# Catherine's Gate

[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)

> The only surviving medieval gate of Brașov's walled town, a white tower of 1559 with four corner turrets and the town's coat of arms; next to it, the neoclassical Șchei Gate of 1827–1828.

**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Brașov, Brașov County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 20 min. Information verified on 8 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — Catherine's Gate and Șchei Gate can be seen freely, from the outside, at any hour; the gate passage is open to pedestrians. The inside of the tower opens only for temporary exhibitions, with no officially published hours.
- **Ticket:** Free — outside only
- **Visit duration:** 20 min — both gates
- **With kids:** Yes — green square in front
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — paid central zone
- **Best season:** All year round — all year, lovely in winter too
- **Address:** Strada Poarta Șchei, at the Șchei end, Brașov, Brașov County
- **Coordinates:** 45.63952, 25.5861
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine%27s_Gate
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q542499
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Catherine's Gate

Catherine's Gate is the white tower with a pointed roof and four corner turrets at the end of Strada Poarta Șchei, on the south-western side of the old walled town. The tower was finished in 1559, under the town judge Johannes Benkner, on the site of an older gate destroyed by the flood of 1526, and was defended by the tailors' guild. The name comes from the convent of St Catherine that once stood nearby. The four turrets showed that the town held the "right of the sword" (ius gladii), meaning it could try people and sentence them to death.

What you see today is only the tower of the outer gate of a much larger complex: a rectangular fort of about 75 by 50 metres, with a drawbridge and double walls. For almost three centuries it was the only way into the walled town from Șchei, the Romanian quarter, whose inhabitants could enter the town only at set hours and paid a toll on the goods they brought to sell. In 1827 the complex was demolished and the tower, walled up, became a storehouse; it was reopened in 1955 and restored in 1971–1973 by the architect Günther Schuller, and again in 2006.

Right next to it stands **Șchei Gate**, built in 1827–1828 precisely to take the traffic the old gate could no longer handle. It is a neoclassical triumphal arch of stone and brick, with one large opening for carts and two smaller ones for pedestrians, paid for largely by the Romanian merchants of Șchei. Both faces carry Latin inscriptions, one recalling the visit of Emperor Francis I.

### What you can see

On the side facing Șchei, above the arch, is a stone plaque with Brașov's coat of arms (a crown on a trunk with roots) and two Latin inscriptions, one with the year 1559 and Benkner's name. The lower part of the tower is faced with sandstone blocks, and the triangular openings above the arch are where the drawbridge chains passed; higher up you can see the gunports for cannon and arquebuses. Through the passage you walk from the tree-lined square in front of the gate into the courtyard on the town side, where the tower is framed by the buildings of the former Saxon girls' school.

A few steps away, Șchei Gate can be crossed on foot or by car; the inscriptions can be read on both faces. From here you can walk up into Șchei, to St Nicholas' Church and the First Romanian School, or turn into Strada Sforii, some two hundred metres towards the centre.

### Good to know

Both gates can be seen freely, from the outside, at any hour. The tower of Catherine's Gate occasionally hosts exhibitions, but it has no officially announced visiting hours; if you find it open, it is a bonus.

## Don't miss

- The plaque with Brașov's coat of arms and the 1559 inscriptions above the arch, on the side facing Șchei.
- The four corner turrets, the sign of the "right of the sword", seen from the tree-lined square in front of the gate.
- The triangular openings for the drawbridge chains, above the sandstone arch.
- Șchei Gate next door, the neoclassical arch of 1828, with Latin inscriptions on both faces.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Brașov is ~170 km from Bucharest on the DN1 (~3 hours, longer at weekends through the Prahova Valley), ~145 km from Sibiu on the DN1 via Făgăraș (~2h30) and ~270 km from Cluj-Napoca (A3 to Târgu Mureș, then DN13, ~4 hours). Driving in the historic centre is slow; leave the car in a car park on its edge. Catherine's Gate is ~450 m south-west of Piața Sfatului: walk to the end of Strada Poarta Șchei (~7 minutes); the tower is on the right, just before Șchei Gate.

**Public transport:** Brașov railway station has direct trains from Bucharest (~2h30–3 hours), Sibiu and Cluj and is ~3 km from the centre; bus 4 takes ~15 minutes to Livada Poștei / Piața Sfatului, from where it is a ~10-minute walk.

### Where to park

The historic centre is a paid parking zone, with few spaces on the streets inside the old walls. It is easier to use one of the paid car parks on the edge of the centre, for example on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, below Tâmpa, and walk. In summer and at weekends they fill up quickly.

### Fees & discounts

The gates can be seen free of charge, from the outside. Temporary exhibitions in the tower have their own entry terms.

### Rules

The gates are public space. Cars also pass through Șchei Gate, so take care when photographing from the middle of the road; the passage of Catherine's Gate is for pedestrians only.

### Facilities

Benches in the square in front of the gate · no toilets or shop at the gate; cafés and restaurants on Strada Poarta Șchei and in Piața Sfatului · flat, paved access, fine with a pushchair · good mobile signal

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1559
- **Founder:** the town of Brașov
- **State of preservation:** restored
- **Historical period:** 16th–19th centuries
- **Civilisation:** Transylvanian Saxons

## Frequently asked questions about Catherine's Gate

**How much is a ticket to Catherine's Gate?**

Admission to Catherine's Gate is free (outside only). The gates can be seen free of charge, from the outside. Temporary exhibitions in the tower have their own entry terms.

**What are the opening hours of Catherine's Gate?**

Opening hours at Catherine's Gate: daily open 24 hours. Catherine's Gate and Șchei Gate can be seen freely, from the outside, at any hour; the gate passage is open to pedestrians. The inside of the tower opens only for temporary exhibitions, with no officially published hours.

**How long does a visit to Catherine's Gate take?**

A visit to Catherine's Gate takes about 20 min (both gates).

**Can you visit Catherine's Gate with kids?**

Yes, Catherine's Gate is suitable for children (green square in front).

**Where can I park at Catherine's Gate?**

There is paid parking at Catherine's Gate (paid central zone). The historic centre is a paid parking zone, with few spaces on the streets inside the old walls. It is easier to use one of the paid car parks on the edge of the centre, for example on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, below Tâmpa, and walk. In summer and at weekends they fill up quickly.

**How do I get to Catherine's Gate?**

Catherine's Gate is located at Strada Poarta Șchei, at the Șchei end, Brașov, Brașov County. By car: Brașov is ~170 km from Bucharest on the DN1 (~3 hours, longer at weekends through the Prahova Valley), ~145 km from Sibiu on the DN1 via Făgăraș (~2h30) and ~270 km from Cluj-Napoca (A3 to Târgu Mureș, then DN13, ~4 hours). Driving in the historic centre is slow; leave the car in a car park on its edge. Catherine's Gate is ~450 m south-west of Piața Sfatului: walk to the end of Strada Poarta Șchei (~7 minutes); the tower is on the right, just before Șchei Gate. Public transport: Brașov railway station has direct trains from Bucharest (~2h30–3 hours), Sibiu and Cluj and is ~3 km from the centre; bus 4 takes ~15 minutes to Livada Poștei / Piața Sfatului, from where it is a ~10-minute walk.

**When is the best time to visit Catherine's Gate?**

The best season for Catherine's Gate: All year round (all year, lovely in winter too).

## Nearby attractions

- [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.
- [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.
- [The Black Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-neagra) — Monasteries and 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.
- [Weavers' Bastion](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-tesatorilor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · 10 lei · 45 min · 0 km
  The best-preserved bastion of Brașov's city walls, built by the weavers' guild in the 15th and 16th centuries, with timber galleries on four levels and a model of the medieval 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.
- [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.

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Last updated: 8 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania