# Black Tower

[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 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.

**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Brașov, Brașov County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 8 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The path and the platform in front of the tower are freely accessible. We found no official opening hours for the interior: the Brașov County History Museum no longer lists the tower among its venues with visiting hours; ask at the Council House before you walk up if you want to go inside.
- **Visit duration:** 30 min — the climb and the platform
- **With kids:** Yes — sloping path and steps
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — paid central zone
- **Best season:** All year round — lovely in autumn, with the hill in colour
- **Address:** Strada După Ziduri, Brașov, Brașov County
- **Coordinates:** 45.64128, 25.58564
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tower_(Bra%C8%99ov)
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q750784
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Black Tower

The Black Tower is one of the four outer towers of Brașov's fortifications. It was built in the second half of the 15th century, around 1460, on a rocky spur on the slope of Dealul Romurilor, 31 m from the town wall and opposite the Blacksmiths' Bastion. It had two jobs: a lookout towards the hill behind it, and a defensive point that stopped attackers from slipping along beneath the walls or rolling stones down onto them. A heavy chain of about 300 kg could be lowered from it to close the gap between the rock and the wall.

The name comes from the lightning strike of 23 July 1559: the pyramidal shingle roof burned down and the walls were left blackened by smoke. The tower was also hit by the great fire of 1689 and by another lightning strike in 1696, was rebuilt in 1735 and was last used in 1756, as a shelter for the guards of the plague cordon around the town.

After its south wall collapsed in 1991, the tower was restored between 1993 and 1995: the walls were rebuilt and cleaned of soot, and a glass pyramid recalling the shape of the old roof was put on top. Ironically, today the tower is closer to white.

### What you can see

The tower has a square base, with sides of about 7 m and walls 1.7 m thick, built of stone bound with lime mortar, and rises to around 11 m. "Secolul XV" (15th century) is written in large letters on the façade. Inside are three levels for the defenders, with narrow windows on every side; the original entrance was 2 m above the ground and was reached by a movable ladder, while a drawbridge crossed the Graft channel to the town.

At the foot of the tower is a metal platform with a railing that gives one of the best views of the historic centre: the red roofs, the tower of the Council House, the Black Church and, behind them, Tâmpa. Higher up on the same hill you can see the White Tower, the other outer tower on the western side.

### Good to know

From 2001 the tower housed an exhibition on the towers of Brașov's defensive system, run by the Brașov County History Museum. As of October 2026 the museum's website no longer lists the tower among its venues and gives no opening hours or prices for it, so it is not certain that the interior is open. The path, steps and platform in front of the tower are freely accessible.

## Don't miss

- The view from the platform at the foot of the tower over the old town's roofs, the Black Church and Tâmpa.
- The glass pyramid roof, added during the 1990s restoration in the shape of the one that burned in 1559.
- The "Secolul XV" inscription and the 1.7 m thick walls, with the narrow windows of the three levels.
- The White Tower, visible higher up on the same hill, and the western town wall with the Blacksmiths' Bastion right below.

## 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. The Black Tower is ~300 m west of Piața Sfatului, outside the western town wall, behind the Black Church: walk along Strada George Barițiu to Strada După Ziduri, then climb the sloping path and the steps up to the tower (~10 minutes on foot from the square).

**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, right by the western wall, from where it is a ~5-minute walk to the tower.

### 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 and walk; you cannot drive up to the tower. In summer and at weekends the car parks fill up quickly.

### Fees & discounts

The path and the platform in front of the tower are free. The Brașov County History Museum publishes no admission price for the interior.

### Rules

The way up is a sloping path and metal steps, slippery in winter: wear comfortable shoes. The platform cannot be reached with a pushchair or a wheelchair.

### Facilities

No facilities at the tower · cafés, restaurants and toilets in the historic centre, a few minutes away

## Details

- **Construction period:** 15th century
- **State of preservation:** restored
- **Historical period:** Middle Ages
- **Civilisation:** Transylvanian Saxons

## Frequently asked questions about Black Tower

**How long does a visit to Black Tower take?**

A visit to Black Tower takes about 30 min (the climb and the platform).

**Can you visit Black Tower with kids?**

Yes, Black Tower is suitable for children (sloping path and steps).

**Where can I park at Black Tower?**

There is paid parking at Black Tower (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 and walk; you cannot drive up to the tower. In summer and at weekends the car parks fill up quickly.

**How do I get to Black Tower?**

Black Tower is located at Strada După Ziduri, 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. The Black Tower is ~300 m west of Piața Sfatului, outside the western town wall, behind the Black Church: walk along Strada George Barițiu to Strada După Ziduri, then climb the sloping path and the steps up to the tower (~10 minutes on foot from the square). 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, right by the western wall, from where it is a ~5-minute walk to the tower.

**When is the best time to visit Black Tower?**

The best season for Black Tower: All year round (lovely in autumn, with the hill in colour).

## Nearby attractions

- [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.
- [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.
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  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.
- [Council Square (Piața Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-sfatului-brasov) — Monuments and historic sites · Brașov, BV · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 0 km
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- [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.
- [Weavers' Bastion](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-tesatorilor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · 10 lei · 45 min · 1 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.

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Last updated: 8 October 2026
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