Located in the centre of Romania, Brasov is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is one of the most important urban settlements in Transylvania. It is one of the biggest Romanian cities, with a population of over 300,000 inhabitants. The name derives from the Pecheneg word "barasu", meaning fortress. There was also a Romanian citadel on the Tampa hill named "Brassovia" that gave the name of the city. Its German name, Kronstadt, means "Crown City". For a short period, between 1951 and 1961, Brasov became known as 'Stalin City' ("Orasul Stalin" in Romanian). Brasov is first mentioned in a document dating from 1252 as "Terra Saxonum de Barasu".
