Castles and palaces

Another unhurried train ride to Brasov. The two train staff sitting near us don't have a lot to do; the lady at the buffet counter manages one trip up and down the carriage while her colleague passes the time on his phone or asleep. The station at Brasov is a delight, the wall paintings giving a foretaste of what is to come.

For my money, Brasov is the nicest of the cities we visit outside Bucharest. There's a lively pedestrian area and in the improving weather, dozens of choices to eat and drink outside. Some of the architecture reflects its German heritage, besides which there's a wealth of elegant but now decaying 19th century piles.

There are two must-do excursions from Brasov. The first is Bran Castle, a Saxon/German fortification whose tenuous connections with Dracula are much exploited. To be honest, at a weekend it's got something of a theme park atmosphere and we prefer Peles, reached on the following day by train. Regrettably it's under repair but we get a taste of late 19th century grandeur enjoyed by King Carol I. And the railway station of 1913 is fantastic.Read more