Travel Guide to Brasov, Transylvania – Romania

We set off from our extensive stay in Belgrade with what seemed like hangovers from hell and headed straight for the Transylvanian region of Romania, buoyed by the mystifying legacy of Vlad Tepes, more commonly referred to as Dracula, a break from clubbing and of course the stunning mountains around the region.

Our journey didn’t get off to the best of starts. We had to change trains as soon as we hit the border towns of Timisoara and then into Arad. For us, Arad was possibly the most “on edge” we’d felt during our travels of central and eastern Europe. We were approached several times by locals, asking about our nationality. They were watching us like hawks. Luckily for us the police station was located just on the platform, great only a 6 hour wait till our train’s departure.

On arrival to Brasov, we were delighted about the town’s character and to add icing to the cake, our hostel was very comfortable and homely. We booked and then immediately hit the local town to experience the dinning and some local bars.  We found a great local place which served an amazing goulash with some local wines that were also very tasty.  The restaurant became our preferred choice for the rest of stay, with its exceptionally low prices and great service, it was very hard to beat. We would then move on to other bars around the town, many playing traditional music and offering a great selection cocktails and local beers.

Still feeling frail from recent weeks spent in the likes of Croatia and Serbia, we treated Brasov as a detox period and thus took part in site seeing as quickly as possible. First up was Bran Castle located near the village of Bran a short coach journey away from Brasov.  I actually feel quite proud that I can brag about seeing Draculas castle, even though it was never proved that Vlad Tepes ever stayed there.

The whole visit took less than half a day and I’d certainly recommend it to anyone visiting the Transylvanian region. Originally build in the 1370’s, the castle has lost much of its medieval and gothic interior due to recent occupants such as Queen Mary of Edinburgh and communist governments. However there are still many important features such as a hidden stairwell and underground labyrinths hidden in the court yard. The castle was also used to defend invading Turks, and throughout the castle you’ll see original pieces of armour and literature. You’ll also read lots of literature on Vlad Tepes and Bramstoker, it’s very interesting to understand the truth behind how the Dracula story came about.  The landscape is fascinating, and you can experience some amazing views from the top of the castle, looking down on the village below.

Next on our list of things to do was to visit the Bucegi Mountains. In the summer time the landscape is full of lush green forests, vibrant flowers, fresh springs, caves and errr……. bears. This got me more excited than Bran Castle, although I’d be lying to say I wasn’t a little scared. Hiking through the mountains is a very pleasant experience. It’s peaceful, eye opening and well, a bit different, all in all a very cleansing activity.

When touring the city you’ll be able to feast your eyes on some great architecture, ranging from the average town house, to medieval battlements and of the course the famous Black Church (Biserica Neagra).  When hiking the surrounding hills, you’ll get the best view of Brasov, whilst being able to look down on the quant old town.

All in all, Brasov is a great place to visit if you’re travelling Eastern Europe. There are many things to do, as listed above, including a good night life. However there are obviously cultural differences that can understandably be uncomfortable for many people, but hey, you’re in their country, embrace their way of life. A final piece of advice, try your utmost to avoid making friends with local stray dogs (there are many). Once they realise they can rely on you for some food, they might not leave you alone. You must also be aware of child gangs, not violent in anyway, however they are cunning. When leaving Brasov, I turned round to see a group of them helping themselves to items from my backpack, luckily nothing worth a serious amount of money.

This post was written by Michael from Simply Hike, Online company for outdoor clothing, travel gear and Camping equipment.