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BrasovRomania Brasov (Hungarian: Brassó, German: Kronstadt) is a city in Romania, residence of Brasov county. The population of Brasov is 284,596, according to the 2002 census. The city was named Orasul Stalin, after Joseph Stalin, from 1951 to 1961. Brasov is located in the central part of the country, at about 166 km from Bucharest and surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. It is part of the Transylvania region. Near Brasov at Bod there is a large longwave broadcasting facility. Also the city is the host of The Golden Stag (Cerbul de Aur) international music festival. Facts County: Brasov County Status: County capital Area: km˛ Population: 283,901 (2002) Web: City Website Population The municipality of Brasov has a total population of 284,596. Ethnic composition: Romanian: 258,042 (90.66%) Hungarian: 23,204 (8,53%) German: 1,717 (0,60%) Roma: 762 (0,26%) and 871 from other ethnicities. Travel related info Its central location makes it ideal to settle in for a non-specific vacation in Romania. Brasov is situated at fairly equal distances from most attractions in Romania: the Black Sea resorts, the gorgeous monasteries in northern Moldova, the incredibly well-preserved Maramures region with its centuries old wooden churches in the north-west. It is also considered the mountain capital of Romania. Brasov is in the middle of it all and on top of that, it is considered the most tourist-friendly city in Romania. It has a significant Hungarian population.
This page was retrieved and condensed from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasov) November 2005
Sarolta, my daughter and I visited Brasov during our visit to Romania in 1978. Somewhere, I have a lenghty description of this trip, suffice to say here, that at this stage we were on our own and we could spend time and explore at our own leisure. Unfortunately the famous church was locked at the time.
Well, well, Brasov is one town, that Hui Chin and I will remember for a very long time, but for all the wrong reasons. During our trip around in Europe in 2005, we went to Romania again with a long list of places we wanted to see. We have nearly finished our itinerary when we arrived in Brasov. Outside the Railway Station we got on a very crowded number 4 bus to go to our hotel. A 'towrag' thief or thieves pinched two of my favourite cameras, vallet with my money, licences and credit cards in it from my bag. With the help of a very nice local lady we spent practically all day at the Police Station explaining our misfortune. Most of the afternoon I was sitting on one of the officer's old fashioned timber chair with a cushion on it. I mention this, because while I did not notice it during our 'session' in the 'cop shop', but I have sure noticed it later that the officer using that chair must have been incontinent. My button was wet and we could smell it too. We did smell some urine odour walking in the room, but at the time that was the least of our worries. Even now, while I'm writing this, I find it hard to believe that my cameras and vallet was taken without I noticing anything, except a lot of pushing and shoving in the crowded bus, but that is quite usual on many European buses and trams, without some 'gutter swine' taking advantage of it.
A young women approached us after getting off the train offering us some reasonably priced accomodation. I reacted to her with some hostility as I have some aversion to "hasslers" who always trying to take advantage of tourist. This time I was wrong, and we should have accepted her advice about the accomodation and about taking a Taxi, - being safer - to our hotel, - it would have saved us a lot of trouble. We got on a very crowded bus and a thief or thieves pinched two of my cameras, my vallet with a fair amount of our money, credit cards, drivers licence and other things, while all the pushing and showing going on. When I noticed that my cameras and vallet gone on the bus, it was too late, but a young lady volunteered to help us report our loss to the Police. The young lady was well educated and spoke excellent english and she was aware, that we will have trouble with our communication, as not many people can speak English around there. Just as well. At the first Police station no one could speak English and we were sent to another station, back to the district where it happened. At the Police station, nearer to the Railway Station, we spent some time explaning the theft with the help of the young lady and answering questions for some time, when they told us we have to come back about four hours later, because the officer that will handle our case is at a conference now. So we went to find our hotel and the young lady told us, that she will meet us back at the Police Station at 3 pm. to see the officer after his return. We were very lucky with her help. When I asked her if she could spare the time, she told me "not really, but she will help us anyway, her car was broken in recently, loosing her camera and many other things" and she also knew we will have trouble communicating. After our return, we spent another 4 hours, taking statements, waiting for an 'official translator' for which we had to pay a considerable sum too. We were told afterwards that recovering our losses was absolutely nil. Very promising, I thought at the time. While we were at the Police Station a young woman came to lodge a complaint about losing her purse from her handbag on the same bus, though not at the same time. Three young men, we shared our train ride back to Budapest, all had very similar incidents happen to them in Brasov recently and they were Romanians. My sister-in-law also recounted something very similar occurance in Brasov, on our arrival. Bye the bye, the famous church was shut when we tried to visit it too.
That reminds me that our first night in Romania on this trip, Hui Chin and I attempted to ask a couple of Police Officers for the nearest hotel to the station at Carei, they took the opportunity to grill us for nothing particular for at least an hour, when the younger one, found out that I was Hungarian born, seeing my Passsport, told me in Hungarian, that "they just doing their work" - nice work. I still don't know and can't understand the purpose of the questions etc.
You can click on these photos for an enlargement.
2005
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