Braşov, Romania + Add a trip

Brasov's showpiece Council Square, known to the Saxon population as the Marktplatz, is one of the most beautiful pedestrianised main squares of Romania. The square was refurbished in 1988. All around the square are sturdy houses with high lofts for storing goods. In the middle of the square is the old city hall, dating from 1420, and now home to Brasov's History Museum (open 10:00 - 18:00, closed Mon). The tower is in fact much older, and was once a watchtower for approaching barbarians before being incorporated into the main building. What you see today is largely the result of an 81-year renovation after the great fire of 1689.

Brasov is everything that Bucharest isn't: a placid, gentle, civilised city of 350,000 people nestled in the Carpathian mountains. A fabulous base for exploring the surrounding countryside, the air is clean, the people friendly, and the prices a pittance of those in the capital.

You'll love Brasov.