Transylvania's "Hollywood" Signs

Located in the beautiful Saxon old towns of Brașov and Râșnov the Hollywood-esque signs proclaiming each town’s name make kitsch landmarks that feel like an appropriate homage to the repeated use of the region as a film set.

The Brașov sign is easily spotted. Located at the top of mount Tâmpa, it can be viewed from all over the old town, and can be reached by a cable car which leaves from Casa Pădurarului at the base of the mountain. From here it is a short five-minute walk along a rough path to get right behind the giant letters. The Râșnov sign by contrast is harder to reach as it is located right in front of the old citadel yet it is similarly visible from all over the city. 

Even excluding the multitude of vampire movies that are usually associated with Transylvania, the area has been home to number of big-budget American film shoots. For instance, the 2003 epic Cold Mountain was shot in surrounding fields and farmland in the Carpathian Mountains.

The similarly named towns may not have much of a film industry unto themselves, but Hollywood’s rampant use of the Transylvanian scenery easily justifies the towns’ devotional signage homages.