Poienari Fortress - Vlad the Impaler's real fortress
Obiectiv turistic
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About
In the Upper Argeș Valley, in the commune of Arefu, in the village of Căpățânenii Pământeni, on the peak of Mount Cetățuia, stands Poienari Fortress, carved into the rock at an altitude of 850 meters. Also known as Vlad Țepeș's Fortress or Negru Vodă's Fortress, Poienari Fortress is a charming medieval fortress located on a mountain top, 25 kilometers from Curtea de Argeș.
Poienari Fortress was first mentioned in documents in 1453. Initially, during the time of Negru Vodă, only one tower was built. Later, Vlad Țepeș expanded the construction to serve as a refuge, adding towers, walls, and outbuildings. Poienari Fortress was Vlad Țepeș's secondary residence, built as a fortress against the Ottomans.
The fortress has an elongated shape, strong walls (2-3 meters thick) and five towers, four of which are round and one prismatic. Over time, the fortress had a complex use, serving as a place of shelter for the princes, the country's treasury, but also as a prison for boyars guilty of "hiclenie" (treason).
Poienari Fortress can be reached by climbing a concrete staircase with 1,480 steps, which winds through a dense beech forest. The view from the top is impressive and will fully reward your effort. Once you have climbed the 1,480 steps built up to the top of the hill, you can admire the beautiful views of the Argeș Valley and the Făgăraș Mountains from the height of the fortress.
The landscape is complemented by the spectacular Transfăgărășan road, the dam, and Lake Vidraru, located nearby.
The exceptional personality of Țepeș sparked the imagination of authors of novels, sketches, short stories, plays, and screenplays. It was also the source of inspiration for the writer Jules Verne in composing the novel "The Castle in the Carpathians," inspired by the legends about the mysterious fortress of Prince Vlad Țepeș.
Known as Vlad Dracul's Fortress, Poienari Fortress has attracted renowned television stations over time. Journalists from Romania and abroad have made documentaries about the real life of Vlad Țepeș, fascinated by the legends surrounding the prince who brought Romania fame as the land of Dracula.
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Poienari Fortress was first mentioned in documents in 1453. Initially, during the time of Negru Vodă, only one tower was built. Later, Vlad Țepeș expanded the construction to serve as a refuge, adding towers, walls, and outbuildings. Poienari Fortress was Vlad Țepeș's secondary residence, built as a fortress against the Ottomans.
The fortress has an elongated shape, strong walls (2-3 meters thick) and five towers, four of which are round and one prismatic. Over time, the fortress had a complex use, serving as a place of shelter for the princes, the country's treasury, but also as a prison for boyars guilty of "hiclenie" (treason).
Poienari Fortress can be reached by climbing a concrete staircase with 1,480 steps, which winds through a dense beech forest. The view from the top is impressive and will fully reward your effort. Once you have climbed the 1,480 steps built up to the top of the hill, you can admire the beautiful views of the Argeș Valley and the Făgăraș Mountains from the height of the fortress.
The landscape is complemented by the spectacular Transfăgărășan road, the dam, and Lake Vidraru, located nearby.
The exceptional personality of Țepeș sparked the imagination of authors of novels, sketches, short stories, plays, and screenplays. It was also the source of inspiration for the writer Jules Verne in composing the novel "The Castle in the Carpathians," inspired by the legends about the mysterious fortress of Prince Vlad Țepeș.
Known as Vlad Dracul's Fortress, Poienari Fortress has attracted renowned television stations over time. Journalists from Romania and abroad have made documentaries about the real life of Vlad Țepeș, fascinated by the legends surrounding the prince who brought Romania fame as the land of Dracula.
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Useful information:
Address: Argeș County, Arefu Commune, DN 7C - Transfăgărășan, 27 km from Curtea de Argeș.
Address: Argeș County, Arefu Commune, DN 7C - Transfăgărășan, 27 km from Curtea de Argeș.
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Access to Poienari Fortress is for organized groups only, at fixed times according to the following schedule:
9:00 a.m. / 11:00 a.m. / 1:00 p.m. / last ascent at 3:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. / 11:00 a.m. / 1:00 p.m. / last ascent at 3:00 p.m.
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The entrance ticket price is 30 lei for adults and 20 lei for pupils, students, and pensioners. Tickets can be purchased both physically, at the fortress, and online, using the tourist card - ARGES TOURIST PASS: https://www.romanian-adventures.ro/oferte/arges-tourist-pass.
Virtual tour:
https://mpembed.com/show/?m=y7MrKPwdpPu&mpu=1703&%20fbclid=IwY2xjawGZMTxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaduvqobxqsDsgBv5LebrM_nl_vfjsIQ2lMMBLWYBwigLarQ4p0dJ98qaw_aem_uOnfJ0HSZ2DZEgHSzVTNmQ
https://mpembed.com/show/?m=y7MrKPwdpPu&mpu=1703&%20fbclid=IwY2xjawGZMTxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaduvqobxqsDsgBv5LebrM_nl_vfjsIQ2lMMBLWYBwigLarQ4p0dJ98qaw_aem_uOnfJ0HSZ2DZEgHSzVTNmQ
Poienari Fortress is administered by the Argeș County Museum, an institution funded by and subordinate to the Argeș County Council. For more information about Poienari Fortress, visit the Argeș County Museum website.
