Self-guided tour Brasov
Although traces of human settlements have been found in the Brașov area since the Bronze Age, the founding of the city of Brașov is believed to have taken place in the 13th century, when the Teutonic Knights came to Ţara Bârsei (southeastern part of Transylvania) to defend the border of the then Austro-Hungarian Empire. Along with them, the Saxon settlers settled here, thus marking the birth of the Corona colony, which would later become Brașov. Let's take a walk through this wonderful city to discover its history, legends, and famous places.
Although traces of human settlements have been found in the Brașov area since the Bronze Age, the founding of the city of Brașov is believed to have taken place in the 13th century, when the Teutonic Knights came to Ţara Bârsei (southeastern part of Transylvania) to defend the border of the then Austro-Hungarian Empire. Along with them, the Saxon settlers settled here, thus marking the birth of the Corona colony, which would later become Brașov. Let's take a walk through this wonderful city to discover its history, legends, and famous places.
Task
Going out into the square, take a short look. What is the shape of the base of the big fountain?
Exit the square through the corner overlooking the tall, dark church. This is the Black Church.
Task
4 narrow steps go up to the back door that leads to the church. Above it, small rectangles allow light to enter as well. How many are there?
You're right, 5 rectangular windows let the light in the Gothic-style church built in the 14th century. Initially, it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was called the Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. Mary, but after the fire of 1689 that blackened its walls, the name became the Black Church.
At the time of the inauguration, it received the title of "The largest church between Vienna and Constantinople" (from St. Stephen's Dome in Vienna to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul).
A little beyond this back door you will see the statue of Johannes Honterus. The Saxon humanist Johannes Honterus founded in 1541 the first city school (being also the first gymnasium in South-Eastern Europe) that still operates today ("Johannes Honterus" High School, the one to which the statue points).
Johannes Honterus contributed to the transformation of the Black Church into an Evangelical Lutheran one, drawing up the "Book of the Reformation", which was the cornerstone for the transition to Evangelical religion of all Saxons in Transylvania. He is buried inside the church.
Pass the statue and go to the entrance of the church. You will see that it has only one tower, although it was initially designed with 2 towers (due to lack of funds, the second one was abandoned).
If it is open, you can enter to see the largest pipe organ in Eastern Europe (3993 pipes), the Buchholz pipe organ, named after the craftsman from Berlin who built it.
You're right, 5 rectangular windows let the light in the Gothic-style church built in the 14th century. Initially, it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was called the Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. Mary, but after the fire of 1689 that blackened its walls, the name became the Black Church.
At the time of the inauguration, it received the title of "The largest church between Vienna and Constantinople" (from St. Stephen's Dome in Vienna to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul).
A little beyond this back door you will see the statue of Johannes Honterus. The Saxon humanist Johannes Honterus founded in 1541 the first city school (being also the first gymnasium in South-Eastern Europe) that still operates today ("Johannes Honterus" High School, the one to which the statue points).
Johannes Honterus contributed to the transformation of the Black Church into an Evangelical Lutheran one, drawing up the "Book of the Reformation", which was the cornerstone for the transition to Evangelical religion of all Saxons in Transylvania. He is buried inside the church.
Pass the statue and go to the entrance of the church. You will see that it has only one tower, although it was initially designed with 2 towers (due to lack of funds, the second one was abandoned).
If it is open, you can enter to see the largest pipe organ in Eastern Europe (3993 pipes), the Buchholz pipe organ, named after the craftsman from Berlin who built it.
Return to the statue of Johannes Honterus and, as you stand face to face with it, turn left, but remember the direction he is showing you. Go until the street gets clogged and then turn left again until you meet the busy street.
In the courtyard of the building across the street is the Neolog Synagogue of Brașov (one of the 2 synagogues in the city). Cross towards it (on the right you will find a pedestrian crossing). The synagogue was inaugurated in 1901 and was built in Moorish style with Art Nouveau elements.
Go past the synagogue and on the right you will meet a gang that leads to an alley lost among the houses. Enter through it.
Task
Round and white, like miniature moons, they light your way in the evening. How many are there?
Indeed, 6 lanterns light your way on the third narrowest street in Europe: Sforii Street. Although it is mentioned in documents initially in the 17th century, it is supposed to have appeared in a system of organizing the citadel used in the 15th century.
According to this system, the houses were divided into blocks of 10, separated from each other by very narrow streets to stop possible fires and, subsequently, to facilitate the access of firefighters.
The only such street that separates the 10-house blocks preserved until today is Sforii Street, which you are on now. The others were swallowed by the constructions that appeared later.
Sforii Street is 80 m long and only 135 cm wide, making it the third narrowest street in Europe. It was renovated a few years ago and, to restore its medieval appearance, the lanterns were ordered according to the model of the gas-fired ones.
Indeed, 6 lanterns light your way on the third narrowest street in Europe: Sforii Street. Although it is mentioned in documents initially in the 17th century, it is supposed to have appeared in a system of organizing the citadel used in the 15th century.
According to this system, the houses were divided into blocks of 10, separated from each other by very narrow streets to stop possible fires and, subsequently, to facilitate the access of firefighters.
The only such street that separates the 10-house blocks preserved until today is Sforii Street, which you are on now. The others were swallowed by the constructions that appeared later.
Sforii Street is 80 m long and only 135 cm wide, making it the third narrowest street in Europe. It was renovated a few years ago and, to restore its medieval appearance, the lanterns were ordered according to the model of the gas-fired ones.
As soon as you leave Sforii Street, turn left and then first to the right, towards the main road. Then turn left, in the opposite direction to the cars, until you meet on the right a road paved with cubic stone that goes up.
Continue on it until you see the forest. Here you are outside the walls of old Brasov.
Turn right after you pass the wall and walk up the alley that sinks to the left through the forest.
On the left, you will see the cable car that goes up on Tâmpa mountain. If you want to admire Brasov from above, I recommend you a ride with it.
Continue the tour further down the alley and stop when you see the Black Church between the 2 white towers in the old wall.
Task
It is said that whoever has a watch knows the exact time, but whoever has more is never sure what time it is. How many buildings help the people of Brasov to read the exact time up here?
Exactly, 3 buildings have a clock in their tower and can be seen from above here. From left to right you can see the Black Church, the Council Tower, and Saint Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church.
Closer you can see the place where the old fortress of Brașov ends, marked by what has been preserved until today from the old wall. The fortress of Brașov was protected by a system of fortifications (towers and bastions) and a defensive ditch. The towers and bastions belonged to various guilds (associations of craftsmen with different professions).
The wall continues on the other side of the stairs you came here. From the stairs, you met the Hunter's Tower and the Rope-maker's Bastion and Tower. The Rope-maker's Bastion belonged to the guild of the same name and is first mentioned in documents in 1416.
Some of these towers and bastions have been renovated and house various exhibitions. If you continue on this alley you will meet the Tower of Arts and, in the end, another well-preserved bastion: the Weavers' Bastion.
Weavers' Bastion was built in 1421-1432 and adapted for the fight with firearms. Over time, it has suffered numerous damages but has been reconsolidated. Today, it is used for cultural events and houses the Ţara Bârsei Museum, with important archeological collections and models of the fortress.
Exactly, 3 buildings have a clock in their tower and can be seen from above here. From left to right you can see the Black Church, the Council Tower, and Saint Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church.
Closer you can see the place where the old fortress of Brașov ends, marked by what has been preserved until today from the old wall. The fortress of Brașov was protected by a system of fortifications (towers and bastions) and a defensive ditch. The towers and bastions belonged to various guilds (associations of craftsmen with different professions).
The wall continues on the other side of the stairs you came here. From the stairs, you met the Hunter's Tower and the Rope-maker's Bastion and Tower. The Rope-maker's Bastion belonged to the guild of the same name and is first mentioned in documents in 1416.
Some of these towers and bastions have been renovated and house various exhibitions. If you continue on this alley you will meet the Tower of Arts and, in the end, another well-preserved bastion: the Weavers' Bastion.
Weavers' Bastion was built in 1421-1432 and adapted for the fight with firearms. Over time, it has suffered numerous damages but has been reconsolidated. Today, it is used for cultural events and houses the Ţara Bârsei Museum, with important archeological collections and models of the fortress.
Go down the alley next to the Weaver's Bastion, immediately to the right, and then turn left into the corner of the tennis court on the street that passes between the 2 cemeteries.
On the right, you will immediately see an Orthodox Church surrounded by a stone wall. Go straight on the street and take the third alley to the right after the church. It is a small street paved with cubic stone, opposite the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Brașov. At the end of it, you will reach the gate of another church. Enter its yard.
Task
Between the school and the cemetery, a man is trapped in time. What is his name?
You are right, Coresi is the name of the teacher who has not one, but two statues in the courtyard of the church of St. Nicholas. You arrived here in the Șchei neighborhood, and the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is the most important place of worship in Șchei.
It dates from the 13th century but was built in stone in 1495. Over time, many Romanian rulers contributed to its renovation and decoration, this being a cultural center for Romanians in the area.
In the Churchyard, to the left of the statue of Coresi, you can see the building of the first Romanian school. The first classes took place here in 1583, and the current building dates from 1760. Today, inside you can visit the Museum of the First Romanian School which houses over 4000 old books, icons, and household objects from old Brașov.
Coresi was the one who printed the first books in Romanian, here in Brașov. These were religious books in Old Romanian or parallel in Romanian and Slavonic. Each page was first carved in wood by the disciples and then used for printing. A replica of the printing press used by Coresi is on display in the museum.
You are right, Coresi is the name of the teacher who has not one, but two statues in the courtyard of the church of St. Nicholas. You arrived here in the Șchei neighborhood, and the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is the most important place of worship in Șchei.
It dates from the 13th century but was built in stone in 1495. Over time, many Romanian rulers contributed to its renovation and decoration, this being a cultural center for Romanians in the area.
In the Churchyard, to the left of the statue of Coresi, you can see the building of the first Romanian school. The first classes took place here in 1583, and the current building dates from 1760. Today, inside you can visit the Museum of the First Romanian School which houses over 4000 old books, icons, and household objects from old Brașov.
Coresi was the one who printed the first books in Romanian, here in Brașov. These were religious books in Old Romanian or parallel in Romanian and Slavonic. Each page was first carved in wood by the disciples and then used for printing. A replica of the printing press used by Coresi is on display in the museum.
Exit the churchyard on the alley in front of the first Romanian school (here you can see the second statue of Coresi) that will take you to a large square.
As soon as you reach the square, turn right and right again and continue in the direction of the cars until you meet on your left a well-known high school in Brașov: Andrei Șaguna High School. You will easily recognize it by the large yard with sports fields in it. Going further on the same street you will reach the gate that frames it beautifully.
Task
Pass this gate and on the other side of it you will see 2 inscriptions. The inscription on your left contains a code. The code takes one letter from each word, and the number of the letter in the word is the same as the number of the word in the inscription until the rule no longer applies. What code is this?
You're right, TOCICI is the correct code. The Șchei gate under which you just passed was built between 1828-1829 when the people of Brașov began to give up certain fortifications for the modernization of the city. At that time there were only 4 access gates to the fortress, 3 of them being demolished later.
The Șchei Gate was built to make the connection between the fortress and the Șchei neighborhood inhabited mainly by Romanians, called Wallachians at that time. It has a large arch for cars and two smaller ones for pedestrians.
You're right, TOCICI is the correct code. The Șchei gate under which you just passed was built between 1828-1829 when the people of Brașov began to give up certain fortifications for the modernization of the city. At that time there were only 4 access gates to the fortress, 3 of them being demolished later.
The Șchei Gate was built to make the connection between the fortress and the Șchei neighborhood inhabited mainly by Romanians, called Wallachians at that time. It has a large arch for cars and two smaller ones for pedestrians.
Turn your back to the Șchei Gate and immediately turn left onto the alley in the park. Then turn left to go through another gate: the Catherine Gate.
Task
Lines like a chessboard draw an interesting pattern on the ceiling. How many times do they intersect?
Indeed, the lines on the ceiling of the Ecaterina Gate intersect 10 times. Ecaterina's Gate was built in 1559 to allow access from the Romanian neighborhood Șchei to the fortress, being the only gate on this side of the fortress in medieval times. It is also the only building that has been preserved on this side of the fortress. The name comes from the nunnery of St. Catherine, which had been on the street ending in the gate. Over time it has also been called "Porta Superior" and "Porta Corpus Christi".
Go out on the other side of the gate, go up the steps and turn around so that you can see it. Initially, the Catherine Gate stretched from the building you see on your left (where the gate mill was) to beyond the Schei Gate. In the upper part, it is decorated with 4 turrets that symbolized Jus Gladi - the privilege of the leader of Brașov to apply the death penalty.
Above the access, you can also see the coat of arms of Brașov, which you will encounter in various places around the city: a crown placed on a tree trunk. Many legends are circulating about this coat of arms. One of them refers to a Hungarian king Solomon who fought in this area and left his crown on a tree trunk to escape the enemies. The Saxons who came here later found the crown and gave the name of the city Corona or Kronstadt - the city of the Crown. The 13 roots under the crown represent the 13 communities in Ţara Bârsei.Indeed, the lines on the ceiling of the Ecaterina Gate intersect 10 times. Ecaterina's Gate was built in 1559 to allow access from the Romanian neighborhood Șchei to the fortress, being the only gate on this side of the fortress in medieval times. It is also the only building that has been preserved on this side of the fortress. The name comes from the nunnery of St. Catherine, which had been on the street ending in the gate. Over time it has also been called "Porta Superior" and "Porta Corpus Christi".
Go out on the other side of the gate, go up the steps and turn around so that you can see it. Initially, the Catherine Gate stretched from the building you see on your left (where the gate mill was) to beyond the Schei Gate. In the upper part, it is decorated with 4 turrets that symbolized Jus Gladi - the privilege of the leader of Brașov to apply the death penalty.
Above the access, you can also see the coat of arms of Brașov, which you will encounter in various places around the city: a crown placed on a tree trunk. Many legends are circulating about this coat of arms. One of them refers to a Hungarian king Solomon who fought in this area and left his crown on a tree trunk to escape the enemies. The Saxons who came here later found the crown and gave the name of the city Corona or Kronstadt - the city of the Crown. The 13 roots under the crown represent the 13 communities in Ţara Bârsei.Take a left as you face the gate and exit the park. Once on the street, turn right and cross at the first pedestrian crossing, continuing a few meters with Mount Tâmpa and the sign Brașov in the back. Go around the building that houses the State Archives (the Blacksmiths' Bastion once) and turn right after it.
Task
Before entering the alley bordered by the river and the old city wall, stop and look to the top left. Do you see the tower built on the hill? How many places used those who stood guard in it to defend themselves?
Indeed, 12 firing holes exist on the 2 sides visible here. You came out again outside the old walls of the fortress of Brasov. The one on the hill is the Black Tower, a tower built in the 15th century for observation and defense.
It got its name either because of the two lightning strikes it endured or because of the fire that blackened its walls.
In the past, the connection between the tower and the fortress (the blacksmith's bastion you passed) was made by a drawbridge. It was last used during the 18th-century plague epidemic by the city's cordon guards.
The Black Tower has been damaged several times over the years but was rebuilt in 2004.
Indeed, 12 firing holes exist on the 2 sides visible here. You came out again outside the old walls of the fortress of Brasov. The one on the hill is the Black Tower, a tower built in the 15th century for observation and defense.
It got its name either because of the two lightning strikes it endured or because of the fire that blackened its walls.
In the past, the connection between the tower and the fortress (the blacksmith's bastion you passed) was made by a drawbridge. It was last used during the 18th-century plague epidemic by the city's cordon guards.
The Black Tower has been damaged several times over the years but was rebuilt in 2004.
Continue on the alley between the wall and the river until you reach a bastion that rises above the alley. Before passing under the bastion, go on the bridge to your left.
Task
As you stand on the bridge, how many ovals can be seen under the cross?
Indeed, 2 oval-shaped windows can be seen under the cross of the Roman Catholic church (it is the church whose clock you saw from Tâmpa). The street you came here is suggestively called After the Walls and it goes along the northwest fortifications of the fortress. Among these fortifications was the Graft Bastion, through which you saw the oval windows.
In the 14th century, the waters descending from Șchei were gathered in a canal (Graft in German) to ensure the protection of this side.
Later, the Graft Bastion was built, perpendicular to the fortress wall, as a fortified bridge over the canal. It connected the fortress with the White Tower (the tower you can see on the hill on the top left).
The White Tower was built in the 15th century, also with a defensive role like the Black Tower. The White Tower was assigned to the guilds of tinsmiths and coppersmiths, and access to it was made by a staircase similar to the present one and a drawbridge. Today the tower has been transformed into a museum and offers a beautiful view over Brasov.
Indeed, 2 oval-shaped windows can be seen under the cross of the Roman Catholic church (it is the church whose clock you saw from Tâmpa). The street you came here is suggestively called After the Walls and it goes along the northwest fortifications of the fortress. Among these fortifications was the Graft Bastion, through which you saw the oval windows.
In the 14th century, the waters descending from Șchei were gathered in a canal (Graft in German) to ensure the protection of this side.
Later, the Graft Bastion was built, perpendicular to the fortress wall, as a fortified bridge over the canal. It connected the fortress with the White Tower (the tower you can see on the hill on the top left).
The White Tower was built in the 15th century, also with a defensive role like the Black Tower. The White Tower was assigned to the guilds of tinsmiths and coppersmiths, and access to it was made by a staircase similar to the present one and a drawbridge. Today the tower has been transformed into a museum and offers a beautiful view over Brasov.
Continue on the alley you came from and you will meet on the right a small square as if broken in the wall. Enter it and on the right, you will see a passage. Go through it and you will come out opposite Council Square.
Task
Going to the right until Council Square ends, at what number can you find the house that gave the name of the street you are on?
That's right, at number 25 is the house that gave the name of this street. Since 1840 it has been the residence of the Mureșianu family, known for the struggle of its members for the rights of Romanians in Transylvania.
In this house was the headquarters of the newspaper "Gazeta Transilvaniei", the first political newspaper of the Romanians in Transylvania, a newspaper owned by the Mureșianu family.
Andrei Mureșianu, a member of this family, composed the lyrics of the song which became the National Anthem of Romania in 1989.
That's right, at number 25 is the house that gave the name of this street. Since 1840 it has been the residence of the Mureșianu family, known for the struggle of its members for the rights of Romanians in Transylvania.
In this house was the headquarters of the newspaper "Gazeta Transilvaniei", the first political newspaper of the Romanians in Transylvania, a newspaper owned by the Mureșianu family.
Andrei Mureșianu, a member of this family, composed the lyrics of the song which became the National Anthem of Romania in 1989.
