4 days in Transylvania: Brașov, its castles and Sighișoara

A walk through the heart of a Saxon trading town. A broad square, a great Gothic church, one of the narrowest streets in Europe, then a forested hill above the roofs for the evening.

1. Breakfast

   Bread, cheese and a boiled egg

   Fresh bread, a soft salty cheese and a boiled egg with tomato, the simple start a Romanian guesthouse serves.

   Local tip Ask for the local jam or the honey, which is often made nearby.
2. 1
   Morning

   Council Square

   The center of Brașov, a wide cobbled square ringed by colored townhouses with the old council house in the middle. Cafes line the edges and the mountains stand behind the roofs.

   Go when Morning, before the cafes fill, or in the evening light.

   Local tip Sit at the edge and look up at the roofs and the hill behind. The pavement is old cobble, so wear shoes with grip.

   

   About 2 min walk0.2 km
3. 2
   MiddayIndoor

   Black Church

   The great Gothic church of the old Saxon town, named for the soot that darkened its walls after a fire in the late seventeenth century. Inside, look up at the vaults and across to the old Anatolian carpets hung from the galleries.

   Go when Midday, when the light falls through the high windows.

   Local tip Look for the old carpets hung from the galleries. Check ahead on opening and on any service in progress.

   

4. Lunch

   A bowl of sour soup

   A ciorba, a sour soup made with vegetables or meatballs and soured with fermented bran, the everyday dish of the country.

   Local tip It comes with bread and a spoon of sour cream, which you stir in yourself.

   About 2 min walk0.2 km
5. 3
   AfternoonBest early

   Rope Street

   A lane between two rows of old houses that is one of the narrowest streets in Europe, a few steps wide and short enough to walk in a minute. A small sight, best taken between the larger ones.

   Go when Any time, between the larger sights.

   Local tip It is one of the narrowest streets around, so it fills fast when a group arrives. Go early or late to have it to yourself.

   

   About 9 min walk0.7 km
6. 4
   Evening

   Tâmpa

   The forested hill that stands over the old town, with paths up through the trees and a view across the red roofs to the square. Go up for the late light and come down before dark.

   Go when Evening, as the light softens over the roofs.

   Local tip A path climbs through the trees and a cable car runs on some days, so check ahead on either. Bring a light layer and walk down before it is dark.

   

7. Dinner

   Sarmale with polenta

   Cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and rice, served with soft polenta and sour cream. A dish made for winter and for sharing.

   Local tip Ask for it with a side of pickles, and try it with a spoon of sour cream on top.

A short day west of Brașov. A village fortress on a hill and the castle everyone knows as Dracula's, with time left in the afternoon for a walk or a slow lunch.

1. Travel from TâmpaAbout 25 min by car or transit10.8 km

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Cheese pastry and coffee

   A warm pastry filled with soft cheese, from a bakery in town, with a strong coffee.

   Local tip Buy two, because the second makes a good snack for the road.
3. 1
   Morning

   Râșnov Fortress

   A peasant fortress on a hill above the town, with a long wall, a well and small rooms for villagers who sheltered here in times of danger. The climb is steady and the view runs back toward Brașov.

   Go when Morning, before the heat and the day groups.

   Local tip The way up is a steady climb on uneven stone. Take water and a hat, and look for the well, dug deep to keep the fortress through a siege.

   

   About 27 min by car or transit11.6 km
4. 2
   MiddayBook aheadIndoor

   Bran Castle

   A medieval castle on a rocky outcrop, often called Dracula's Castle. The link to the real Vlad the Impaler is thin, so go for the setting and the stair-filled rooms rather than the legend.

   Go when Midday, if you have come early to beat the queue.

   Local tip It is busy and the rooms are narrow, so expect a queue in high season. Go for the setting and the stairs, and take the Dracula tale as a tale.

   

5. Lunch

   Polenta with cheese and sour cream

   A bowl of warm polenta with fresh cheese, sour cream and sometimes a fried egg on top, a farmhouse meal of the hills.

   Local tip It is a filling dish, so share it if you plan to walk afterward.

6. Dinner

   Grilled meat and pickled vegetables

   Mixed grilled meats with fresh bread and a plate of pickled cabbage and peppers, a hearty meal for a day in the open air.

   Local tip Ask for the pickles on the side, because they cut the richness of the meat.

A day south, in the mountains. A neo-Renaissance palace in the forest, an old monastery in the town below, and a high plateau of rock shapes above the trees.

1. Travel from Bran CastleAbout 36 min by car or transit22.0 km

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Pancakes with jam

   Thin pancakes with fruit jam or sweet cheese, a gentle start before the drive south.

   Local tip Fill a bottle with water before you go up into the mountains.
3. 1
   MorningBook aheadCheck days open

   Peleș Castle

   A neo-Renaissance palace in a pine forest, built as the summer home of the first king of Romania. Timber galleries, towers and carved rooms, set in one of the loveliest woods in the country.

   Go when Morning, soon after opening.

   Local tip Inside is usually seen on a set route, and the palace is closed on some days, so check ahead. The forest walk up from the town is half the pleasure.

   

   About 9 min walk0.7 km
4. 2
   Midday

   Sinaia Monastery

   The monastery that gave the town its name, founded in the seventeenth century and named after Mount Sinai. Two churches and a quiet courtyard, a calm stop between the palace and the mountain.

   Go when Midday, between the palace and the mountain.

   Local tip It is a working monastery, so dress modestly and keep your voice down. The courtyard is a quiet place to sit for a few minutes.

   

5. Lunch

   Soup in a bread bowl

   A hot soup of vegetables or meat served in a hollowed loaf of bread, a mountain favorite.

   Local tip Eat the bowl as well, because the bread soaks up the broth.

   About 28 min by car or transit12.4 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Bucegi Mountains

   The high massif behind Sinaia, with a plateau of wind-carved rocks and wide views. A cable car and roads reach the heights, though weather decides everything up there, so check ahead.

   Go when Afternoon, if the sky is clear.

   Local tip Cloud and wind can close the heights, and snow stays late. Check ahead on the cable car and on the road, and bring a warm layer even in summer.

   

7. Dinner

   Pork stew and dumplings

   Slow-cooked pork stew with soft dumplings and a spoon of sour cream, warm food for a cool evening.

   Local tip If the mountain was cold, order something hot to drink alongside.

A long day north, to a citadel on a hill. A clock tower over a square of pastel houses, a covered stair to a church above the roofs, and an evening in a town that still looks medieval.

1. Drive from Bucegi MountainsAbout 1 h 34 min by car100.2 km

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Eggs, bread and tomatoes

   A plain Transylvanian breakfast of eggs, bread, tomatoes, peppers and cheese, with strong coffee, before the road north.

   Local tip Fill up, because the drive is long and food stops are few.
3. 1
   Morning

   Clock Tower

   The tall tower that rises over the citadel, with a bell, a clock and a museum inside. Climb to the gallery for a view over the tiled roofs and the green hills beyond.

   Go when Morning, before the tour groups.

   Local tip The climb is steep and narrow, so go slowly. The gallery gives the best view over the roofs.

   

   About 2 min walk0.1 km
4. 2
   Midday

   Scholars' Stairs

   A covered wooden stair that climbs from the old town to the church and school on the hill, built so that children could reach class in bad weather. Dim, creaking and unlike anything else in town.

   Why it is hereThe covered stair is the way up to the church on the hill above the roofs.

   Go when Midday, on the way up to the church.

   Local tip The boards are old and uneven, so hold the rail. It is dim inside, so mind your step.

   

5. Lunch

   A plate of pork and cabbage

   Roast pork with sauerkraut and potatoes, the kind of Saxon-influenced plate the old town serves.

   Local tip Eat it slowly in the shade, then take the stairs after, not before.

   About 2 min walk0.2 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Church on the Hill

   A Gothic church at the top of the hill with a wide churchyard of old graves and a view over the whole town. The climb is the reason to come, and the quiet is the reward.

   Go when Afternoon, with time to wander the churchyard.

   Local tip The graves are a record of the Saxon families who lived here, so walk with respect. The view over the whole town is the best in Sighișoara.

   

   About 2 min walk0.1 km
7. 4
   Evening

   Historic Centre of Sighișoara

   The walled citadel itself, a small town of cobbled lanes, painted houses and old towers that is listed as a World Heritage site. Walk the lanes at the end of the day, when the day groups have gone.

   Go when Evening, when the lanes empty.

   Local tip Walk the lanes and the wall at your own pace. The cobbles are rough, so wear sturdy shoes, and give yourself time to get lost.

   

8. Dinner

   Papanași for dessert

   Fried doughnuts of fresh cheese, topped with sour cream and cherry jam, the dessert Romanians are proudest of.

   Local tip Share one, because a single portion can feed two.