Strada Sforii street, also humorously called “boulevard” by the inhabitants of Brasov, is 130 centimeters wide with passages where the walls are separated by just one meter. To cross it, it is better not to be claustrophobic for example. The small Romanian street is the narrowest in Europe.
Strada Sforii street in Brasov, Romania
The street which is 83 meters long was a secret passage for the soldiers who were moving false walls in order to quickly traverse from one end to another of the city. One of the entrances to the street is located in Poarta Schei street which is the main gate of the city, so Strada Sforii was therefore used to attack enemies from behind.
According to testimony, when the soldiers who defended the city could no longer resist the attacks, they fled from the main gate to hide in Strada Sforii street and then they removed the camouflage wall and took their opponents by behind once they entered the city.
Today, Strada Sforii is a real tourist attraction and various legends are linked to this place. We say that a couple that cross the street from the beginning to the end without bickering will have a happy marriage. It is also said that if a couple has problems, it must pass the street to solve everything at the exit.
One of the customs, in order to be a happy couple, is going through the street holding hands without touching the walls. Some residents of Braşov say that we should under no circumstances touch the walls of the street for fear of being cursed by the thousands of young soldiers who died there.
Strada Sforii street is a protected monument. Each year, artists from all over Romania paint the walls of the street during an art festival.