Făgăraș Castle

Făgăraș Castle, also known as Făgăraș Citadel, is a historic monument located in Făgăraș, Brașov County, Romania.

Făgăraș Castle, by Ervin Boer, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Construction and Architecture

The construction of the fortress began in 1310 on the site of a 12th-century wooden fortification with earth ramparts.
The fortress was expanded between the 15th and 17th centuries and was considered one of the strongest fortifications in Transylvania. The castle boasts strong defensive walls and five watchtowers.

A deep moat surrounds the fortress, which could be filled with water from a nearby mountain brook during times of war or social unrest.

Historical Significance

The castle has served various purposes throughout history. In the 17th century, Prince Gabriel Bethlen modernized the fortifications, while Michael I Apafi transformed it into a princely residence due to its strengthened position.

In 1599, Michael the Brave occupied Făgăraș Citadel and sheltered his family and the royal treasure there.

In 1948, the castle was taken over by the communists and functioned as a political prison until the early 1960s. It was ideally suited for this purpose due to its high walls, barred windows, and geometric shape, which made escape practically impossible.

Present Day

After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, the castle was restored and is currently used as a museum and library.

The beautifully preserved fortress houses the Făgăraș County Museum, which displays Roman artifacts, a collection of medieval weapons, traditional folk crafts, and a beautiful collection of icons painted on glass.

Mysterious Transylvania

Gothic cemetery in Transylvania – eerie crypts and tombstones

Gothic cemetery, Transylvania

Transylvania is surrounded by densely forested mountains of the Carpathians like a huge castle created by nature. This region is home to medieval towns and unspoilt villages.

But behind this idyllic facade lies a dark secret that terrifies the locals. For Transylvania is also home to vampires, the sinister creatures of the night that feed on the blood of the living.

What sounds like fantasy and fiction is actually a real place, a region in central Romania. In the Transylvanian forests, there are secrets and magic that seem to be out of this world. Faint lights glow between the trees, eerie, whispering voices can be heard on the wind. Travellers who have ventured too deep into the forest have never been seen again…

The Gothic cemeteries full of eerie crypts and tombs may harbour the remains of undead creatures. The mysterious and magical symbols on the tombstones show the fear of the population and their attempt to block the path of the sinister, cruel beings into our world.

Nature conservation, climate protection, preservation and expansion of the original flora and fauna of Transylvania

Nature conservation and climate protection in Transylvania

Nature conservation project, Transylvania

You are supporting a special nature and animal conservation project in Transylvania. We plant native deciduous trees – original tree species such as robinia, oak and maple. We are actively committed to the protection of flora and fauna. The land for our land donations may not be used commercially.

This means that trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, herbs, mosses and fungi can develop undisturbed. At the same time, the fauna also develops with numerous different species: Insects, reptiles, amphibians as well as small mammals and birds find a safe habitat here.

The property's own spring and the stream on the property round off this habitat. They provide undisturbed access for all the fauna from the surrounding area and the opportunity to obtain fresh, clear spring and mountain water. This is particularly important during the long, hot and dry Transylvanian summers.

Roe deer, deer, foxes, wild boar, badgers, martens, frogs, toads and amphibians, small rodents and reptiles such as lizards and slow worms from the surrounding woodland areas make use of this opportunity and regularly visit the fresh water source.

This project actively contributes to the preservation and expansion of valuable ecosystems.