🇷🇴 Romania
Brașov travel guide
Brașov is a perfectly preserved medieval city in the Transylvanian Alps — a Gothic town centre of coloured Baroque houses, the Black Church (Romania's largest Gothic church), and a narrow mountain valley that channels Carpathian winds. Within 30km lie both Bran Castle (Dracula's inspiration) and the Peleș royal castle at Sinaia.
Language
Romanian (English spoken in tourist areas)
Currency
Romanian Leu (RON)
Timezone
Europe/Bucharest
Best time
April–June, September–October
Budget/day
€35-75/day
When to visit
Jan
-7 to 1°C
Feb
-6 to 3°C
Mar
-1 to 9°C
Apr
4 to 15°C
May
8 to 21°C
Jun
11 to 24°C
Jul
13 to 26°C
Aug
13 to 26°C
Sep
8 to 21°C
Oct
4 to 15°C
Nov
-1 to 7°C
Dec
-5 to 2°C
Safety
8Brașov is safe for tourists. Petty theft possible in crowded areas. Stray dogs less prevalent than a decade ago but still present in outskirts.
Women travellers
Safe city. Standard precautions at night. Brașov is very tourist-friendly.
Culture & etiquette
- + Try a traditional Romanian ciorba (sour soup) at a local restaurant — not the tourist menu version
- + Visit the Black Church interior — remarkable medieval Anatolian carpets line the walls
- + Take the cable car up Tampa Mountain for the Hollywood-style Brașov sign view
- - Don't visit only Bran Castle — it's mostly a tourist trap; Brașov itself is the real Transylvanian experience
- - Don't expect Western European service standards — Romanian hospitality is warm but informal
- - Don't photograph inside Orthodox churches during services
Food to try
Ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup)
Romania's ultimate restorative dish — sour tripe soup made with beef stomach in a tart borș (fermented wheat bran) broth, finished with egg yolk and sour cream; eaten at breakfast by locals as a hangover cure and warming winter meal; found at every traditional Romanian restaurant in Brașov
Mici (grilled minced meat rolls)
Romania's beloved street food — small grilled cylinders of mixed beef, pork and lamb with garlic, black pepper, thyme and bicarbonate; eaten with mustard and fresh bread; the quintessential Romanian outdoor food sold from grills in parks and festivals across Transylvania
Sarmale cu mămăligă (stuffed cabbage with polenta)
Romania's national dish and Transylvanian centrepiece — cabbage leaves stuffed with minced pork and rice, slow-cooked in tomato sauce, served with golden polenta (mămăligă) and sour cream; the version using pickled cabbage (murături) is the winter standard; every Romanian family has its own recipe
Cozonac
Romania's festive sweet bread — a rich enriched dough rolled with walnut paste or cocoa and rum raisins, baked in a tall loaf tin; served at Christmas and Easter but available in Brașov bakeries year-round; Transylvanian cozonac uses more walnuts than Moldavian versions
Hidden gems
Details are indicative and may change. Verify visa, safety, and entry requirements before travel.