Heading to Braşov, Romania

Happy 250th Birthday today to the United States Navy!

I plan to eat garlic today – a lot of garlic! Just a minor preventive measure since I’m in Transylvania for the next two nights! It was a relaxing and uneventful seven hour drive from Belgrade to Braşov. Extremely flat for the first few hours – I mean Iowa flat, then increasing rolling hills, and finally smallish mountains.

Since I crossed the border into Romania, there have been many tiny roadside fruit and vegetable stands. Most just have a folding card table, a chair, and a single attendant and they’re located at any convenient pull off.

Braşov is in the heart of Transylvania, but it reminds me very much of a small German city with similar architecture and almost a Bavarian look. After I arrived in mid-afternoon, I toured through the Braşov old town area.

A unique way to get power to your electric car parked on the street!

Black Church (Biserica Neagra) (https://bisericaneagra.ro/en/) is a massive Gothic Lutheran church and the most dominant symbol of Brasov.

Stunning interior, with rough wood floors

I’ve never before seen wood grates in the floor like these. I assume it’s to collect offerings since every compartment below each grate contained coins and bills.

Persian rugs and tapestries, and “Private Box Seats” (if you could afford it through your tithing generosity

The Virgin Mother, baby Jesus, St. Barbara, and St. Catherine of Alexandria

Tombstones of the wealthy or famous inside the church

Catherine’s Gate (Poarta Ecaterina) is a historic city gate built in 1559.

The Black Tower is one of the towers that were part of the old fortifications.

The Black Tower is one of the four observation towers of the City of Brasov. Built as an independent fortification outside the city walls, the tower stands over 11 meters tall. It covers an area of 50 square meters, with walls measuring 2 meters in thickness,

The “Hollywood” of Romania? They have a hilltop sign!

The String or Rope Street (Strada Sforii) is the narrowest street in the city, and one of the most narrow in Europe. It’s a unique passageway to walk through, with a width of between 44 and 53 inches, and a length of less than a football field (260 ft).

Much easier to navigate in Romania since they use Latin letters in their language.

Just goes to show that vampires need a safe place for their money, too.

Dinner consisted of a Ursus Romanian beer, Beef Sour Soup (roast beef, vegetables, cabbage, and vinegar, plus a few other items), and Grilled Trout with Potatoes. All amazing and value priced!