Within 5 minutes of arriving in Brasov, we knew that we were about to fall in love with this old-worldly town, packed with medieval buildings and cobbled streets. Brasov is a great addition to a Romanian road trip and should certainly not be missed! To get you started with exploring, here is a list of the top things to do in Brasov.
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Things to do in Brasov
Strada Republicii Square
Strada Republicii Square is the main square and the heart of the old town. The pretty cobbled streets are lined with bars and eateries and are a perfect place to sit out and watch traditional live music and dance performances after a long day of exploring. Just make sure to pack a light scarf for when the evening chill kicks in, it will certainly come in handy and is one of many essential travel items for Europe.
The Black Church
The Black Church’s Gothic style is outstanding, and the age of this building is prominent with its dark features. The church dates back to the 1300s. Legend has it, that when the church was under construction one of the builders pushed a boy off the roof after he criticized the structure. Subsequently, people believe that the boy’s body remains there to this day.
St. Catherine’s Gate
St. Catherine’s Gate looks like it has been pulled straight from a storybook. Whilst quite small, this princess structure, which was built in 1559 for defence purposes, makes for the perfect romantic shot.
Rope Street
Europe is known for its tiny alleyways and cobbled roads. Why not stop by Rope Street; Eastern Europe’s narrowest street? Its width measures just 1.3 meters! It was originally made so firefighters had easy access to the main road.
Tampa Cable Car
The huge Brasov sign, which sits proudly on top of Tampa Mountain, shines across Brasov at night and can be seen from a far distance during the day. You can easily take a cable car to the top of the mountain for panoramic views of the medieval town covered with red roofs. The cable car costs 18 Lei ($3.99) both ways or 10 Lei ($2.21) one way. You can also hike to the top, but we wouldn’t recommend this as it could take a while and the hike up looks pretty steep. When you reach the top, you will be treated to pleasant views of the town below.
Bran Castle
This list of things to do in Brasov wouldn’t be complete without a day trip to Bran Castle. The famous Bran Castle (home to Dracula) is just a short bus ride away from Brasov. You can easily reach Bran Castle by taking a public bus for just 8 Lei ($1.77) one-way. You can admire the outside and wander the grounds of the castle for FREE. However, if you wish to go inside you will need to pay an entrance fee of 40 Lei ($8.86).
Peles Castle
A side trip to Peles Castle whilst on a Transylvania road trip is a must! Peles Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Europe. Its Neo-Renaissance design is intriguing, and you could easily spend hours just roaming the grounds and taking photos. To reach Peles Castle, you will need to take the train from Brasov to Sinaia. The train takes a little over 1 hour to reach Sinaia and costs 13 Lei ($2.88) one-way. Or, you could take a day trip from Bucharest. The cost to enter Peles Castle is 30 Lei ($6.64) and an extra 30 Lei ($6.64) for photography. Even if you choose not to go inside, it’s still worth visiting for the outside beauty alone.
Where to stay in Brasov
Finally, to complete this list of things to do in Brasov, you will need somewhere comfortable to stay.
Feeling luxurious: Calea Poienii Penthouse – Apartment-style accommodation that boasts an outdoor swimming pool. Perfect for families! Just a 3-minute drive from the city centre.
Budget private room: Cozy Central Studio – Great value for money! Clean studio apartments in the city centre that are blessed with mountain views from the rooms.
Dorm life: Carrousel Hostel – Don’t worry! It’s not that scary as there are not too many pictures of clowns plastered around. The staff are very friendly, and the rooms are well-kept. One of the best perks of this hostel is the breakfast that is included in the price. It’s also just a 5-minute walk to the main square. We would fully recommend this hostel for solo travellers and young couples who like a social atmosphere.
Essential resources for travelling in Romania
Travel Insurance – No matter where you’re travelling to, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re covered for any accidents or losses. We spent days and weeks searching for insurance, but most insurers would not allow us to take out a policy as we were already abroad. Our personal choice is Safteywing. You can opt for automatic monthly payments, just like a subscription. More importantly, it is available in 180 countries and can be purchased whilst already travelling. There is no cap on the duration of travel.
Visa – Before you travel to any country, make sure to check if you need a visa. iVisa is a fantastic website that is super easy and quick to use. Just type in where you are from. and where you are going. to check if you need a visa. If you do, you can quickly make an application online.
Accommodation – Booking.com is our go-to when looking to pre-book accommodation online. Booking.com tend to almost always have the best rates and a FREE cancellation policy for most properties.
Overland transport – Our go-to website for overland transport is Bookaway. Bookaway offers multiple forms of transport, from buses, mini-vans, trains, and ferries. The routes on offer are extensive and certainly cover most of the backpacker trails. Bookaway works a little like Skyscanner but for overland transport. You will find plenty of transport options from a range of companies. All you simply need to do is book online and receive your ticket by email. The email will contain essential information, such as where the bus leaves from and departure and arrival times.
Tours & Activities – If you want to book tours and activities online, make sure to check out Get Your Guide. Get Your Guide takes the stress out of booking activities abroad. You will also find a range of benefits, such as skip-the-line passes, lunch included in your tours, and so much more.
Travel tips ebook -Before you head off on your adventure, make sure to download our free ebook. It has a whopping 109 budget travel tips to help you make your hard-earned cash go further. Click here to download your FREE ebook.
We hoped you enjoyed reading this list of things to do in Brasov. We truly fell in love with this old-worldly town and wish we could go back for Halloween! How cool would that be?
Are you heading to Europe’s least travelled destination next? Check out what you could get up to in Chisinau, Moldova here.
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As much as I love the castle and touring the architectural monuments, I love walking around streets all the more. Rope Street would be my go-to place when I head there. Romania still remains in my bucketlist. Cheers!!
Rope street is certainly interesting. You could easily just walk around this town for days on end and not get bored 🙂
I have been totally clueless about this town! Never heard of it, but looks so lovely!! I would definitely put this on my list to see!
We hadn’t heard of it before planning out trip to Romania either but we are so glad we visited! One of our favorite towns in Europe by far 🙂
So much beauty! What a fabulous place to visit — hopefully I can see it one day.
Hope you get to visit soon 🙂 Let us know if you need any tips.
I’d love to visit Romania – I’ve added it to the list now, thanks for the inspiration!
Yay! Glad we have inspired you to visit. Let us know if you need anymore tips 🙂
Wow,
So many things to do there. How many days you recommend to stay there?
Hey, we stayed for 4 nights but we would of loved to have stayed for a week.
Wow a picturesque place. And a picturesque write up. The castles are really relishing. So included in my list. The photos are wonderful. 😊😊❤️❤️
Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Romania is such a beautiful place, it really took us by surprise. Hope you get to visit one day!