Brasov is one of the largest cities in Romania, and in the past was the capital of Transylvania. The former Saxon city is enclosed within the city walls, above which the Tampa Mountain rises, from which you can admire the panorama of the area.
Brasov is one of the seven historic cities of Transylvania that gave the region its name. In the past, it was inhabited by Saxon settlers who created a city based on the German pattern. Romanians settled in the suburbs, where until today, behind the Schiei gate, a somewhat chaotic, low-rise buildings clustered around winding streets has survived.
The center of Brasov is a vast market square surrounded by houses from different eras. In its center there is a historic town hall, which today houses a museum. Around the tenement houses there are now restaurants, bars and cafes, and behind one of the bourgeois façades there is a small Orthodox church hidden, the interior of which is covered with polychrome.
The most important monument of the city is the Gothic Black Church. Its name comes from the soot raid on its walls, which was formed during one of the city fires. It is one of the largest Gothic churches in Romania. Its interior is decorated with colorful, eastern carpets, which Brasov's merchants offered as votive offerings for a safe journey.
The wooded hill of Tampa rises above the Market Square. You can reach its top, where there is a cafe, by funicular railway. There is a nice view of the Old Town and the remains of fortifications with fragments of walls and defense towers.
