BRASOV

The geographical position: 45º39’ north latitude and 25⁰36’east longitude

The panoramic view of Brasov

The town Brasov, the residence city of district Brasov is one of the principals economic and cultural centre of the country and one of the most beautiful medieval cities of Romania with Saxon culture influence. It’s placed 171 km far from Bucharest, the capital city of the country, in Brasov depression, in a magnificent natural background, in the middle of Romania, at the foot of Tampa mountain (550 m altitude) between the big passes who build the Transilvania and Valahia (Bran pass and Predeal pass).

It’s also an important touristic centre by its position near the Poiana Brasov (Brasov Glade) and Bucegi Mountains, Piatra Craiului, Postavarul, Piatra Mare. Not far from Brasov is Valea Prahovei (The Prahova Valley), a very important mountain zone.

The city has many historical monuments, among them Biserica Neagra (the Black Church) builded between 1385 - 1476 in gothic style, the biggest gothic construction in Romania, who dominate from urban architecture viewpoint the historical centre of the city.

The usual name of the actual principal evanghelist-lutherane church in Brasov is thanks to the big fire in 1689 who affected the whole city and blacked the walls of the church but it hasn’t changed a think from the grandious aspect of the building.

The biggest curiosity of the Black Church is the beautiful collection, which is the most rich collection in Europe of anatoliene-carpets from 17^th and 18^th century.

In the northwest side of the city, named "the old Brasov" is the Saint Bartolomeu Church, builded in 13^th century.

The Brasov’s population of 308,500 inhabitants (2001) is on the 7^th place on this point of view after Bucharest – 1,996,612 inhabitants (the 9^th place in Europe and the 81^st place in the world), Constanta (337,200 inhabitants), Iasi (349,600 inhabitants), Timisoara (329,800 inhabitants), Cluj-Napoca (332,600 inhabitants) and Galati (325,400 inhabitants).

In Brasov there are many touristic objectives: the fortress (towers, gates and walls from 15^th-16^th century), architecture monuments from 14^th-18^th century, museums (The Conference House, Schei, The Weavers Bastion), art galeries, theatres.

30 km far from Brasov is the Bran Castle (the 1^st documentary attestation – 1377), an important national monument and an guiding mark of the tourism in Romania, because of its beauty and of the landscape, and because of the legend of Count Dracula, which spirit stell haunts this ancient places.