Biserica Neagră

One of the largest Gothic churches in south-eastern Europe and the symbol of Brașov. The Saxon parish church of St Mary was built between 1383 and 1477 — work stopped for years after an Ottoman raid in 1421 — and it measures 89 by 38 metres, with a 65-metre tower. Its name comes from the great fire of 21 April 1689, which swept the city and left the walls blackened.

Inside, the Lutheran interior is plain and bright, which makes its treasures stand out: around 110 Anatolian carpets from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, hung from the galleries and pews — often described as the largest such collection outside Istanbul — and the Buchholz organ of 1839, with some 4,000 pipes, still played in summer concerts.

Visiting. From 1 April to 15 October it opens Tuesday–Saturday 10:00–19:00 and Sunday–Monday 12:00–19:00; the rest of the year it closes at 18:00. Adult tickets are 30 lei, retirees and students 25, pupils 20; under-7s go free (checked September 2026). It closes on 1 January and 25 December and for about two hours during services and concerts. The church is part of the Brașov Visit Ticket. Piața Sfatului is just around the corner.