Rasnov is one of those places that will stimulate your imagination with the beautiful setting and the stories from medieval times, when the Romanian lands were bruised by the invaders.

We visited it on the 1st of May. But we almost missed the place! We had spent the weekend near Bran area, but because it had been raining all night long, the first plan was to go back straight to Bucharest. However, the late morning got some warm rays of sun and that changed our minds. I’m sooo glad that happened!!!

How to get up there, to the fortress?

You can go by car only to the base of the hill but there are other better options to get to the fortress.

By foot. Don’t be scared by a little bit of body movement. The road is not too long and in 10-15 minutes you get to the top without a great deal of effort.

The little Transylvania train. It is a small tourist train that takes you from the parking place, on a stone paved road, to the gate of the citadel.

The panoramic elevator. Opened in 2015, it is the most rapid way to get to the top. The cost is 12 Romanian Lei (3 EUR) for a round trip.

The main parking lot can get full on weekends but there is also a new parking place under the central square of Rasnov town, right in front of the House of Culture.  And it’s actually from the backyard of the House of Culture that you get to the panoramic elevator.

Because we did not have too much time, we opted for the elevator. While going up, the view became more an more beautiful.

Rasnov, back to medieval times

In the early 13th century, the land was invaded by tatars and the small village of Rasnov was damaged entirely. The remaining people decided to build a fortress that would keep them safe in times of war. It was raised on top of the hill behind the village, becoming the refuge for many municipalities in the nearby area. In all its lifetime, it was only conquered once, in the 17th century.

The amazing scenery

CN Traveler mentioned it as one of the top 10 most beautiful snow castles in the world.

Rasnov is located 650 feet above its namesake town, where it served as a fortress as far back as 1331. Rasnov wasn’t just built for military purposes, however: originally comprising houses, a school, and a chapel, the fortress was intended as a place of refuge for lengthy periods of time.

But let me tell you, the citadel and the surrounding area are beautiful in every season. At the beginning of May, the forest is thick and green and the faraway farming fields are like a multicolored patchwork: different shades of green mixed with the bright yellow from the rapeseed fields and then the Carpathian mountains raising far away, behind all of this.

We were delighted at the sight of all this beauty!

Behind the walls

A small world is protected by the one meter thick walls: the old workshops, small houses, an Evangelic chapel and what used to be a school can still be seen today.

You can also go to …

Dino Park, opened last year in the forest near the fortress, is one of the biggest thematic parks in eastern Europe. You step back in prehistory times, when the dinosaurs were the rulers of the world. People of all ages, but mostly the young ones enjoy observing the real sized dinosaurs.

The town of Rasnov is also a nice walk that will not require much of your time. The main square called Unirii square and the main boulevard are the most notable. There is also a small park, called Promenade of Sissi, where there is a nice restaurant, but it is not a must see in our opinion.

01 Mai 2017