Brasov's Medieval Defensive Fortifications

Old Town of Brașov and the White Tower. A view from Tâmpa Hill

Brașov is located in the central part of Romania in Transylvania region. The oldest traces of human activity and settlements in Brașov date back to the Neolithic age but the first attested mention of Brașov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu ("Saxon Land of Baras") in a 1252 document. The city was described under the name Corona, a Latin word meaning "crown", a name given by the German colonists.

Old Town of Brașov. White and Black Towers and Brașov Fortress (on the hills over the city)

The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City" and is reflected in the city's coat of arms as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The two names of the city, Kronstadt and Corona, were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages, along with the Medieval Latin Brassovia. Probably the name of Braşov (Brassovia) came from the name of the local river named Bârsa.

Dupa Ziduri Street (En. Behind the Walls). Graft Bastion


Red roofs of Brașov

The city was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and next settled by the Saxons. Fortifications were erected around the city and continually expanded, with several towers maintained by different craft guilds, according to medieval custom.


Black Tower

The first fortifications around town were build by the Saxons and were consisted of earthen walls and wooden barriers, later reinforced with stones. In later centuries, the walls were strengthened. Most works were done between 1400 and 1650, when outer and inner walls were erected, together with massive defence towers and gates.

Ecaterina Gate

Schei Gate

Formerly the historic centre of the city was surrounded by a quadrilateral shaped walls. The shorter northern and southern walls were destroyed in the 19th century to make room for the city's expansion. Originally, the city walls were equipped with seven bastions, but only a few have survived to the present day. 


White Tower and Black Church
View of Brasov from the Weaver's Bastion

The Weaver's Bastion

One of them is Graft Bastion, located in the middle of the citadel's north-west wing. On the west side of the wall, walk along picturesque Dupa Ziduri Street (En. Behind the Walls) to catch a glimpse of the 15th century White and Black Towers. The Blacksmiths' Bastion, one of the original seven built and guarded by the city's guilds, is located at the southern end of Dupa Ziduri Street.

South-east belt of walls
Towers in the south-east belt of walls. Draper Bastion
Draper Bastion

Follow the city wall south-east to the fairy-tale Catherine's Gate. Built in 1559 and once the main entrance to medieval Kronstadt, it is the only original city gate to have survived. Nearby is the classicist Schei Gate, built in 1827. The Weavers' Bastion is located on George Cosbuc Street. 

Brașov. A view from Tâmpa Hill

On the scenic hill over the city is located the Brașov Fortress (Cetatea). The citadel overlooking the town and the plains to the north were part of Brașov's outer fortification system. Built in wood in 1524, it was replaced with a stone structure in the 16th century, and be abandoned in the 17th century after the improvement of cannons.


Brașov Fortress (Cetatea)
Brașov Fortress (Cetatea)

You might also like other articles about beautiful places in Romania (click)

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This post is linked at: 

 The Weekly Postcard

Comments

  1. A beautiful walled city with so much history.

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  2. A wonderful place to be. Beautiful pictures.

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  3. Super panoramy. Bardzo lubię miasta, gdzie króluje czerwona dachówka, a nie wielka płyta.

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  4. Again you dazzle me with your excellent pictures of this marvelous place.

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  5. Not only does it looks so beautiful with all the red roofs and impressive architecture, but it also looks so magical.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  6. Wonderful shots of fortification. The architecture is amazing.

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  7. My bucket list grows every time I visit your blog. This place is so beautiful! I love the gates, towers and walls. The views from the top are fantastic too. #WordlessWednesday

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  8. Amazing views. Beautiful place and pics.

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  9. Kolejne piękne miejsce i piękne zdjęcia

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  10. I love the 2nd photo - it's very picturesque and looks so medieval-ish

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  11. Great photos & a wonderful display of history. I really like the photo looking through the arch at the tower in the background.

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  12. Jarek, what a collection of photo ops, there is beauty at every turn. The architecture is wonderful. Thanks for sharing a Tuesday's Treasures, I hope that you can stop back again.

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  13. what a great post, so interesting and i enjoyed all the pictures!

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  14. Beautiful series. I really love the third one.

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  15. I can't imagine what it's like to stroll around such a magnificent old city such as this so well preserved to learn of its history and to see how it has evolved in modern times. Truly beautiful architecture and an interesting past. Thanks for sharing and please feel free to link up with me for not-so Wordless Wednesday, my friend!

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  16. I wish our soon-to-be new president would take a look at these photos. Walls were protective...in the past.

    Here's my Wordless Wednesday!

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  17. What history ~ what photography ~ beautiful! ~ thanks.

    Wishing you a lovely week ~ ^_^

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  18. OH, I love this. I have never been outside the USA so this is wonderful that you share your photos. It is like traveling along with your photos. Thank you and thank you for visiting me.

    Peabea@Peabea Scribles

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  19. Heisann, thank you for an interesting story of a beautiful town, I love such places ;:OD)

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  20. Your posts are always so interesting, I wish I would have explored your part of the world more when we lived in Europe. I'll have to add it to my travel bucket list. Terrific post and images.

    Lisa @ Life Thru the Lens www.lisakerner-slp.com

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  21. Spectacular blue skies as background for these fabulous ancient buildings. I admire the architecture and red roofs. Nice photography.

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  22. Wished we could have seen more of Romania. Such a beautiful country, but we were there during the time of the Iron Curtain and we had a visa only for Bucharest.The Ecatarina Gate is especially beautiful and intriguing!
    Hope to still see you this week at ALL SEASONS (the link this week was extended until Thursday, so there is still time:) )!
    https://artworksfromjeshstg.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/all-seasons-no-after-holiday-blues/

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  23. These are fantastic photos! Thanks for the info, too, that makes the pictures more real.

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  24. What a beautiful town! I've pinned this for our future honeymoon trip to the Balkans later this summer! #wkendtravelinspiration
    (www.caliglobetrotter.wordpress.com)

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  25. So beautiful! You take really great photos!!

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  26. These are such stunning photos. I'd love to visit that town at night, I think it'd be very eerie!

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  27. My husband was fortunate to visit Brasov for a work trip and the more I hear about the city the more I like it. I especially like your focus on the medieval defenses and great photos! #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  28. Next time I go to Romania I'll have to see the Brasov fortress. Somehow this one escaped my fortress haunt (lol)! #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  29. Stunning, fantastic buildings to be sure but I suspect a fair share of sweat and tears too went into them also.

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  30. A wonderful tour of the cities walls, what a great city you have there with so much history going on.

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  31. It certainly looks like a really interesting place.

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  32. Every photo is so beautiful and perfectly captured. My favorite is the Draper Bastion.

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  33. Am very pleased you're sharing this beautiful post of Mid Romania with all the towers of the fortifications with ALL SEASONS! Have a lovely week!

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  34. I loved exploring Brasov's fortifications, they're so scenic and impressive. The weaver's bastion had to be my favourite. Your photos are stunning as per usual. Very well captured. #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  35. You are a wonderful advertisement for Romania. I want to visit now!

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  36. wonderful photo's of a seemingly wonderful (old) town... very nice choice for B

    Have a nice ABC-Wednesday / _ Week
    ♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc=w=team)
    http://melodymusic.nl/abc-wednesday-20b/

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  37. Wonderful collection of pictures! A great week!

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  38. Beautiful images from this walled in city. It looks like you thoroughly explored it while you were there. I love the shot from the top of the hill looking down on all of the houses. And your editing on the images with the walls, shadows, and everything beyond is just phenomenal! Loved looking through this post! :)

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  39. Medieval city with perfume.
    Beautiful seen from afar.
    Took the step is not so extraordinary ...

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  40. Marvelous photos and impressions of this beautiful town. I was there for many years.
    Best regards, Synnöve

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  41. Beautiful place, must have been about 40 years since I visited so this was a nice trip down memory lane.

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  42. a lot of fortification!
    ROG, ABCW

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  43. Great photos of the fortress and the red roofs!

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  44. Brașov Fortress is so atmospheric! Especially the Dupa Zediri Street :D

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  45. Amazing, fascinating views of all these incredible old buildings. Loved this series of photos.

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  46. Wonderfull place, I love all these red roofs.

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  47. That view from Tampa Hill just blew me away. I often think of the backbreaking work in those ancient times. How many labourers needed for just one of those incredible buildings, and how many injured or even killed? Your photographs are incredible.

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  48. super lovely pictures

    There is a "Letter Writing Challenge" starting from January 30th. It would be amazing if you could participate in it.
    Here is the link for it http://mrsdashsayss.blogspot.in/2017/01/12-weeks-of-letter-writing-challenge.html

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  49. What a beautiful town!
    Your photos are superb and and you give them valuable additional information.

    bedst reagards

    · LMA · & · CR ·

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