you can easily see both in one day.

I visited both in winter, when they were covered in snow.

Here’s my guide on how to get from Brașov to Bran Castle, and my guide to Râșnov Fortress.

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 in Bucharest, trains to Brașov leave several times a day and take around 2.5 to 3 hours.

You can also take a bus, but the train is usually more comfortable.

If you’re coming from a smaller town in Transylvania, like Sighișoara, you can take the train or a 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, so make sure you have travel insurance when hiring a car in Romania.

I highly recommend SafetyWing.

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.