Brașov - the Hollywood of Eastern Europe

One of Romania's cities with the highest number of tourists per year is in Transylvania and it is called Brașov. This fact doesn't come as a surprise when you look at the city's placement. Located in the center of the country and surrounded by mountains with natural springs, Brașov - the Hollywood of Eastern Europe, is a city that can easily steal your breath away. One of the main attractions of the city is on the top - the Tampa Mountain. 960 meters above the sea level, this imposing mountain led the Romanian people to label Brașov the city at the foot of Tampa.

Picture © Credit to: roibu

The Romanians are proud to consider Brașov - the Hollywood of Eastern Europe due to the Brașov sign sitting on the Tampa Mountain. The sign was placed on the mountain in 2004 and is visible from great distances. Over the years, the Tampa mountain turned into a symbol of Brașov.

Picture © Credit to: Maria Makropoulou

How to get there

There are two ways of reaching Tampa's peak. The first one is by a cable car at the base of the mountain and the second one is for more adventurous people, as they can hike to the top. The cable car ascends for 573 meters in less than three minutes. There is a story behind the cable car. Wanting to impress the foreign artists that attend the Cerbul de Aur, a yearly singing contest, the county members decided to construct a cable car and put it in use the year 1971. Since then, it has been a huge success, carrying up to 440 people per hour to the top.

As mentioned before, there is also an option of hiking to the top, in which case you can pick one of two trails. If you prefer the easy way, you should opt for the Serpentine Road, an itinerary of 25 serpentines circling to the top. If you prefer steps, take the Steps of Gabony and its total of 167 steps. It has an amazing view, one that you can enjoy from the many road stops along the way. For all photography lovers, don’t forget to stop where the cable car passes overhead. Those areas have a cleared path of trees, where beautiful pictures of the city can be taken.

Perfect for a lazy day

The Tampa Mountain has been declared a natural reserve, despite the unusual place in the middle of a city. A variety of animals inhabit this mountain, such as red squirrels, grey wolves, golden eagles, brown bears, and several other animals. There have been many sightings of the brown bear on Tampa and the surrounding areas. It is not uncommon for the bears to descend from the mountain in the search for food. The officials don't recommend staying on Tampa overnight, due to a high probability of encountering a bear.

Tampa is perfect for a lazy day. There is a park at the base of the mountain, where children can be seen playing on swings, teenagers are chatting in the gazebo and the couples walk hand in hand while climbing to the top. The peak of Tampa is notorious for many marriage proposals that have taken place there.

Picture © Credit to: Piotr Krzeslak

The Tampa Mountain on the top of Brașov isn't just a simple mountain, but the Hollywood of Eastern Europe It doesn't only bring people together, but it keeps bringing them back, for example just to watch the leaves of the trees changing their color or to feel the harmony between the city and the nature surrounding it.

Picture © Credit to: The Government of Socialist Republic of Romania