Brașov cultural itinerary

Understand

Roots Eastern Romania and a part of Ukraine have been home to the first urban civilization in Europe: the Cucuteni or Trypillion Culture was contemporary with the Sumerian one and almost just as developed (3,000 - 4,000 BC). In spite of this, the epic of Romanian history is considered to start with the Dacian culture (about 500 BC). This was a conglomerate of tribes that stretched all over what today is Romania and even beyond. The Dacians have been conquered by the Roman Empire around the year 100 AD so that Romanians came out of the mix between Dacians and Romans.

Medieval Until the 11th century there is a total lack of documents about what has been going on in the territory of Romania. However in the 12th century Romania was fractured. The historic regions of Moldova and Tara Romaneasca have been consolidated in the 15th century. Transylvania was conquered by Hungary in the 12th century. In the 12th century the Hungarian king settled Transylvania with Germans which are known as Saxons. This way the 12th century is the beginning of the saga of the cohabitation of Romanians, Hungarians and Saxons in Transylvania. Romanians were a majority but they had no rights during Hungarian rule, while the Saxons have been a privileged minority. Braşov was given the Latin name Corona (crown) in 1235, and for many centuries it was the most important Saxon (German) city in Transylvania. The fortifications were built in the late 14th century; the fortified city was inhabited by the Saxons, while the settlements around it were inhabited by Saxons (Brasovechi), Romanians (Schei), and Hungarians (Blumana) - today these are part of the city. The fortifications have been challenged repeatedly by Tatars and Turks, because Braşov was a border city. In 1477 the construction of the Black Church was finished.

Modern In the 16th century Brașov was an important cultural centre for all three ethnic groups, and it had two printing presses and a paper mill. The humanist Johannes Honter implemented the Lutheran reform, founded schools, and authored many books. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Transylvania was a semi-independent state, ruled primarily by Hungarian princes. Near the en

Get in

The itinerary starts from Piata Unirii, or Union Square. The name refers to the Great Union, i.e. the unification of all Romanian provinces in 1918 and the birth of modern Romania. You can get here from Livada Postei with line 50, or from the train station, Onix or Mesota with the line 51. Piata Unirii is in the Schei district, which used to be the Romanian district: Romanian merchants were allowed to enter the fortified city of Brașov only during daytime, and were subject to a fee.

Go

St. Nicholas Church and First Romanian School The St. Nicholas Church is an Orthodox stone church dating from the 16th century, visible from the square. Inside there are beautiful frescoes painted by local artist Mișu Popp. Next to the church there is a small building, the First Romanian School, also dating from the 16th century. It is a place of major importance for Romanian culture because it represents the beginning of preoccupation for writing and reading. It is also home to the first Romanian printing press used by Diaconul Coresi. The school can be visited: you can see an original classroom, and many extraordinary books (first Russian bible, early Romanian books) as well as a demonstration with the printing press. Entrance fee 2 lei for students, 5 lei regular. If the school is closed, go outside of the church complex and then the first door to the left (it is not directly visible from the exit of the complex because of the curved wall). Here you will find the keeper and the guide of the museum. He is doing the tour with great enthusiasm and it would be nice to buy something or tip him, because this is the only financial source for this great museum. Books are also on sale here, several in English.

The city gates As you get out of the church complex, go right and walk down on Prundului street. You will pass a yellow building which is the headquarters of the Romanian Information Service. Then you will pass a bigger yellow building, the Andrei Saguna High School (1850), the first Romanian high school of the city. In front of you, you will see two beautiful gates. Walk into the old city through the one on the left (Catherine's Gate) and walk out on the one to the right (Schei Gate), because there is another stop before you will see the old city. Cathrine's Gate was built in the 16th century so that the Romanians could enter the city from the Schei district. It was suited with 8 canons imported from Praha. Later the gate became unusable and only the tower remained. To compensate for this, the Schei Gate was built in 1827. These are the only two remaining from the city's original 7 gates. As you exit the old city through the Schei gate, go left up the hill

Go next

You can either take the road to the right before the Ropers Bastion, which will eventually take you to the town square, or you can keep on walking along the wall and you will end up at the Weavers Bastion again, from where you can enter the old center again by the Schei Gate or by the Catherine Gate. You can also go up Tâmpa hill from where is a great view over the city (there is a lookout point near the Hollywood-style letters). You can walk (trail marked with red triangle, about 1 hour), or take the cable car (about 2 minutes).