Castles & fortresses
Stone citadels on hilltops, manor castles in Transylvania and medieval towers and gates. Each one comes with its history, curiosities, a map and tours nearby.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
25 places
Alba Iulia Fortress
Alba Iulia · star-shaped Vauban citadel on Roman foundations
Bálványos Castle
Covasna · hilltop ruin of legends near Turia
Black Tower, Brașov
Brașov · rock-top lookout blackened by lightning
Bonțida Bánffy Castle
Bonțida · Baroque “Versailles of Transylvania”
Câlnic Fortress
Alba · double-walled Saxon refuge with a museum keep
Cantacuzino Castle
Bușteni · Neo-Romanian palace seen in Netflix’s Wednesday
Catherine’s Gate
Brașov · Renaissance gate tower with four corner turrets
Chindia Tower
Târgoviște · 27 m watchtower of the Wallachian princes
Clock Tower of Giurgiu
Giurgiu · Ottoman watchtower turned clock tower
Clock Tower of Sighișoara
Sighișoara · gate tower with a figure clock and a museum
Council Tower of Sibiu
Sibiu · iconic gate tower between two squares, with views
Făgăraș Citadel
Făgăraș · moated fortress and princely seat
Fortress of Arad
Arad · six-bastion Habsburg star fortress
Fortress of Deva
Hunedoara · ruined citadel on a volcanic hill
Kemény Castle in Brâncovenești
Mureș · Renaissance castle built on Roman remains
Mikó Castle
Miercurea Ciuc · Székely fortress now a museum
Poenari Castle
Argeș · clifftop ruin linked to Vlad the Impaler
Râșnov Citadel
Brașov County · peasant fortress with a legendary well
Rupea Citadel
Brașov County · spiral fortress on a basalt cliff
Șchei Gate
Brașov · the only city gate to survive intact
Seat Fortress of Suceava
Suceava · princely citadel of Stephen the Great
Șimleu Silvaniei Fort
Sălaj · ruined ancestral castle of the Báthory family
Stephen’s Tower
Baia Mare · medieval bell tower with city views
Sturdza Palace
Miclăușeni · neo-Gothic castle with an English park
Turnu Fortress
Teleorman · medieval Danube fortress, once Little Nicopolis