The best city hikes and walks in Piatra Mare

The Johann Kessler Fountain on the Town Hall Square in the heart of Brașov impresses with its intricate details, reflecting the craftsmanship of its time. Equipped with eight drinking water dispensers, the fountain is dedicated to the Transylvanian writer Johann Samuel Keßler (1771 to 1796).

The Black Tower is one of the four watchtowers of the Brașov Citadel, built as an independent fortress outside the citadel walls. The tower, a good eleven meters high, stands not far from the Blacksmiths' Bastion on a rock on the Warta Hill. Its walls are two meters thick at the base and have six loopholes on each side. In the past, the tower was connected to the citadel by a movable bridge leading down to the Blacksmiths' Bastion (Graft Bastion). The tower was built in the 15th century, at the same time as the White Tower. Its first documented mention dates back to 1541. The original roof is no longer preserved, having been destroyed by lightning in 1559 and by fire in 1689. The fire blackened the walls of the tower, giving it its current name. It was destroyed again by lightning in 1696, but was rebuilt.

Next to the Black Church stands the statue of Johannes Honterus, a work by the Berlin sculptor Haro Magnussen, which was unveiled on August 21, 1898. The bronze bas-reliefs on the pedestal depict the humanist in his printing shop, where the first prints were made in 1539, and administering communion to a sick person. Born in 1498, Honterus was a Transylvanian-Saxon humanist scholar, religious reformer, and founder of the Saxon Gymnasium in Kronstadt. He died in 1549.

The Old Town Hall, located on Town Hall Square in the historic center, is Brașov's most important secular monument. The town hall was originally a watchtower, the foundations of which lay on those of the present tower. The adjacent building was constructed later, with construction work beginning on December 23, 1420. The Turkish invasion of 1421 and the resulting destruction, as well as the arrest of the city judge, delayed construction. The building was only later converted into the town hall. It was first mentioned in 1503, when it appears as the "Praetorium," the seat of the city administration. From 1950 onward, the Old Town Hall housed the Brașov State Museum, which later became the Brașov County History Museum.

The large fountain on the town hall square offers welcome refreshment in the summer.

The rectory of the Black Church, built from 1383 onward, was completed in 1477. The historic building is closely connected to the Protestant congregation and the Black Church itself. Located in the immediate vicinity of the church, it is an integral part of the ensemble that defines the townscape.

The Black Church, along with the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, houses Europe's largest collection of oriental carpets from the 15th and 16th centuries. The interior of the Black Church is dominated by the vibrant colors of the approximately 110 oriental carpets on display. Even a layperson will be impressed by the multitude of nuances and patterns of this unusual decoration. To adorn the church, wealthy members of the community and guild masters donated brightly colored Ottoman textiles, especially carpets. Produced in Anatolia, these were traded to Kronstadt, where they were acquired by the citizens to decorate the altar, pulpit, or pews.

The Black Church (Biserica Neagra) is the parish church of the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Brașov. The late Gothic building was partially damaged in the fire of 1689, and the soot stained its walls black. The popular name "Black Church" after the fire was officially adopted in the 19th century. The present Black Church stands on the site of an older Romanesque church from the 13th century, which was destroyed during the Tatar invasion of 1241. Construction began in 1383. The Turkish invasion of 1421 interrupted construction and forced the city to focus on fortifications. The year 1477 can be considered the final year of construction on the church. At 89 meters long and 38 meters wide, the Black Church is the largest Gothic religious building in Southeast Europe. It can accommodate approximately 5,000 people.