Râșnov Citadel

Râșnov is a peasant citadel rather than a noble castle, and the distinction shapes everything about it. Built from the thirteenth century onwards by the Saxon and local population of the Burzenland, it was designed as a place where an entire village could retreat with its livestock and grain when Tatar or Ottoman raiders came up the valley, and it held out repeatedly. Inside the walls are the remains of some thirty houses, a school, a chapel and streets, so the interior reads as a small town rather than a keep. A well nearly a hundred and fifty metres deep was sunk through the rock so the defenders could not be cut off from water, and the story attached to it, of Ottoman prisoners digging for years in exchange for freedom, is repeated everywhere though not documented. Restoration has been extensive and partly contentious, and access is now by funicular from the town.

History

The first medieval fortress is thought to date from 1211-1225, under the Teutonic Knights, and in 1335 Râșnov and Brașovia were the only fortified places in the Burzenland to hold out against a Tatar raid, the fortress's first record. It fell only once, in 1612, when attackers found the path to its secret spring, so a 146-metre well was dug in 1623-1642; the fortress was abandoned in 1850 (Wikipedia, Râșnov Fortress).

Highlights

• The inner streets - remains of the houses, chapel and school inside the walls.
• The deep well - shaft cut through the rock to secure the water supply.
• Wall walks and towers - circuits with views over the Burzenland plain.
• The funicular - the lift from the town centre to the citadel gate.

When to go

April to October for the best of it, though the citadel opens year-round. Mornings are quieter; afternoons bring coach groups doing the Bran and Râșnov circuit. Autumn gives the clearest views to the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului.

Good to know

Restoration has left parts of the interior looking new, and purists find it over-restored; some sections have been closed at times for structural work. The site is heavily commercialised, with stalls and costumed photo props. It is exposed and hot in summer with little shade. Combined with Bran on the same day it can feel like a conveyor belt.

Nearby

Bran Castle is fifteen minutes south; Zărnești and Piatra Craiului lie west.

Key facts