Braşov is the tidiest of the Saxon cities of Transylvania, a medieval town of red roofs and colourful baroque façades, ringed by wooded mountains and watched over by the bare rock of Tâmpa. The German settlers who built it in the thirteenth century called it Kronstadt, and it grew rich as a trading post at the crossing of routes between the Danube plains and Central Europe. The Black Church, the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul, dominates the old centre, and got its name after a great fire in 1689 blackened the walls. It houses an enormous organ and a collection of Anatolian carpets, given by merchants who traded in the East.
The main square, the Council Square, is lined with cafes, and the old Council House stands in the middle. Nearby, Rope Street, said to be one of the narrowest streets in Europe, squeezes between the buildings to a width of little over a metre. A cable car carries you up Tâmpa, where a large white sign spells out the city's name on the hillside, and the view over the roofs and the plain is worth the ride. About 276,000 people live here, and the city has the busy air of a regional capital.
Outside town, the landscape quickly turns wild. Bran Castle, popularly known as Dracula's castle, is about thirty kilometres to the south-west, and the high cliffs of Piatra Craiului rise beyond it. The route to Moieciu and the Drumul Carului, the Cart Road, runs through a pastoral landscape of meadows, sheep farms, and scattered houses, with views of the mountain wall behind. The road is a pleasure, winding, with gentle gradients, and traffic is lighter than on the main route through Bran, though it can be busy on summer weekends. Bears are numerous in the Brașov area, and while they are shy, do not leave food outside, and keep a distance from any you see.
For fuel and services, Brașov has everything, from stations to workshops and supermarkets. Fill up before heading out, since villages in the hills have fewer stations. The food is hearty, with grilled sausages, polenta and a dessert called papanași, fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam.
Come in the afternoon, since the light on the old town is lovely, and finish with a walk through the square.