Brasov, Romania – Top 10 fantastic things to do

Brasov is a beautiful city in Romania, about 2 hours from Bucharest. Well worth a visit, with picturesque squares and a lively cafe scene, Brasov has a new airport ready to become a must-do European city break.

Surrounded by beautiful countryside, it’s a paradise for history and nature lovers, as you can visit Dracula’s castle, make friends with rescued bears and hike across the mountains.

In Brasov

1. Piata Sfatului, Brasov’s main square

Start in Piata Sfatului, the main square, a triangular expanse focused on the 13th century clock tower. The square has cafes and restaurants clustered around the sides, some of which catch the afternoon sun. It’s a beautiful spot to have a leisurely drink and people watch. 

2. Biserica Neagra

Next, head over to the Biserica Neagra, or Black Church. Constructed some time in the 14th century (no one knows the exact date) by the local Transylvanian Saxon community, it’s one of the the main Gothic buildings in the region. Legend has it that a child was immured in the walls – a common practice in medieval times. However, there’s no evidence to support this, and we’ll have to hope that all local children made it through construction unharmed. It’s just off the main square and steps away from the clock tower. There’s a lovely shop just opposite selling local items where you buy your tickets. 

3. The Black and White Towers

Another excellent activity is visiting the Black and White towers, perched on the hills above the city. The climb to the Black Tower is pretty easy. However, you’ll really feel like you’ve earned your next coffee break once you’ve climbed the stairs to the White Tower. It’s worth it though – once you’re there, Brasov is laid out before you like a town out of a fairy tale. 

4. Explore one of the narrowest streets in Europe

Take a few minutes to head to Strada Sforii, Brasov’s narrowest street. It’s allegedly one of the narrowest in Europe. This tiny, graffiti covered alleyway is surprisingly long, not least because you’ll have to navigate your way around visitors coming the other way.

5. Taking your time in Brasov

Brasov is a wonderful town for relaxing and people watching. Find a cafe, enjoy one of the many glorious ice cream options and wander the shops. There’s something lovely about meandering slowly around Brasov, enjoying it’s mediaeval charm.

Around Brasov:

6. Hiking

If you are a hiker – which I am definitely not – there is a range of hikes in the Carpathians to suit different abilities. The easiest is hiking up to the Brasov sign above the town, but there are full day and multi-day options available as well.

7. Visit a bear hide

My absolute highlight when visiting the town was bear watching. There are different ways to view these beautiful, majestic friends around Brasov. I took an evening tour to a bear hide for a bucket-list view of wild bears from a (very safe) bear hide.

You’ll need to do this in an organised way. Either book a guide or ensure that you’ve booked with the national forest. The hide is down a dirt path and you’ll need to join the convoy of cars heading out each evening to ensure you find it safely. The tour also starts at different times depending on sunset, so you’ll need to know the exact time to join the convoy. I booked a guide and it was totally worth it – the knowledge he was able to share was invaluable.

 

8. Libearty Sanctuary – just outside Brasov

The next morning, I headed out to Libearty Bear Sanctuary outside of town, again with a guide. The sanctuary rescues bears from across Romania, as well as neighbouring countries such as Ukraine. I got to meet Bolik, who was rescued at the beginning of the current war.

The sanctuary only allows two trips a day, first thing in the morning, as so many of the bears have had traumatic experiences of humans. Keeping the tours so limited means that the bears have the rest of the day to go off and be unbothered in the huge expanse of the sanctuary. They come to the fences for breakfast, and then go off and do their own thing. 

This trip is very feasible to do yourself if you hire a car – the sanctuary is easy to find. Make sure you’re booked in advance as the tours do get full. You’ll join one of the two groups – either 8.30 or 9.30am – with a guide to talk to you about how the bears live and where they were rescued from.

You can also do what I did – have a really incredible personal guide to give you the inside track on different bears, their histories and personalities. I combined this trip with my tour of Bran Castle and Peleș, and was lucky to have a guide who also worked for the bear sanctuary. Highly recommended – the bears are sometimes only a couple of feet away from you! 

9. Bran Castle

Finally, the main trips from Brasov are castles – Bran and Peles. The best way to do this is by tour – Bran in particular is not easily accessible by public transport. You can book these easily from Brasov or even from Bucharest. 

Bran was my personal favourite – a mediaeval castle picked by Bram Stoker off a postcard, which Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula) never actually visited. It’s very touristy, and has leaned into it’s fictional heritage. However, I loved the almost homely vibe of the interiors and more interactive exhibitions. It’s also a good lunch stop and there are many stalls outside selling a variety of food to grab before you head on to your next stop.

10. Peleș Castle

Peleș, by contract, is an architect’s dream, full of astonishing artwork and beautiful decoration. They present very different views of Romania’s (and Transylvania’s specifically) past, and I’d highly recommend visiting them both. You can get to Peleș by public transport – there are trains to the town of Sianaia from both Brasov and Bucharest. The castle is then a 40 minute walk uphill, or you could take a taxi or local bus. 

However, I visited on my Libearty/Bran castle tour, and as ever, having a guide is invaluable. He was able to talk me through the history of the castle, which was built by Romania’s first King, Carol I, from 1873. With over 170 rooms, including 30 bathrooms, it’s an absolute confection of a castle – with rooms in different themes like French, Florentine and Turkish, spanning dark wood to ornate gold scrollwork. For me, it was a monument to the excesses of wealth – but it is certainly worth seeing. 

Want to know how to get to Brasov and where to stay?

Check out my blog “Everything you need to know about visiting Brasov, Romania”