Discovering the best places to visit in Brasov

Here are I am again visiting Brasov, the “City of the Crown”, for the 10th time (maybe more). Once again I realize I am lost without the GPS. And the only part of the city I am familiar with is the central pedestrian street. And I live in Romania. I should be more accustomed to the city by now. Please believe me when I say that, for the past half of a year, each time I got to Brasov, I used Questo. Always hoping to discover new places in Brasov.

Why visit Brasov?

I’m guessing you already know about this beautiful city in the heart of Romania. And, probably, you’ve already seen some photos from there.

The pedestrian centre is the main attraction, but there is much more to it. There is so much history surrounding there areas (literally), that it is truly a waste if you don’t walk on those narrow streets.

So there I was, feeling weird, because I knew there was much more to the city than meets the eye, but had no idea where to start.

Even my parents know Brasov better than I do. So that’s why I needed help. I wanted to explore more of the lesser-known parts of the city, because I don’t want to have the same pictures as everyone else.

Exploring Brasov and its stories like a local, with Questo

I realized this was not going to be easy since I have no friends in Brasov. Ok, so that was my task: Discover how to find out more about this beautiful city, in a fun and entertaining way.

Questo does that for you! “What is Questo?” you might ask. Questo is a real-life exploration game. Sounds like lots of fun (and it is).

I had to use Google maps to get to the starting point (which wasn’t as easy as I thought), but once I finally found the place, everything was going smooth. That’s if you get the subtle hints and directions of the quest. I was checking both versions (Romanian and English) to make sure I got it right. But then again, my scavenger hunt skills are not something to brag about.

The quests are brilliantly made and do not depend on the weather, time or anything else than the public places of the city. It so happened that the most famous street in the city was closed for restoration that day, and for the next months to come.

I had to go round the block to get to the other end of the street and I was on ‘challenge mode’ quest (aka the timed version, where the best quest times get on the leaderboard). That was the moment I knew I wasn’t going to make it in the top 5.

No worries, I wasn’t going to give up. A traveller is not giving up. And I am so glad I didn’t, because the places included in the quest were unknown to me before. I loved it. And as much as I love walking and exploring, I dislike walking in the sun. (The sun is not good for the skin, you should know that and always wear sunscreen.)

Questo (and the sun) made me move faster with my exploring. Of course, it’s not just the quest, it’s the entire experience and the journey through time and the city, which can open new perspectives over the things you can do in Brasov, or any other city featured in the Questo app.

I wasn’t sure before this Questo exploration game if Brasov is one of the most beautiful cities in Romania, but now I know. It sure is. And I cannot wait to go back and finish the other quests.

Some months ago, I started the first quest and couldn’t finish it as it started raining. Told you the weather won’t care. I am sure I will find all the historical stories I never knew about in those quests. And… what else is there to do? The other overcrowded places are already marked on Google maps.

Is Questo for you? Should you use it to visit Brasov?

If you are like me: adventurous, hate sticking to travel groups or human travel guides and like to take things into your own hands (others call us ‘control freaks), then the answer is YES!

The pace is all up to the user, and it is the perfect activity for couples or a small group of friends. Had tons of fun while searching for the clues and answers.

Now, I’m looking forward to doing more quests in other places too, as there are over 70 different ones, in 4 countries.

Have you been doing any quests lately? *wink, wink*, let the Questo team know about a story of a new city and they just might create a new quest. Or better yet, you can create your own (which you can sell to users).

Here is a short video I made during this quest, just to get the feel of it (trust me, it was hot outside):

I’m Julia, and this was my story, together with Questo in Brasov. Want to read more of my experiences? Find me at juliasomething.com