Poenari Citadel

Poenari sits on a rock spur above the Argeș gorge, a long thin ruin shaped by the ridge it occupies, with towers at either end and a drop on both sides. A first castle stood here from around the start of the thirteenth century and became a main citadel of the Basarab dynasty in the fourteenth; it fell into ruin and was rebuilt in 1459 by Vlad III of Wallachia, who used it as a stronghold guarding the mountain route; the association with him is the reason most visitors make the climb, and it has a far better claim to that connection than the castle at Bran. Reaching it means the stairway: more than fourteen hundred steps zigzagging up through the forest from the road, an ascent of around two hundred metres that takes most people half an hour of hard work. At the top the ruin is small and the interest is largely in the position, with the gorge below and the Făgăraș wall behind. Access has been closed for long periods because of bear activity and rockfall.

History

An earlier castle, Castle Argeș, was raised nearby by the Wallachians near the beginning of the 13th century and became the main citadel of the Basarab dynasty in the mid-14th century, before it was abandoned. In 1459 Vlad the Impaler repaired and strengthened it as one of his main fortresses, and it is now reached by 1,480 concrete steps (Wikipedia, Poenari Castle).

The main sights

• The stairway - over fourteen hundred steps climbing through forest to the gate.
• The ridge ruin - a narrow enceinte with towers at each end.
• The gorge below - the Argeș valley and the road towards Vidraru.
• The Făgăraș backdrop - the high mountains rising north.

When to go

April to October, and check before travelling because the site closes without much notice. Early morning is coolest for the climb. The Transfăgărășan below opens only from summer to autumn, but Poenari is reachable from the south all year.

Things to know

The site has been closed repeatedly, sometimes for whole seasons, because bears use the forest around the stairway and rockfall has damaged sections; do not build a trip around it without checking. The ruin itself is modest and the climb is the main event. There is no shade on the upper steps and no water at the top.

Nearby

Vidraru dam is up the valley; Curtea de Argeș monastery lies south.

Key facts