Romania Road Trip: the Land of Castles

24 Sep Romania Road Trip: the Land of Castles

Romania is home to more than a dozen castles and fortresses that you can visit. And with so many varying styles and historical significance, you should strive to visit more than one castle!

During our six-day Transylvania road trip, we visited three of the region’s most popular castles.

Castle Watch

Catatea Poenari (Poenari Castle)

Poenari Castle is also known as Poenari Citadel or Fortress. It was the real home of Vlad III (Vlad Draculea), Prince of Wallachia, which is now southern Romania. You may know him by his nickname, “Vlad the Impaler” (“Vlad Tepes” in Romanian) due to his preferred method of execution for his Ottoman enemies, impalement. The 13th & 15th-century ruins lie at the top of a steep cliff which looks out onto the entire mountain valley.

 

The climb up was 1,480 steps or approximately 77 flights according to my Fitbit. By the time we made the round trip, my legs were shaking. It’s mind-boggling to imagine how forces attacked this fortress or how Vlad’s small crew kept it stocked with food. Back then they didn’t have zig-zag walkways, just steep, thick forest and a castle defense for when you arrive.

 

A few helpful planning tips for visiting Poenari Fortress:

It’s about a 2.25-hour, 112-mile drive from Bucharest. The fortress is closest to the city of Curtea de Arges (17 miles) and it’s located at one end of Route # 7C – the TransFagarasan scenic road.

The fortress is open in the summer time, 7 days a week from 9 am – 6 pm (18:00). Admission is 5 LEI.

The climb is not a breeze, but part of the adventure! Wear comfortable shoes, bring a small backpack with water and maybe even a snack to replenish energy for the way down.

At the end of the climb, there is an entrance gate where you pay the 5 LEI entry fee to walk across the drawbridge to the fortress. I don’t recall there being a credit card machine so make sure you have the cash before you make that climb.

Here’s the official website

Castelul Corvinilor (Corvin Castle)

Corvin Castle, which is also known as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle, is in the Gothic style and dates back to the mid-14th century, with upgrades to the structure and grounds added through the 17th century. Upon crossing the drawbridge into the castle grounds, you’ll be impressed with how large the complex is. We spent about 1.5 hours walking the site, visiting dozens of chamber rooms, a Knight’s Hall, a chapel, an inner courtyard, several towers, circular stairways, a jail cell and torture rooms (which were unpleasantly interesting to see). We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of this breathtaking castle. The long history and chilling narration of slave labor and prisoner treatment in the audio guide, paint a vivid picture of what life was like in the castle.

 

Romania named it one of the country’s top 7 Wonders, so it’s quite popular. Try to arrive right when it opens. We arrived about 45 minutes after it opened on a Saturday, and we were already greeted by a crowd, but luckily no line to get tickets. While we were here, large tour groups began pouring in, making for some cramped stairwells. And upon departing, there was a long line waiting to enter.

A few helpful planning tips for visiting Corvin Castle:

The castle is on the outskirts of the town, Hunedoara. It is an industrial town that thrived during the Iron Curtain period. There is not much to see outside of the castle, but it is worth getting a glimpse of it at night. Therefore, I would recommend arriving early evening, having a casual dinner, seeing the castle lit up against the dark sky and going to bed early so you can be one of the first in line to enter the next morning. Alternatively, nearby towns Deva (11 miles) and Alba Iulia (50 miles) are a bit larger if you prefer to stay there.

The castle is open seven days a week, Tuesday-Sunday from 9 – 20:30 (8:30 pm) and 10:30 – 20:30 on Mondays. These hours have been extended since our visit when the castle closed at 19:00 – which might help with the volume and flow of visitors throughout the day.

Prices vary by season, for Adults, it’s 30 LEI in the summer months, 25 LEI in the shoulder months and 20 LEI in the winter months. The Audio Guide is a great addition, and very affordable at roughly 6 LEI.

Check out the official site for more details.

Note: I had a terrible allergy attack while visiting the castle. I attribute it to possible mustiness/mold. If you’re prone to these types of allergic reactions, then I would suggest taking an allergy pill beforehand and having a decongestant on you if you go into allergic overdrive.

Castelul Bran (Bran Castle)

Bran Castle is sometimes referred to as the ‘Dracula’ castle because there’s rumor it influenced Bram Stocker’s Dracula. The castle was most recently the residence of Queen Maria of Romania in the 1920 and 30s. For that reason, it’s quite well preserved with a beautiful interior design, including carved antique furniture, chests, and bear skin rugs. The national monument also has artifacts such as the royal crown, historical shields, and armor.

 

A few helpful planning tips for visiting Bran Castle:

The nearest town is Brasov, roughly 18 miles away. We took a half day trip from Brasov and were able to find parking in a nearby paid lot.

The castle is open seven days a week with shorter hours on Mondays. April 1 – September 30 is high season and the castle hours areTue-Sun 9 am – 6 pm (18:00) and Monday 12 pm – 6pm (18:00). In low season, the close time becomes 4 pm (16:00).

Admission is 35 LEI for Adults, 25 LEI for seniors and 20 LEI for students.

Here’s the official website

 

Return to the Romania Road Trip post or read about the points of interest by clicking on the below categories:

 

 

Historic Towns

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scenic Drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Are you a huge fan of castles and fortresses? If so, what’s been your favorite, regardless of which country it’s in?

Leave a comment!

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