Deva Fortress

The Deva citadel was built at the half of the 13th century on the Cetatii hill, a volcanic neck with a height of 378 meters, on fortifications dating from ancient times.

Being an important object in the defense of Transylvania, the Deva fortress rises over the city bearing the same name. Legends surrounding this construction, made foreigners curious over time. Initially home to hospodars of Transylvania, the bastion is made into garrison during the 17th century. Later on, in 1849 the citadel meets the end of its glory days when the gun powder storehouse explodes.

Recently restored, the fortress allows its visitors to enjoy the beautiful panoramas over the city, but over the Mures Valley as well, whilst telling its story within the bastion’s rooms, on the paved alleys and in the interior court.

One of the colorful legends say that this fortress is connected to two other fortresses, Uroi and Colt citadel, through a bridge, fortresses all built by fairies with gold hair. Another legend tells us that the tunnels underneath the citadel lead to another castle, the Corvinilor castle, from Hunedoara, also in the Transylvanian region - highly known for the castles & fortresses tours.

If you feel like making your time worthwhile during your trip here, you can always choose to cover the journey by feet. You can of course choose the alternative, and climb to the tower with the cable car, which is the only angled lift in Romania.

When you get up the hill, you still need to navigate a few more steps to enter the citadel’s ruins and view Francis David’s memorial, whose statement inspired many and still does today: “We need not think alike to love alike”.

If you still feel the need to satisfy your thirst to visit, you can also stop by the Magna Curia Palace, which can be found at the foot of the Fortress Hill (Cetatii hill), which is a Renaissance style structure built in 1621. The palace now houses the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilizations (read more about it here).

While still in Deva, if you have the time, go visit as well the Art Theater where you can find Deva’s finest examples of Secession Viennese architecture. Here you can see weekly shows with only few known actors that succeed to surprise everyone. Read more here.

You can have yourself a well deserved break afterwards at the “Cafeneaua Veche” coffee shop (find out more here), or at the many other restaurants nearby.