Casa Sfatului, Brasov, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Casa Sfatului, the Council House, stands in the middle of Piața Sfatului, the main square of Brașov in Romania. For centuries it was the town hall of the Saxon city, and today it houses the local history museum. Its white tower rises over the square and is one of the best-known sights of the old town.

The story behind it

Brașov grew in the Middle Ages as a trading town settled by German colonists, after King Andrew II of Hungary invited the Teutonic Order to Burzenland in 1211. The Council House belongs to that Saxon world. The town's magistrates governed from here, and the square in front of it worked as the marketplace and as the place where justice was seen in public.

Justice here could be harsh. A 16th-century local chronicler mentions a gallows on the main square, and the square is where verdicts were announced and punishments began in front of a crowd. Many stories have grown around these trials and executions, so the building is a good starting point for the darker side of the city's past.

What to look for

• The tall tower rising from the middle of the building, traditionally linked to the town's trumpeters, who sounded signals over the roofs.
• The façade facing the square, where you can see how the town hall was reworked over the centuries.
• The fountain in front of the building, close to where public proclamations and punishments once drew crowds.
• The ring of colourful merchants' houses around the square, with the wooded slope of Tâmpa mountain rising behind them.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 15 to 30 minutes to see the building and the square from outside, longer if you visit the museum inside. Check current opening hours before you go.
• Come early in the morning for a quiet square, or in the evening when the cafés are lively and the buildings are lit.
• The Black Church is a short walk away, and Strada Republicii, the pedestrian street, leads off the square.
• The square is open to everyone and costs nothing to walk through, so it fits easily into a longer stroll of the old town.

See it on a quest

Haunted Brasov: Face The Vengeful Ghosts suits this spot well, since the square holds many of the city's darker stories. You reach the Council House on foot as one stop on a longer route through the old town, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Forgotten Treasure Of The Teutonic Knights, Brasov picks up the Teutonic story that began the city's history. You walk to the square as part of a route through the streets, hear about each place as you reach it, and solve a puzzle in front of what you see. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Wandering Witch of Brasov is a good match for a square tied to trials and legends. The route takes you from stop to stop on foot, the app tells you about each place when you get there, and there is a puzzle to solve on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.