Europe

[Visited: July 2020]

In these times of Covid-19, we take things as they come, and plan probably even less ahead than in normal times. So when we arrive in Brașov, we just park in a one-way street in the old town, and find a place within ten minutes. The name of the hotel: Corona - the name of Brașov in the Middle Ages; the Germans still call it Kronstadt. When I am about to get the stuff out of the car, it starts to rain; within minutes, the street looks like a river under a tremendous downpour. I am too impatient, go out anyway, get soaked - the sun is out half an hour later. Ah, the beauty of afternoon light just after a heavy thunderstorm! We walk the streets, feeling elated, seeing the big Brașov sign on top of Mount Tâmpa. Walking past some tennis fields, where we see the Weaver's Bastion which is already closed, we end up walking around the compound of Saint Nicholas church in the south of town. A beautiful, 13th century church, unfortunately closed. It has some attractive murals on its wall, and various famous people interred on its premises.
When we walk back towards the old town, we feel very much at ease, and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere here. We pass Catherine's Gate, the only remaining of the medieval city gates, very much looking like a building in its own right with a central tower and four turrets. It is named after a monastery that could be found here. Once upon a time, when the Saxons ruled this area, Romanians were not allowed to own property in the city, and could only enter through this gate. We wander through small streets with attractive houses and cobble-stones, until we reach the heart of the old town. Here, on the main square, we are amazed to see many people, hundreds, everywhere. Restaurants are full (only dining outside), streets are full, there are lines for ice cream shops, everything is open. Ah, how we miss the peace of the Kalibash villages we have seen just a day before.
We walk past the Black church, in Gothic style, which was originally built in the 14th century by the local German minority. It got its name after a fire in 1689, which partially destroyed the church. Unfortunately, we find it closed. We criss-cross some more streets, among which the Rope Street (Strada Sforii) but prefer to have the streets to ourselves, and decide to have dinner. We are up very early the next day, and finally can walk around with great morning light shining on an awakening city with empty streets. The square is virtually empty now, and we cruise the streets, marvelling at the elegant buildings in various colours, the intricate decorative elements that make them stand out more, be it a sculpture of a head, calligraphic letters, a lantern, a lavishly decorated window. When the first people appear and the sun is getting fiercer, we feel we had a great taste of Brașov, and decide to continue our exploration of Transylvania. The old curse of travel: you like a place, but in the back of your mind, you know that more lies around the corner, and curiosity often wins.

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Brașov (Romania)

Brașov > Romania > Europe

[Visited: July 2020]

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