Black Church (Biserica Neagra), Brasov (must see)

The Black Church (Biserica Neagra) in Brasov, is one of the most beautiful Gothic monuments in Romania and the second-largest church in the country. Built from 1383 to 1477, over 600 years old, the Black Church is the city’s symbol. The stone church is the parish church of the Evangelical Lutheran community. Its name is derived from the church's walls, which turned black during a fire in 1689.

The church was built on the site of a Romanesque church, destroyed in 1241. It was originally a Roman-Catholic church dedicated to Saint Mary, the patron saint of Brasov, reflected in a fresco in the southern hall. The Protestant Reformation changed the church from Roman-Catholic to Evangelical-Lutheran in 1542.

Though the church was designed in the Gothic style, reconstruction works over the years were carried out in the Baroque architectural style. These reconstruction efforts were necessary to keep up with the growing size of parishioners and damage to the church caused by fire and earthquakes.

The Black Church has the biggest mechanical organ in the country. The Baroque organ, erected in 1839, has almost 4,000 pipes. It is one of the few Baroque organs in the world that remains in use and unchanged from its original form. The church is also known for its six-ton bronze bell, the third-largest bell in Romania.

The second-largest collection of oriental carpets in Europe is located inside the Black Church. There are 110 carpets on display, dating from the 15th century. There are no written records regarding where or when the carpets were received, but an inventory shows only 39 rugs in the church in the 1830s. It is thought that many of the rugs were bequeathed to the church after the deaths of parishioners.

Visiting the Black Church, the main city landmark, is one of the best things to do in Brasov. Its history is a faithful image of the main events that created the past of Transilvania in times of peace and war.