History of Alba Iulia Fortress

One of the biggest fortifications of its kind in Europe, the fortress – sometimes called the Alba Iulia Citadel or the Alba Carolina Fortress – protects the city centre. Inside are some of the most important civic buildings of Alba Iulia, including the cathedral, university, and the remains of the Roman legionary camp.

Built from around 1716 to 1735, the Alba Iulia Fortress was part of a fortification system created by Prince Eugene of Savoy designed to ensure the defences of the newly conquered provinces of the Hapsburg Empire. It thus served as a military centre between the 18th and 19th centuries.

Over 20,000 Romanian peasants as well as several Italian workers and artisans worked on the construction of the fortress. The walls measure three metres at the base and are 1.2m wide at the top. In total these massive battlements have a perimeter of 12km, and form a seven-point star shape with seven bastions and six imposing gates, which are in themselves impressive architectural sites to explore.

Alba Iulia Fortress Today

Today, The Alba Iulia Fortress is one of the main attractions in the area. One of the main attractions of the site is the Guard Change of the Citadel, which takes place at midday every day during tourist season, and sometimes twice a day at weekends. The guards are dressed in uniforms specific to the 18th century.

Every year, on December 1st, the Romanian people celebrate their National Day at the Alba Iulia Fortress. The fortress is very accessible from Cluj-Napoca, and you can explore it through different tours and day trips.

Getting to Alba Iulia Fortress

From the centre of Alba Iulia, the fortress is a scenic 18 minute walk via Strada Ardealului/DN1 and Str. Mihai Viteazul. By car, it is a 5 minute drive via the Calea Moților/DN74, Strada Aurel Vlaicu and Strada Unirii roads. There are a number of public transport options which stop at the Platoul romanilor (Platou) road.

History of Bran Castle

Built on the orders of King Louis I of Hungary, Bran Castle was completed in just a few years around 1377. It served as an important strategic stronghold in an area which was often involved in local and regional conflicts. Frequently garrisoned by mercenaries, one interesting note Târnava mentions brigades of “English ballista men” serving at the castle.

The castle was modified a number of times over the centuries, and was occasionally a focal point in the conflicts of the region – most notably in 1442 when it withstood a siege from Ottoman forces. It also served as an important trading and customs post, generating significant income for the local towns. Over time, the military importance of Bran Castle diminished and it became an important political centre and residence.

In 1920, Bran Castle became an official palace of the Romanian Royal Family, and the famous Queen Maria played an important role in its restoration, development and décor – as she did with many of the royal residences at the time.

In terms of its links to Dracula, Bran Castle doesn’t seem to be an obvious choice. While the figure upon which the vampire is loosely based Vlad Tepes (or Vlad the Impaler) was a prisoner of Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus here for about two months in 1462 there is little more that connects them. Indeed, according to the account on the official website, it was American tourists in the 1970s and 1980s who established the link, due to the castle’s location and exterior design.

However it happened, the myth has superseded the reality, and today as well as exploring the castle’s exterior and stately interior, tourists have to navigate a sea of pointed-toothed merchandise.

Bran Castle today

Bran Castle is extremely atmospheric – and whilst its links to Dracula are best known, Queen Maria gets just as much airtime in the castle’s displays and stories. The castle is open year-round (closed Mondays), with shorter hours during the winter. Come at Halloween for the extensive and ghoulish programme of events and tours. The views from the castle across the surrounding landscape are glorious, particularly in summer.

Getting to Bran Castle

Bran itself is a tiny village 30km south west of Brasov – you’ll need to drive via the DN1 and DN73 to get here. Public transport options are non-existent.

History of Bucharest Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

In 1923, it was decided to choose one of the fallen soldiers to represent all of those who had sacrificed their lives during war. A child whose father had died on the front in 1917 was chosen to select 10 unidentified soldiers to be exhumed and laid to rest in oak coffins, doubled with zinc, to rest inside the ‘Assumption of Mary’ Church in Marasesti. 

At the ceremony to bury the 10 coffins, the same child knelt in front of the fourth coffin lined up and said ‘this is my father.’ As a result, the Unknown Soldier’s Coffin was placed on a processional train, adorned in full Romanian Tricolor, and was greeted by King Ferdinand, State Officials, and an honour guard.

After an extensive procession and being laid in state for the public to pay their last respects, the coffin was laid to rest inside a crypt in Carol Park with full military honours, and in the presence of the Royal family, Government, and members of Parliament.

Controversially, one night in December 1958, the Unknown Soldier crypt was very secretly dismantled and moved to the Marasesti Mausoleum by the Communist regime to make room for the Mausoleum of the Communist Heroes, where several leaders of the party were later buried.

After the fall of the regime in 1991, the Tomb was moved close to its original site in Carol Park. In 2007, the tomb was moved even closer to its original 1923 location, next to the Communist mausoleum.

Bucharest Tomb of the Unknown Soldier today

The Tomb is a popular and sombre tourist attraction, with frequent changing of the guard displays consistently drawing a crowd. The area is considered a sacred one, and bicycles, roller skates, scooters, prams and so on are banned from the area. The tomb borders the picturesque Carol Park which features a French Garden, historical monuments, and a lake. 

Getting to The Bucharest Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Tomb is a 22 minute walk and a 6 minute drive through the scenic centre of Bucharest. It is on the edge of Carol Park, a picturesque park

Endless Column Complex history

The work of Constantin Brâncuși (1876-1957), the ensemble is considered to be a masterpiece of art and engineering and is hailed as one of the great works of 20th century sculpture.

The monument was commissioned by the National League of Gorj Women in 1935 to honour the soldiers who defended Târgu Jiu in 1916 from the forces of the Quadruple alliance during World War One. Brâncuși was living in Paris at the time but embraced the opportunity to create a large commemorative sculpture in his homeland. He was so moved by the commission that he refused to receive payment for it. Construction was completed in 1938.

Despite the ensemble’s artistic importance, it was considered unfavourably during the Communist era. An attempt to pull down the column which ultimately failed left it tilted and cracked, exposing the interior of the structure to the elements. The ensemble was subsequently poorly maintained for years. In the 1970s development proposals threatened the sculptures yet ultimately preservationists were successful and the area was conserved as an open air museum.

By the mid 1990s the monuments were in desperate need of action to preserve them but there was a lack of consensus as to how this restoration project should be approached. The collection was included on the World Monuments Watch in 1996 and 1998 to focus attention on the deterioration of the sculptures and surrounding parks. Support was secured from a variety of sources and by 2004, the columns, visitors centre and surrounding area had been renovated.

Endless Column Complex today

Marking the location along the River Jiu where soldiers lost their lives, the collection’s structure suggests the journey from this life to the next. Visitors can behold the sculptors from the parks and walk between them. The scene is particularly striking around sundown when the sculpture is lit. The column has become a kind of cultural motif. An image of the artist and sculpture featured on a banknote in January 1991 and again in 1992.

Getting to the Endless Column Complex

A must see in Târgu Jiu, The Endless Column, is located in the Column Park at the eastern end of Calea Eroilor. It is around a 20 minute walk to the other pieces in the central park. There is free parking nearby and it is around half an hour drive from Vicele International Airport.

History of Fagaras Fortress

The fortress was built in 1310 on the site of a 12th century wooden fortress which was burnt by the Tartars in 1241. It was later enlarged between the 15th and 17th centuries to create a square castle surrounded by a further thick curtain wall with five towers. After this, it was considered to be one of the strongest fortifications in Transylvania.

Fagaras Fortress boasts three floors and five towers, and also has a moat which could easily be filled with water from a nearby mountain brook during times of conflict or unrest.

Over the course of its existence, Fagaras Fortress has served as a residence for various princes and their families. This is reflected in later building works, with much of it being carried out during the reigns of Transylvanian Princes Gabriel Bethlen and György Rákóczi I. Bethlen in particular was instrumental in the Italian Renaissance style being adopted at the fortress, bringing architects and glassmakers from Italy to rebuild it while bestowing it with elegance and beauty.

György Rákóczi I doubled the castle’s fortifications, enlarging the moat, having the bastions bridged and covered, the moat paved with stones, the bridge and casemates repaired, and a guardhouse built.

Records indicate that the fortress would have had a luxurious interior during the 17th century. Sadly, little of this grandeur remains, as it was converted into a military garrison in the 18th century which necessitated removing its beautiful furniture and decoration.

In the 1950’s, during the communist era, Fagaras Fortress became a prison for political dissidents, and it is estimated that around 5,000 people were detained there, of which many died due to torture, starvation, and the cold. Between 1965 and 1977, restoration work was carried out.

Fagaras Fortress Today

Today, Fagaras Fortress serves as the Fagaras County Museum, exhibiting an array of objects ranging from Roman artefacts to medieval weapons. Exhibitions within the museum also focus on the surrounding area’s heritage, with a collection of folk crafts being a particular highlight, along with a stunning collection of icons painted on glass.

Getting to Fagaras Fortress

From the centre of Transylvania, Fagaras Fortress is reachable in around an hour to an hour and a half by car via the DN1S road. From the centre of Fagaras, the fortress is reachable in around 10 minutes via Strada Iazul Morii by foot, or 2 minutes via the same route by car.

History of Histria

Histra was once a harbour, first occupied by the Ancient Greeks in 675 BC. Under the Greeks, it flourished into a centre of trade, specialising in ceramics, glass and metals. The earliest Romanian currency, the 8g silver Drachma, was first issued in Histria in circa 480 BC.

Over the centuries, Histria was invaded numerous times, including twice by the Romans and it served as both a Roman and Byzantine settlement. The city was inhabited uninterruptedly for more than 1,300 years across 5 distinct historical periods: Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Early Roman, and Late Roman. Like other colonies, Histria was built of two different units, each surrounded by its own precincts.

On the western plateau was the civil settlement, also the largest inhabited area, surrounded by the oldest identified fortified lines. Only in the seventh century was Histria destroyed by enemy forces.

Histria today

This rich yet turbulent history has endowed Histria with a wealth of sites and monuments such as temples to Aphrodite and Zeus as well as Roman baths. Visitors can walk around the site with relative freedom, looking at its fascinating collection of remaining walls, columns and structures.

The archaeological excavations began at Histria only 100 years ago and still continue today. Visitors can admire the discoveries of this archaeological work by visiting the museum of Histria which houses a display of finds from the site ranging from inscriptions, jewellery and coins, sculptures and ceramics to tools and weapons.

Getting to Histria

Getting to Histria is difficult without private transport. Buses depart from Constanţa’s northern bus station, but the 4km hike to the museum complex from the stop puts many people off and taxis are hard to find here. Travelling by car is advised.

History of Hunedoara Castle

The castle is one of the Seven Wonders of Romania. Hunedoara Castle was first laid out in 1446 and was built during the mid 15th century by military leader and Transylvania’s ‘voivode’ Iancu de Hunedoara, who constructed the tall structure over the remains of a keep.

Hunedoara Castle is split into 3 large areas: The Knight’s Hall, the Diet Hall, and the circular stairways. Each of these areas is surrounded by both circular and rectangular towers which were used for defence and as a prison.

It was one of Iancu de Hunedoara’s most important properties, becoming a resplendent home rather than a strategically enforced point alone.

An imposing structure, the castle is characterised by its tall towers, bastions, inner courtyard, diversely coloured roofs, and many windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings.

After Iancu de Hunedoara died, the castle fell into swift decline. It was not until the 17th century that there was interest in restoring the castle. Architects were allowed to imagine how a fairy-tale gothic castle might look, which accounts for its fanciful and dramatic design.

Several monarchs lived in Hunedoara Castle, including Matthew Corvin, Ioan Corvin and Gabriel Bethlen. There is also legend that Vlad the Impaler spent seven years in the dungeons of Corvin Castle, which eventually led to him going mad.

Hunedoara Castle Today

Today Hunedoara Castle is open to the public. One of its most impressive internal features is its Knight Hall, which now houses a weaponry exhibit. Hunedoara Castle has a number of collections, ranging in theme from the archaeological to the medieval. It also offers a fascinating insight into medieval Romanian defensive architecture.

The castle is open daily, with tickets costing around £5.

Getting to Hunedoara Castle

From the centre of Hunedoara, Hunedoara Castle is an 8-10 minute drive via Bulevardul Traian and DJ687J and Bulevardul Dacia.