Brasov and Transylvania

SO we get out of Buchurest in the morning so we wouldn’t lose a lot of time traveling. The train trip itself was beautiful, passing through the Carpathian mountains as we made our way into Transylvania. The scene was exactly what might come to mind when you think “Transylvania.” Little wooden villages nestled in between gigantic, dark, craggy mountains. It seemed Sinaia was the most like this, and it’s understandable to think of how the medieval residents of these areas could have imagined legends such as Dracula and the like.

Brasov itself is located in between those same mountains and a smaller hill on the edge of a broad valley. The whole place has more of a German kind of feel than a Eastern European one, as the old town (where we stayed) is located inside an old walled city complete with a gigantic Gothic cathedral, tiny cobbled streets lined with old buildings, and tons of spires and clock towers scattered around. A lot of the town has been pedestrianized and most of the roads are lined with cafes and restaurants, some of them leading into historic basements or bordering some building that looks like it should be in Fantasy Land.




The second day we took a day trip out to see some of the castles in the surrounding area. First was Bran Castle, which (legend has it) was Dracula’s castle. Unfortunately Dracula is a fictional story and the historical society of Bran has plenty of disclaimers around that this was not, in fact, Dracula’s castle. That hasn’t stopped countless people from trying to cash in on the connection. The beautiful castle guarding a pass between the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia is completely surrounded, not by a moat, but by hundreds of t-shirt stands and souvenir shops, mostly Dracula themed. There was Dracula’s bakery, Dracula’s 3D (5D?) movie experience, and even Dracula’s money exchange. The whole thing took quite a bit away from the experience of walking around in and exploring a very real and interesting castle in the mountains.

Bran Castle without all the crap cluttering it up (I didn't take this)

Much better, in my opinion, was the second castle we went to – Rasnov. Located roughly halfway between Brasov and Bran, Rasnov was a much more stereotypically eastern European town, and the gray weather made it even moreso. The Citadel of Rasnov sits at the edge of a gigantic cliff overlooking the town. Despite the giant sign right in front of it, the castle is much less touristic, very imposing, and gives a good feel of an actual medieval town. After a good climb by foot up to the castle, it’s another climb to the top of the place, where you can see the entire town and valley below. We stayed up there for a bit, watching storm clouds roll in over the mountains towards the bigger town of Brasov (another very Transylvania moment), until we had to walk back down in the rain. Good thing there are some cafes around in the town as well…

On our last day in Brasov we went up the mountain directly bordering the town, awesomely named Mt. Tampa. Tampa is topped by a “Hollywood-style” sign, to which you can walk and from which you can enjoy a good view of the town below, which we did. It’s pretty spectacular…

Looking up at Mt. Tampa from the center

And looking down at Brasov from Mt. Tampa (I didn't take this)

All in all Brasov really impressed me, and it’s definitely a place to which I wouldn’t mind returning, as well as the incredible mountains around town. Sighisoara was also a beautiful place on our trip. But for now it’s back to work – back to the orphanage and Yasli, and I think I have some good ideas for both this coming school year (Starting Sept. 15). We’ll see what happens…

Until next time…