The Hollywood sign in Brasov.

The Hollywood sign in Brasov.

Hollywood is not the only place to have a giant sign with its name above the city. There is a Hollywood sign in Brasov in Romania too.

Fancy a nice walk up a steep mountain filled with bears? Brasov in Romania has just that and on top of that mountain is a big sign with the name of the city. Brasov has been inspired by Hollywood and set up its own sign.

So has nearby Rasnov by the way. But the sign in Brasov has the most spectacular setting and you can walk up there on some very nice trails.

Brasov is a beautiful town with a Hollywood sign on top.

Brasov is a beautiful town with a Hollywood sign on top.

There is also a cable car going to the Hollywood sign, by the way. But that is for the lazy if you ask me. There is a wonderful hiking trail up the mountain that reasonably fit people can walk in 60 to 90 minutes.

It starts from a couple of different places below the mountain and the trail is well marked. You actually walk right below the cable car some of the way.

There are well marked trails leading to the Hollywood sign in Brasov.

There are well marked trails leading to the Hollywood sign in Brasov.

But taking the nice trail through the dense forest is the perfect excuse to have a cold beer on top. The view from the top is fantastic by the way and you can see why this city was also called Kronstadt by the Germans who founded it. They called it Kronstadt because it’s formed as a crown with its old walls and fortifications.

There is a cable car too, if you don't like to walk up the mountain.

There is a cable car too, if you don’t like to walk up the mountain.

Brasov, or Kronstadt as it used to be called, used to be a purely German town in Transylvania. German craftsmen emigrated from Germany to Transylvania several hundred years ago. It was the Austrian Hungarian empire who offered them a good tax deal. They needed more people in the area because of the wars with the Ottoman empire. These days the town is not purely German anymore. There is a big mix of people, but still a visible German minority.

Brasov is a lively town surrounded by mountains.

Brasov is a lively town surrounded by mountains.

If you are in Brasov and decide to hike up to the Hollywood sign, then be aware that there are bears on the mountain. It’s not a big worry though as it’s brown bears. They are normally not aggressive.

But you have idiots from time to time who want to play macho in front of them and then you might have a problem. And be very careful if they have cubs with them. Bear mothers are extremely protective of their cubs.

So do not even attempt to get close to them. Even if they are very cute. But apart from that brown bears are hardly ever a problem.

You have bears on the mountain. But no need to worry unless you are acting silly.

You have bears on the mountain. But no need to worry unless you are acting silly.

I can only recommend a visit to Brasov and a hike up the mountain to the Hollywood sign. Just make sure to do it in the warmer months. Because in the colder months it’s all covered in snow. That is nice too. but you will need some serious winter gear in that case.

Brasov seen from above.

Brasov seen from above.

 

Have a nice walk up to the Hollywood sign in Brasov.

If you would like to read about some world class hiking on the island of Madeira, then I have something about one of my favourite hikes on this link.

6 Comments

  1. Have any songs ever been written about the sign in Brasov? There have been several songs about the original Hollywood sign, but the one I like is “Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign” By Dory Previn, from 1972. It’s about a young women who kills herself by jumping off the letter H, because “she did not become a star”.

  2. Looks like quite the view – Brasov also seems like an amazing place to visit!

  3. Pingback: In 2017 I visited more than 25 countries and was on the road for more than 300 days.

  4. What about cycling in Romania? I’m going to be in Cluj from April to June.

    • Hi’ Matt. I have not been cycling in Romania yet. Hope to do it soon though. I have been going by bus through Romania a few times though, because of work. And it looks quite good for cycling.

  5. Hey Claus,
    thanks for the blogpost. We have just been there and it’s a nice view. The best tip is to go as early as possible, otherwise there are to many people.

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