Where We Be
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| There's plenty of beautiful architecture to appreciate as you stroll through the city |
| Brasov & Bran Castle, Romania |
Brasov is nestled in the heart of Transylvania
and makes an excellent base for exploring the
surrounding area. From here it's an easy day
trip to Bran Castle as well as Sighisoara and
Viscri (covered on the next page). Brasov itself
has a historic center with colorful buildings and
pedestrian-friendly streets. It's one of seven
Saxon (think "Germanic") cities in the region
that have a fascinating history all their own.
Piata Sfatului is the main square and is a great
place to have a drink and people-watch.
As for Bran Castle, it's only a half hour's drive
away, and as you can see, it's quite impressive.
In truth it's a bit of a tourist trap, with too many
tourists and too little real history involving Vlad
the Impaler to justify the high ticket cost -- but
hey, it's Transylvania, and everyone wants to
see "Dracula's Castle" if they've come this far.
In hindsight, a local bus to Bran would have
been almost as good as a tour, but however you
get here, you're sure to enjoy the fine views of
the Carpathian Mountains along the way. Their
forested slopes are home to Europe's largest
population of brown bears (some 7,000), as well
as wild boars, lynxes, and even gray wolves.
and makes an excellent base for exploring the
surrounding area. From here it's an easy day
trip to Bran Castle as well as Sighisoara and
Viscri (covered on the next page). Brasov itself
has a historic center with colorful buildings and
pedestrian-friendly streets. It's one of seven
Saxon (think "Germanic") cities in the region
that have a fascinating history all their own.
Piata Sfatului is the main square and is a great
place to have a drink and people-watch.
As for Bran Castle, it's only a half hour's drive
away, and as you can see, it's quite impressive.
In truth it's a bit of a tourist trap, with too many
tourists and too little real history involving Vlad
the Impaler to justify the high ticket cost -- but
hey, it's Transylvania, and everyone wants to
see "Dracula's Castle" if they've come this far.
In hindsight, a local bus to Bran would have
been almost as good as a tour, but however you
get here, you're sure to enjoy the fine views of
the Carpathian Mountains along the way. Their
forested slopes are home to Europe's largest
population of brown bears (some 7,000), as well
as wild boars, lynxes, and even gray wolves.
| As impressive as Bran Castle is, it was never home to Vlad the Impaler -- nor did Bram Stoker, author of "Dracula," ever visit it in person |
| This fine building houses the county library, believe it or not |
| Catherine’s Gate is the only remaining medieval gate in Brasov |
| The Black Church's walls don't look so black anymore -- perhaps they've been cleaned in recent years |
| Peeking out from behind the main square is the Black Church (Biserica Neagra), which got its name after the great fire in 1689 blackened its outer walls |
| All around the main square and surrounding streets are alfresco dining options |
| Brasov has its own "Hollywood sign" |
| Piata Sfatului, the main square in Brasov, sets the tone for the city with its colorful buildings and pedestrian-friendly spaces |
| This killer view of the castle is only possible after you've paid the entry fee |
| You'll learn a lot about Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia (the region adjacent to Transylvania) if you take a tour here |
| We learned that Queen Marie of Romania renovated the fortress between 1920 and 1932, turning it into a castle with actual living spaces. Before that, it would have been just a cold stone fortress -- not the sort of place high-born Vlad Tepes would have chosen to sleep in |
| The inner courtyard of the castle is encircled by balconies. You'll find plenty of fellow tourists on the balconies and on the steep, narrow stairways between floors. |
| View of the surrounding countryside from the top of the castle |
| You'll also learn a lot about Queen Marie of Romania, originally from England. Most notably, she crashed the Treaty of Versailles when Romania wasn't invited to the table -- and ended up convincing the powers that be to include Transylvania in the boundaries of Romania! |
| Bran Castle |
| Brasov |
| View of the sign from our second-floor room at Casa Chitic |
| Rope Street (Strada Sforii), despite being hopelessly covered in graffiti, is yet another contender for "narrowest street in Europe" |
| Some of the older buildings have a "shabby chic" look about them |
| A grocery store displays a bounty of fruits and veggies |
| Robin hasn't played hopscotch in years, so when she found this unusual stone hopscotch court, she couldn't resist |
| Brown bears figure prominently in Romania. This statue stands outside Ursul Cafe -- and Ursus is the name of the most popular local beer |
| We enjoyed traditional dishes at La Ceaun, including bulz (polenta with sour cream) and bean soup with smoked ham in a bread bowl |