Crucea de la Știm, Brasov, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Crucea de la Știm is a wayside cross shrine on Strada Curcanilor in the Schei quarter of Brașov, Romania. It is one of the many street crosses, known locally as troițe, that mark the old Romanian Orthodox district below Tâmpa hill. This one sits inside its own small building, and its painted interior makes it worth a short stop.

The story behind it

Schei was long the Romanian Orthodox neighbourhood of Brașov, and putting up crosses at the meeting point of streets and roads is an old custom there. The crosses were thought to keep evil away and bring good luck to those passing. They also stood as a sign of the community's Orthodox faith.

Some of these crosses, this one included, are protected from the weather by a little house built around them. That turns the cross into something close to a small outdoor altar. According to the route notes, this cross was set up in 1781 by seven brothers, which makes it a family act of devotion as much as a landmark.

What to look for

• The small building around the cross, which shelters it from rain and snow and gives it the feel of a miniature chapel.
• The cross itself, standing inside the shelter, so look in rather than walking past.
• The painted walls inside, which are a surprising amount of colour for such a small structure.
• The setting at a street junction, which shows why crosses like this were placed where paths meet.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on five to ten minutes here. It is a quick stop, best combined with a longer wander through Schei.
• Daylight is best for seeing the painted walls, so aim for morning or afternoon.
• Check whether you can see inside when you arrive, as access to small shrines can vary.
• The streets of Schei are quiet and residential, so keep voices low and be respectful of the cross as a place of faith.

See it on a quest

The quest Jewel of Brasov: Exploring the Enchanting Schei is a good way to find this cross. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the Schei quarter, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right in front of what you are looking at. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide to wait for.