Brosov My Brasov

On the drive back to Brasov, Iuliana went through multiple options for us to spend the remainder of the day, which was on our own.  There were plenty of things to do, including a big fair in the old city, as it was Saturday.  The Romanian ladies were going to take a bus up to a ski resort several miles outside the city, which is known for tremendous views and several restaurants famous for serving all sorts of game, including bear, which are quite prevalent in the area.  As the whether was nice, she had our driver take us up part of the way, to an overlook above the city.  While taking pictures, she surprised us with homemade Cherry brandy she had made, along with locals meats and cheeses.  It was a really nice way to end our time with the group for the day, and recover from the relative chaos of Bran Castle.

View Down to Brasov

Bear Warning Signs Were Everywhere

The day had proven to be quite warm, and while we probably should have changed before leaving the hotel, we didn't.  We headed right out, wanting to visit the fair, walk around the old city, visit their famous "Black Church," and we were going to take a funicular from the city center up the central hill overlooking the town, on which large letters spelling "BRASOV" had been erected, similar to the HOLLYWOOD sign.  It was probably in the 80's this day, and we had been spoiled by much cooler weather, so we took many breaks and ducked into shops trying to cool off.  

We visited the so-called Black Church, which began as a Roman Catholic church in the 14th century, and which was eventually converted to a Lutheran church during Saxon times and through today.  It is particularly known for its collection of priceless Persian carpets, which hang on walls throughout the church.  They were collected by rich merchants over the centuries, who would present them to the church as gifts, usually on behalf of whichever guild they belonged to.  Popular legend has it that the name Black Church is attributed to scorch marks left after the Austrians tried to burn the city in the 17th century, but more modern research says the name is more likely attributed to pollution, which had turned the outside a dark color.  

Bullet Holes From Uprising in Brasov During December 1989 Revolution

Brasov

Interior of the so-called "Black Church"

From here, we envisioned a short walk to the funicular base station, but given the geography, we couldn't even see the funicular from the church square.  Relying on Google Maps, we walked our way to the base of the hill and, to our surprise, we had quite a hike up, just to reach the base station.  We joked that we might as well just walk all the way, as someone thought to end the line so far up the mountain.  Still, we'd made it that far, so we weren't going to turn back, despite the fact that we were both quite sweaty by this point.  Having finally reached the base station we thought we were scot free, but when we actually entered the building, we realized there was a two-story-long line to even each the ticket booth.  We persisted and waited, though it was very hot and we were in very close proximity with humanity at this point.  Not only were we the only tourists, but we were also the one people wearing masks.

We finally made it onto the funicular, which was packed, and made the short ascent to the top of the hill.  We were so hot by then, we debated getting right back into line and going down, but we found our second wind and hiked about 10 minutes over to reach the BRASOV sign, from where we had some spectacular views down into the city and across the wider valley.  We agreed it had been worth all the effort.

On Our Way Trying To Find the Funicular Base Station

View of Funicular and Our Destination

View From Behind the "BRASOV" Sign

Brasov

The Long (and Sweaty) Ride Back Down

Once back down below, we stopped for a cold drink and to detox.  It was after 6:00pm by now, so we walked back town the central square, on the way back to our hotel.  Iuliana had pointed out her favorite restaurants the following evening, and we had one already picked out.  We managed to get a table inside, and the waiter spoke excellent English and was able to read us the menu, which was only in Romanian.  Every course of our meal was outstanding, to include the very elaborate drinks.  As dinner carried on, though, we both pretty much hit the proverbial wall, so when the bill came, we were more than ready to head back for bed.  As before, we could not believe how cheap the meal was, and we certainly didn't begrudge the very generous tip we left.

On the Walk to Dinner

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