Braşov

***Storyline:* *Vidin to Ruse Bulgaria via Romania by train Jul – Aug, 2017***

We walked from the train station all the way to the old town and our hotel. It was a longish walk; first through some residential areas with apartment buildings obviously from communist times; then some nicer low-rise buildings and newly built houses mixed with old ones – some renovated, some not; many administrative buildings too. It took us about an hour with Alex periodically checking his phone’s GPS and confirming that yes, we were still on the right track. There was a shortcut through the Old Town on a pedestrian street, Strada Republicii, that we were trying to find. After some back and forth we eventually found ourselves in this pedestrian area.

The cobble-paved Old Town is really small, full of beautiful baroque buildings, lively cafes, restaurants, pubs/pizzerias and many high-end stores. Short alleys spur up and down from Strada Republicii, all full of restaurants, cafes and buzzing with activity. Unlike Craiova, here one could easily assume that all these people were tourists. We are in Transylvania and close to Dracula’s strongholds, after all.

After crossing the arc-shaped Council Square (well this is English for you!) and the 13th century Trumpeter’s (clock) Tower we stopped to admire the little spiral bird fountain, where pigeons were enjoying their bath.

Our lovely hotel was in a building from the 13th century too, just across the street from the clock tower. Many of the exposed walls, and other medieval features were preserved. Best of all was the practicality and great value for the price we paid. The included breakfast was diverse and they actually had some fruits and vegetables too (things we found lacking in much of the Romanian cuisine).

We wanted to at least see Bran and Peleş castles. We asked the receptionist about a bus. She suggested we take a private tour with English speaking guide. We’d be picked up at the hotel and then we’d be driven to Bran, Râşnov (the Citadel) and Sinaia (Peleş castle) if we wanted to pay the additional price for the latter. It was €90 for the two of us for the three places. Although we seldom take guided tours, this sounded like a good deal for being driven around, just the two of us. We wouldn’t be able to visit more than one site in a day by ourselves on public transportation. We booked the tour and had a day to wander around Braşov. We had already done the old town. Did I mention it was small? The famous 14th-15th century gothic Black Church was under renovation and not open to public, but we walked up and down all the small streets, went to the 16th century Catherine’s Gate, which is the last original medieval gate, proudly adorned with the Braşov coat of arms.

The next day we decided to find a hairdresser for me. There should be something in the pedestrian area, we thought. We asked the hotel staff, but they knew nothing in or near the Old Town. We walked around and saw nothing even close. The receptionist gave us two addresses which were quite a hike from the old town. “Take a cab” she said. We wanted to walk and see the city life beyond the old touristy area anyway. We mapped one that appeared close to the train station, and decided to venture back there.

As we were nearing the station, I noticed a small sign “Frizerie, coafura” (frizzy hair?) pointing towards an apartment building up a small slope. It definitely wasn’t the address we had in hand. It was a small barber shop. With all the heat (about 42°C), I didn’t really care. As little hair as possible was the best for me.

The guy spoke some English, which was great. He’d been to Canada, he said, and has relatives in Hamilton, Ontario. Twenty minutes later, a lot of hair and 20 lei lighter, Alex looked at me and said he now had a boyfriend.

For the rest of the day we strolled around the old town, tried a few cafes, watching people go by, had lunch back at the hotel’s restaurant as we had enjoyed that the previous evening, then more walks and people watching, absorbing the bohemian atmosphere of medieval Braşov. It was our “go slow and enjoy” day.

During the communist times Brasov was named Orașul Stalin (Stalin City). The trees on the rocks of Tampa Mountain were cut to make room for the sign. They are now growing back as the wounds are healing.

Things to do:

The old town is really small and one can walk through it in a few hours:

Stroll though the pedestrian area and enjoy the medieval architecture
Visit Council Square
Walk on Strada Republicii and the alleys up and down from it
Visit the Black Church
Stop by Catherine’s Gate
Don’t forget the White and the Black Towers
Hike or take the cable car up Tampa Mountain, overlooking the city
Extend your visit with a day trip to Bran Castle and Râşnov’s Citadel
Make a day trip to Peleş Castle (Sinaia), or squeeze the trip in with the Bran and Râşnov visits…there’s lots to keep you busy either way