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Brancovenesc style, Brasov, host of Golden Stag International Music Festival, medieval cities of Transylvania, sights to see in Transylvania, The Black Church Brasov, the Carpathian mountains, visit Romania
Over the Christmas holidays, I took a brief two-day trip to Brașov, where my grandfather was born. Brașov, a city located in the central part of Romania, is a stunning medieval city surrounded by the Southern Carpathian mountains that is part of the mythical region of Transylvania. If you enjoy crisp mountain air, in the close realms of this historical town, then you must take a trip to Brașov.
The city, Kronnstadt in German and Brassó in Hungarian, had throughout history, tremendous German and Hungarian influence. The German name Kronstadt means “Crown City” and is reflected in the city’s coat of arms as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. German colonists known as the Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Brașov’s development. Many of them have eventually moved back to Germany, however a significant number have remained here and mixed with either Romanians or Hungarians.
The city center is marked by the mayor’s former office building (Casa Sfatului) and the surrounding square (Piata Sfatului), which includes one of the oldest buildings in Brașov, the Hirscher Haus. Nearby is the “Black Church” (Biserica Neagră), which some claim to be the largest Gothic style church in Southeastern Europe. Apart from this massive impressive church, most other churches are Orthodox (Romania’s main religion), as two of my pictures reveal. The architecture also features a joyful Brancovenesc style of wide round arches.
In a future post, I will talk about the infamous Dracula’s Castle, formally known as Bran Castle, a major tourist attraction, a few miles outside Brasov.
Read the full article on Brasov here.
Monica Suma 
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