July 2022

We had already failed to settle somewhere cheap and meditate for a month, so we continued our trip. We left Deva and we were going to Brașov. We booked a reasonably priced accommodation in the old town for two weeks.

In the middle of the day we reached Fagaras and decided to stop for a quick lunch. Navigation app bravely led us into one-way streets in the old city and got lost somewhere near the agricultural market. There was a parking lot, so it was not bad after all. The parking attendant gave us a ticket and we went to a restaurant. We passed by the cathedral (Catedrala Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul) we saw from the road (it is really hard to miss the shining domes) and noticed an old fortress. We could not miss one!

The stone fortress was built in 1310 replacing the wooden fortress which was burnt. By the 17th century it was rebuilt and enlarged to create a square castle surrounded by two rows of walls with five towers. The space between the walls was filled with earth. As a result the fortress had an eight-meter thick wall and became one of the strongest fortifications in Transylvania.

Apparently, some works are still in progress.

Now it is open for visitors for a very affordable fee (adults – 20 RON; pupils, students, retirees – 10 RON; children under 7 years old, people with disabilities and their companions – free).

Of course, there is something about torture, and there are mysterious restricted areas.

There is a large museum in the castle (for a separate fee). The exhibition includes weapons, clothes, books and other artefacts from different ages. 

Some local guy heard us talking in English and added some comments on the items we were discussing. Then he accompanied us in other rooms providing detailed information on some of the exhibits. We moved to a side room, however, the guy did not follow us. We know that jokes about vampires in Transylvania are lame, but the room was full of large mirrors.

We did not take photos in the museum, just these wooden cannons and a couple of Romanian style icons. The exposition is worth viewing with your own eyes! And don’t forget to recharge your smartphone.

When we returned to our car it was pouring rain. We tried to find the parking attendant to pay, but he was not around and his booth was locked. God knows we wanted to pay.