Brasov

📌 Leaving the city for a smaller region of Romania was nice and smooth via the train. We arrived in Brasov and the first impressions were that it was a very picturesque colourful old town. The old town was completely pedestrian friendly and the houses and shops lining the cobblestone lanes were colourful and historical.

📌 We did our own walking tour using an app which was fun and flexible, we explored the old church, square and the old walls that surrounded the town in the 14-1500s. The old town was one of the most picturesque towns we have seen.

📌 Brasov is very close to the Carpathian mountains so we utilised this to go and see bears in the wild. We went with a ranger to the forest to try and spot bears one evening and were fortunate enough to see two males. We also visited the libearty sanctuary, known as one of the best animal sanctuaries globally. This was a great experience to support people doing good work but also sad to hear the torment the public and tourists subject these bears to in the past and most likely the present still. Many were rescued from roadside restaurant cages or circuses.

📌 Another Brasov highlight was the castles around the area. Pele's castle was extremely lavish, the decorative rooms and intricate wood furniture was amazing. A visit to the castle of the fictional character Dracula was also interesting, however being an old fort and not a royal residence, it was less lavish. Driving throughout the countryside areas also was a highlight as some of the towns were very quaint and colourful.

📌 Brasov was a great city to visit and definitely one to recommend to people visiting Europe.Read more