Brașov & Bran: the back story

About Brașov & Bran: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Bucharest Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Across the Carpathians, in southern Transylvania, Brașov is one of the most beautiful old towns in Romania, and the castle of Bran guards the mountain pass nearby.

A Saxon city

Brașov was founded by German settlers, the Transylvanian Saxons, in the Middle Ages, and grew rich from trade between Central Europe and the Ottoman world. Its old town of pastel houses, towers and walls lies at the foot of Mount Tâmpa, and its Council Square is one of the loveliest squares in the country.

The Black Church

The great Gothic church of Brașov was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, and it takes its name from a fire in 1689 that blackened its walls. Inside you can see one of the largest collections of Anatolian carpets in Europe, given by merchants over the centuries.

Brașov is one of the most beautiful old towns in Romania.

Bran and the legend of Dracula

Bran Castle stands on a rock above the pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. Its towers have made it famous as “Dracula’s Castle”, although the link with Vlad III is a legend; its real story is as a fortress of the pass and, in the 20th century, a much-loved home of Queen Marie.

Our advice: trains run from Gara de Nord to Brașov in about two and a half to three hours, through Sinaia. Spend the morning in Brașov’s old town, take the cable car up Mount Tâmpa for the view, and go on to Bran by bus or car in the afternoon. Better still, stay a night.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Brașov & Bran: the back story before you go.