Făgăraș Citadel

Făgăraș is unusual among Romanian fortresses in being neither a hilltop ruin nor a romantic castle but a heavy, low, water-defended fortification standing in the middle of a town, its moat still filled. Begun in the fourteenth century in wood and rebuilt in brick and stone over the following three hundred years, it became the seat of the princes of Transylvania and was repeatedly strengthened with bastions and casemates as artillery improved. It was never taken by assault. Under communism it served as a prison, which is part of its history and is treated in the museum inside. Today the fortress holds the county museum, with collections of local history, weaponry and Transylvanian furniture, and the courtyard is used for events. The moat circuit makes an easy walk and the reflection of the walls in the water is the standard photograph.

What you actually see

• The filled moat - water still surrounding the walls, with a bridge to the gate.
• Bastions and courtyard - the artillery-era defences and the inner court.
• The museum - local history, arms and period interiors in the ranges.
• The moat walk - a short circuit with the classic reflected view.

When to go

Year-round; the museum keeps regular hours and closes one day a week. Summer evenings bring events in the courtyard. Winter with snow and ice on the moat is atmospheric and very quiet.

Honest expectations

The museum is conventional and its labelling is mostly Romanian, so foreign visitors get less from the interiors than from the fortress itself. The building is squat and functional rather than picturesque, and anyone expecting a fairytale castle will be disappointed. The town around it is unremarkable. An hour or two covers everything.

Nearby

Sâmbăta de Sus monastery and the Făgăraș mountains rise to the south.