Blumăna

What it is

Blumăna — Blumenau to the Saxons — is the historic suburb that grew outside the northern walls, around the lower end of Strada Lungă and the streets that climb towards Straja hill. Today it is a mix of nineteenth-century houses, small apartment blocks and churches, and it runs almost seamlessly into the Old Town: the boundary is the park at Livada Poștei.

What is here

Livada Poștei park, the green edge between the walls and the suburb, where the A1 airport bus and many city lines stop. Above it, the Cetățuia on Straja hill, a sixteenth-century hilltop fortress whose interior opens only for events, but whose perimeter path and viewpoint are free. The neighbourhood's churches include the Church of the Dormition on Strada Bisericii Române and the Buna Vestire church. To eat: Roata Norocului and BLOOM; for coffee, Waldkafe and Galleria Art & Coffee.

What it is like

Residential and unhurried. There are no sights to queue for, which is exactly the appeal: you are ten minutes from Piața Sfatului, and the streets are quiet at night. The walk up to the Cetățuia is the local evening stroll.

Who should stay here

Anyone who wants the Old Town on foot without the noise or prices of the square — couples, small families, repeat visitors. Hotel Ambient, Casa Cranța, Armatti and The Pines Boutique Villa are all here.

The catch

It is less picturesque than the Old Town, some streets carry through-traffic towards Bartolomeu, and the side of Straja hill is steep. Restaurants are fewer; for most evenings you will walk into the centre.

Compared with the alternatives

Against the Old Town, you give up the postcard streets and gain quiet nights, easier parking and prices that are usually a notch lower for the same standard. Against Șchei, the walk into the centre is flatter. It is also a practical base for skiers who want to live in town: bus 20 to Poiana starts at Livada Poștei, a few minutes' walk from most addresses here, so you can be on the way to the slopes shortly after breakfast. Strada Lungă runs north from here towards Bartolomeu, lined with low merchant houses and courtyards, and is a pleasant way to walk back from dinner.

Getting there

Livada Poștei is a major bus hub, including the A1 from Brașov-Ghimbav airport. From the railway station it is about 10 minutes by taxi. See getting around.

Living here

Blumăna has the most mixed housing of any central area: nineteenth-century houses along Strada Lungă and the lanes below Straja hill, small apartment blocks from several decades, and newer infill buildings squeezed onto former yards. Flats here are generally in lower buildings than in the big estates, which means character and quiet but, often, stairs instead of a lift. It is also a student district. The Transilvania University's Memorandului complex, on Strada Memorandului towards Bartolomeu, has eight halls of residence with about 2,300 places, so demand for small flats and rooms rises every autumn with the academic year.

Daily life is easy. Piața Star, the municipal market on Strada Nicolae Bălcescu, is a short walk away; small supermarkets, bakeries and pharmacies line Strada Lungă; and the Old Town, with everything it offers, is ten minutes on foot. The green spaces are Livada Poștei park and the path around the Cetățuia on Straja hill, the neighbourhood's evening walk.

Transport is Blumăna's great advantage, because Livada Poștei is the city's main bus hub. Lines 1, 2, 17, 20 and 31 start here — the 20 to Poiana, the 31 to Valea Cetății in Răcădău in about 14 minutes, the 17 to Noua — the A1 airport bus stops here, and lines 14, 24 and 28 run up Strada Bisericii Române and Memorandului towards Bartolomeu. Line 5 links the same streets with Patria in the Civic Centre: about 7 minutes from the Memorandului stop, roughly every 8 minutes on weekdays by the RATBV timetable. See getting around.

Noise is moderate. The residential lanes are quiet at night, but Strada Lungă and Bisericii Române carry through-traffic towards Bartolomeu, and the streets around Livada Poștei hear buses from early morning. The slopes of Straja are steep and, as on every forested edge of the city, bins should be kept closed.

It suits students and young professionals, couples who want the Old Town on foot without living in a tourist zone, and skiers who want bus 20 at the end of the street. Families will find more space and newer buildings elsewhere. The honest downsides: through-traffic on the main streets, older buildings without lifts, parking that is only slightly easier than in the centre, and a rental market that tightens every September when the students return.