Transylvania

The land across the woods

Transylvania is a
vast and unique
province of
Romania with its
lovely medieval
towns and
fortresses at the
foothill of the
Carpathians .

It is also one of
the last place in
Europe where you
can still see
unspoiled
countryside, with
the traditional

ClujNapoca
Sighisoar
a
Brasov
Sibiu

Cluj-Napoca

The Alexandru Borza Botanical

Garden

o It is the largest green area of Cluj-Napoca,

displaying a large variety of flora specific to
every season(14 hectares)
o Founded in 1920, by professor Alexandru Borza,
the Garden belongs at present to the BabesBolyai University
o Hosts the Botanical Institute, the Botanical
Museum, a Herbarium, with over 650.000 exhibits,
3 hothouses, a Roman and a Japanese Garden.
o One of the main attractions is the Amazonian
Lotus in the aquatic plants hothouse - a lotus with
gigantic leaves that may reach 1,5 m in diameter
and beautiful white flowers lasting for only 24
hours, turning pink as they die

Fortress Hill (Dealul

Cetatuia)
o With an altitude of 405
meters above sea level,
and 60 m above the city,
the hill got its name from
the Austrian fortress built
there, the oldest
representative of baroque
secular architecture in
Transylvania
o The fortress was built in
the 18th century
o In the prison that functioned at
the fortress, Stephan Ludwig
Roth, the 1848 hero of the
Transylvanian Saxons, was
held, accused of high treason
and killed at the northern gate,
on the 11th of May 1849

St. Michaels Church

o The exterior walls of the church bear the
traces of mediaeval graffiti. The decorations
of the main gate date back to 1419 and
contain three coat-of-arms, belonging to the
reign of king Zsigmond: the coat of the
Roman-German Empire, the Hungarian one
in the right, and the Czech one in the left

o Was built between 1350

and 1487, probably
immediately after the
settlement had officially
become a town, in 1316
o The altar is the oldest part of
nowadays building, dating back
to 1390 and measuring 24
meters

Sighisoara

- a medieval
tale -

Brasov
-the story
of a great
city

City Highlights
Fringed by the peaks of the
Southern Carpathian
Mountains and
resplendent with gothic,
baroque and renaissance
architecture, as well as a
wealth of historical
attractions, Brasov is one
of the most visited places
in Romania.

Did you know?

Brasov is home to what is

said to be the narrowest
street in Europe.
TheRope Street(Strada
Sforii)is approximately
four feet wide and links
Cerbului Street with
Poarta Schei Street. The
street was initially used
as an access route by
firefighters.

The Council Square

Located at the heart of old medieval Brasov
and lined with beautiful red-roofed merchant
houses, the Council Square, known to the
Saxon population as the Marktplatz, is a nice
place to rest and soak in the beautiful scenery.

The Black Church

It was built between 1385 and 1477 on the site of an earlier
church.
The Black Church is the largest gothic
church between Vienna and Istanbul.

The Black Church boasts the largest church bell in Romania,

weighing in at seven tons.

Tampa Mountain
Brasov is often referred
to asthe city at the
foot of Mount Tampa.
Above the Weavers'
Bastion, along the
southeastern side of
the fortress walls, is
a very romantic
alley(Aleea Tiberiu
Brediceanu), shaded
by old trees and
dotted with many
benches. From here,
you can hike to the
top ofTampa
Mountain, where
the original
defensive fortress
was built.

Poiana Brasov
Poiana Brasov (3,300 feet) is a mountaintop ski and summer resort.
During winter months, Poiana Brasov offers some of the best
skiing in Romania. In the summer, it is a great place for hikers to
launch treks into the Southern Carpathian Mountains. For a
panoramic view of Brasov and the more distant Bucegi
Mountains, take the cable car to the summit of Postavarul
Mountain (5,756 feet).

Sibiu

a Wonderful
City in the Heart of Romania

Liars Bridge
The iron bridge was
constructed in 1859 and
replaced a wooden bridge
of the same name which
had stood here since 1771
It is interesting hearing
the stories of this bridge.
That whilst standing on
the bridge if you told a lie,
the bridge would fall down

BRUKENTHAL MUSEUM

Is also the oldest museum in

Central and Eastern Europe.
Some of the most important pictures
from this museum are created by:
Miu Pop, Octavian Smigelschi, Sava
Albescu, Ilie Chidu Theodor Aman,
Gheorghe Petracu, Vasile Popescu,
Ioan Grigorescu, tefan Luchian,
Nicolae Grigo

The Brukenthal Palace was the

official residence of Baron Samuel
von Brukenthal, governor of
Transylvania (1777-1787). The
palace is now the home of the
Brukenthal Museum
The Art Gallery has a
Transylvanian Painting collection
and a collection from classical to
modern and contemporary art.

Some of the most important pictures

Fata in
Cap de fetita- Nicolae Tonitza
albastru-Misu Pop

Fata cu margele
rosii by Nicolae
Grigorescu -one of the
most expensive picture in
the country

Carul cu boi-Nicolae
Grigorescu

In iatac by Nicolae
Tonitza- the most
expensive nude in
Romania

Large Square

First mentioned in 1411 as a grain market,

theGreat Square the largest square in the city,
has been throughout the centuries a quiet witness
to the towns lively merchant activity, assemblies
and even public executions. Located in the heart of
the old walled city, the square was designated an
architectural monument by UNESCO and features
some of the most impressive buildings in Sibiu.

DAY

Council tower

NIGHT

Built in the 13-th century, this tower was used as entrance gate to the
second row of fortified walls built around Sibiu. Throughout the centuries,
the Council Tower served as a grain storehouse, a fire watchtower, a
temporary prison and even as a museum of botany. The roof, originally built
in pyramid form, has undergone various changes, culminating in the
addition of four corner turrets in 1826. On the top floor, an observation deck
allows a birds eye view of the hitoric town and the Fagaras Mountains

The stairs passage

The 13th century Passage of

Steps, an architectural
masterpiece with twin
staircases and archways, connects
the
Upper Town to the Lower Town.
Built in the 13th century, it is one
of the
most picturesque places in Sibiu.
At one end of the passage stands
the
citys oldest building which now
hosts
the oldest restaurant in Romania,
The Golden Barrel(Butoiul de
Aur)

Natural History Museum

One of the oldest and richest of its
kind in Romania, this museum was
founded by the Transylvanian
Association of Natural
Science(Siebenburgischer Verein fr
Naturwiessenschaftenin German) in
1849. An astronomic observation
centre also is located here.

THE END
Hope we managed to convince you,
that these places are wonderful, and
you should visit them. Transylvania is
a unique place and it has lots of
stories to tell.Its a MUST!
You will not forget, Caroline.
promise!