# Graft Bastion

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Brașov County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov) › [Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/brasov)

> A rectangular bastion built in 1515–1521 by the saddlers' guild as a bridge over the Graft canal, on the north-west side of Brașov's walled town. The interior is closed, but the path runs beneath its arch.

**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Brașov, Brașov County. The visit takes 15 min. Information verified on 24 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The interior is closed to visitors. The exterior and the path beneath the arch can be seen at any time.
- **Visit duration:** 15 min — exterior only
- **With kids:** Yes — pedestrian path beside the stream
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — central zone, paid
- **Best season:** All year round — exterior visible all year
- **Address:** Aleea După Ziduri, Brașov, Brașov County
- **Coordinates:** 45.64254, 25.58738
- **Phone:** +40 268 472 350
- **Website:** https://www.brasovistorie.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastionul_Graft_din_Bra%C8%99ov
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q222415
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Graft Bastion

The Graft Bastion, also called the Gate Bastion (German: Torbastei) because of its shape, guards the middle of the north-west side of Brașov's walled town. It was built between 1515 and 1521, paid for and defended by the saddlers' guild, as a link between the defenders of the town and the White Tower on the hillside. The name comes from the artificial "Graft" canal ("ditch"), which carried the water of the springs from Șchei to the foot of the wall and also served as a natural obstacle; the bastion was designed as a bridge over it.

It is rectangular, with walls about 4 m thick at the base and two floors with an attic, with loopholes fitted with wooden shutters and murder holes that survive to this day. After the torrential rain of 24 August 1809 weakened the wall, three supporting arches were built over the stream in 1822, of which only one remains. The bastion was renovated in 1976 and again in the early 2000s, when it housed a branch of the Brașov County History Museum with the exhibition "Craftsmen of Brașov – Defenders of the Fortress".

### What you can see

The path called Aleea După Ziduri runs beneath the wide arch of the bastion, above the Graft stream, so you can see the white wall up close, the loopholes with wooden shutters, the murder holes under the tiled roof and the attic dormers. Nearby you can still see the supporting arch of 1822, and right next to the bastion a flight of steps climbs the hillside towards the [White Tower](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-alb-brasov).

### Good to know

The bastion belongs to the Brașov County History Museum, and the interior is closed to visitors. The exterior and the path beneath can be seen at any time.

## Don't miss

- The wide arch the path runs under, above the Graft stream, with a wall about 4 m thick at the base.
- The loopholes with wooden shutters and the murder holes in the white wall.
- The supporting arch of 1822, the last of the three built over the stream.
- The flight of steps beside the bastion, climbing the hillside towards the White Tower.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Brașov is ~170 km from Bucharest on the DN1 / A3 (~3 hours), ~145 km from Sibiu on the DN1 (~2 hours 30 minutes) and ~270 km from Cluj-Napoca. The bastion is on Aleea După Ziduri, on the north-west side of the historic centre, ~200 m from Piața Sfatului (a few minutes on foot); access to it is pedestrian only.

**Public transport:** Brașov station is ~3 km from the centre; from there, RAT Brașov buses take ~15 minutes to the historic centre, from where you walk to the bastion. Direct trains run from Bucharest, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Sighișoara.

### Where to park

The historic centre of Brașov is a paid parking zone, and there are few spaces around the walls. The easiest option is to leave the car in a paid car park on the edge of the centre and walk; they fill up quickly in summer and at weekends.

### Fees & discounts

The exterior and the path beneath the arch can be seen without a ticket. There are no fees for the interior, as it is closed.

### Rules

The walls and the surrounding paths are a historic monument: do not climb the walls and do not leave litter. Drones may be flown in the historic centre only in compliance with local flight rules.

### Facilities

Benches along the path · no toilets or shop on site · cafés and restaurants in the historic centre

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1515–1521
- **Founder:** the saddlers' guild
- **State of preservation:** restored
- **Historical period:** Middle Ages
- **Civilisation:** Transylvanian Saxons

## Frequently asked questions about Graft Bastion

**How long does a visit to Graft Bastion take?**

A visit to Graft Bastion takes about 15 min (exterior only).

**Can you visit Graft Bastion with kids?**

Yes, Graft Bastion is suitable for children (pedestrian path beside the stream).

**Where can I park at Graft Bastion?**

There is paid parking at Graft Bastion (central zone, paid). The historic centre of Brașov is a paid parking zone, and there are few spaces around the walls. The easiest option is to leave the car in a paid car park on the edge of the centre and walk; they fill up quickly in summer and at weekends.

**How do I get to Graft Bastion?**

Graft Bastion is located at Aleea După Ziduri, Brașov, Brașov County. By car: Brașov is ~170 km from Bucharest on the DN1 / A3 (~3 hours), ~145 km from Sibiu on the DN1 (~2 hours 30 minutes) and ~270 km from Cluj-Napoca. The bastion is on Aleea După Ziduri, on the north-west side of the historic centre, ~200 m from Piața Sfatului (a few minutes on foot); access to it is pedestrian only. Public transport: Brașov station is ~3 km from the centre; from there, RAT Brașov buses take ~15 minutes to the historic centre, from where you walk to the bastion. Direct trains run from Bucharest, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Sighișoara.

**When is the best time to visit Graft Bastion?**

The best season for Graft Bastion: All year round (exterior visible all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Casa Mureșenilor Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/casa-muresenilor) — Museums and memorial houses · Brașov, BV · 8 lei · 45 min · 0 km
  A house-museum on Piața Sfatului dedicated to the Mureșianu family, who ran "Gazeta Transilvaniei": an archive of over 25,000 documents, furniture, paintings and evidence on the history of the anthem "Deșteaptă-te, române!".
- [White Tower](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-alb-brasov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · Free · 45 min · 0 km
  A 15th-century horseshoe-shaped defence tower perched on a rock above the Graft, with one of the best views over Brașov's old town.
- [Council Square (Piața Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-sfatului-brasov) — Monuments and historic sites · Brașov, BV · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 0 km
  The main square of old Brașov, lined with merchants' houses and dominated by the Council House, the old town hall with its watchtower, now the County History Museum, with Tâmpa as a backdrop.
- [The Black Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-neagra) — Churches · Brașov, BV · 30 lei · 45 min · 0 km
  Romania's largest Gothic church, built by the Saxons of Brașov between 1383 and 1477; inside are the 1839 Buchholz organ and a rare collection of Anatolian carpets.
- [Black Tower](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-negru-brasov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · 30 min · 0 km
  A square 15th-century watchtower perched on a rock outside Brașov's western walls, with a glass pyramid roof and a platform looking out over the old town and the Black Church.
- [Strada Sforii (Rope Street)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/strada-sforii) — Monuments and historic sites · Brașov, BV · Free · 10 min · 0 km
  A passage 1.1–1.35 m wide in Brașov's old town, recorded in the 17th century and counted among the narrowest streets in Europe; closed for repairs since November 2025.

---

Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-graft
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/bastionul-graft.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/bastionul-graft.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/bastionul-graft.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/bastionul-graft.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/bastionul-graft.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/bastionul-graft.md
Last updated: 24 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania