On Saturday we drove up the mountain adjacent to Brașov to get some nice views over the city. Then we traveled further up to Poiana Brașov, which is a place where the mountains flatten out for a bit and the forest clears. This is a focus for tourist hotels, and it is the base for some ski areas up the mountain. We took a gondola up to the top which was at about 4500 ft. There was still snow up here which was an interesting contrast to having been wading in the sea just a few days before. Maddy’s back was still acting up and my shoes weren’t built for snow, so we didn’t walk too far and just ended up having a snack in the cafe at the top. There were some great views of the surrounding mountains, and it was nice to spend a little time in the snow.
After we returned to town, Maddy had some family business to take care of, and she dropped me near the historic old town center in Brașov. This is a very tourist-centric area, and features many of the popular views associated with Brașov. I walked around and took pictures of the town square, the BRASOV sign up on the mountain, and the Black Church. Afterwards I walked over to the municipal park and took some pictures. There were some people singing religious songs in English there. Afterwards Maddy picked me up and we went back up the mountain near Poiana Brașov to a restaurant, Stâna Turistică – Sergiana, that was decorated as a traditional hunter’s lodge and that featured traditional hunter’s food, served by waiters in traditional costumes, and there were people also singing traditional Romanian songs.
On Sunday we were going to attend a traditional parade but decided to skip the crowds and peek in on it via a webcam near the old city center. Afterwards we saw some sights around town including some of Maddy’s haunts such as her home neighborhood, her studio and her modular. We also stopped into the largest shopping mall in Transylvania to pick something up. After that we went back past Bran into the mountains into the heart of Transylvania to have dinner at a new restaurant, Amfiteatrul Transylvania, that was on the top of a hill way back off the beaten track. Very beautiful location by itself on the top of a hill, but the last 4km to get there was a very bumpy road through the forest, past pastures and traditional shepherd’s huts. We were almost the last people to eat that evening, but the food was great and the staff was very friendly and welcoming. I really felt I was in the true country of Transylvania.
By the time we were coming home, it was rainy, and after dark, at which point we had to pass by Bran Castle again. Under those conditions, my blurry cell-phone photo made it look pretty creepy, living up to its hype.