Radio România Internațional

Tag: Deva Fortress

  • Tourist Attractions in Hunedoara County

    Tourist Attractions in Hunedoara County


    One of the most important monuments of feudal Gothic art in south-eastern Europe, Corvin Castle, comes first on the list of the most popular tourist attractions in Hunedoara county. The region is also famous for the Bucura Lake, which is believed to be Romanias largest glacial lake and for Deva Fortress, one of the most important medieval fortresses in Transylvania. Tourists can benefit from several travel programmes combining visits to the most important tourist attractions in Hunedoara county.



    Today we will introduce you to a seven-day programme run by the Social and Economic Development Agency of Hunedoara County. Here is now director Camelia Bedea with more on this programme:



    “Visitors are welcome here in Hunedoara and we invite them to stay longer so that they may be able to visit the many tourist attractions that our county is home to. This seven day programme, which starts in Tara Zarandului (Land of Zarand) and ends in the Jiu Valley, allows people to visit the regions main tourist assets. They can also taste local dishes and get introduced to our beautiful customs and traditions, which have been preserved unaltered. On the first day they can visit the local history museum, the Gold Museum, the Fabric Museum in Baita and the Gold Prospectors House, all of them located in the Land of Zarand.”



    On the second day, visits can be made to the Deva Fortress, an edifice which, along the centuries, has been owned by princes, dukes and duchesses, each of them bringing their own contribution to the architecture. The building, which has been completely refurbished, was designed to be not only a fortress but also a dwelling place for the aristocracy. Lets find out more about this travel programme from Camelia Bedea:



    “On the third day we invite you to Orastie, where one can visit the local fortress, the famous Sarmizegetusa Regia, the Arsenal Park and the Mada Gorges. Our next stop is Geoagiu Bai, the regions famous spa with its treatment facilities; then we invite our tourists to visit the Roman Baths, the Clocota waterfall as well as the Stone Church of Geoagiu. The fifth day is reserved to the beautiful world-famous Corvin Castle, to the Alun Marble Village, the Prislop Monastery, the Auroch Reserve in Hateg and the Dinosaurs Geopark. Then we move southward to the old and beautiful stone church of Densus, the Malaiesti Fortress, Ulpia Traiana, Banita Gorges and the Bolii Cave. The activities planned for the seventh day include visits to the Mining Museum, horse-riding, cyclotourism and paragliding in the regions mountainous part, which is also famous for its ski slopes very popular in winter.”



    Maia Tonde is the representative of Romanias largest theme park, the Arsenal Park, located in Orastie, Hunedoara County. Here is Maia Tonde herself, giving us details about the park:



    “The Arsenal Park is actually an experience, quite unique in Romania. It has been developed for families and team-building activities, and here everybody can have fun and relax. At the beginning of each year, the park is closed for three months, for maintenance works, but otherwise, we have an all-year-round season. It very much resembles military training, yet it is an open-for-everybody program, tailored for people who are active or not so active. It is well worth having the experience of a stay in an armored amphibious vehicle theme room for instance. It is something very special. We have carefully thought-out packages on offer. We even created a unique holiday-sharing package. For instance, two families can share a holiday.”



    Another major tourist attraction in the area, the Dinosaurs Geopark, covers the entire Hateg Land and is a UNESCO site and part of the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme. The programme covers some 100 territories in 33 countries, chosen following a formal selection and validation process, which are included in the Global Geoparks Network. The dwarf dinosaurs discovered in Hateg Country are unique around the word, and their scientific relevance and the fact that they make an attraction point are enhanced by discoveries of dinosaur eggs and embryos. Once a year during summer, the destination is promoted through a family-tailored event: Volcanoes Day. The event consists of workshops, games, contests, tailored for parents, children and grandparents, and all that happens in the town of Hateg.



    The most important tourist asset of the county, however, is Corvin Castle, which is also the host of an international event, the European Castles Fair, an event that will see its 5th edition in 2019. Here is castle guide Ioan Bodochi, offering us a brief description of the castle:



    “If we enter the castle through the inner courtyard, we can see the neo-Gothic gallery. It is a rather recent construction, completed in the second half of the 19th century. From there, we have Loga Matia. This is the first construction with elements of the early Italian renaissance style in Transylvania. Fortunately, on the upper floor, Transylvanias only lay Renaissance fresco has been preserved. Also in the courtyard, we can notice, apart from the open-vault cloister, the old and quite large semicircular entrance. Next to it there stands the administrative wing. From the courtyard, if we walk inside the castle, first we can visit the Mercenaries Kitchen, which hosts an exhibition of old engravings and images of the castle as well as an original scale model, built in 1866.”



    So here we have a complex destination, available for all types of tourism and where accommodation offers are numerous. Usually, travel agents suggest you get accommodation at the heart of the county, where from one can reach all natural and historical assets.




  • Tourist Attractions in Hunedoara County

    Tourist Attractions in Hunedoara County


    One of the most important monuments of feudal Gothic art in south-eastern Europe, Corvin Castle, comes first on the list of the most popular tourist attractions in Hunedoara county. The region is also famous for the Bucura Lake, which is believed to be Romanias largest glacial lake and for Deva Fortress, one of the most important medieval fortresses in Transylvania. Tourists can benefit from several travel programmes combining visits to the most important tourist attractions in Hunedoara county.



    Today we will introduce you to a seven-day programme run by the Social and Economic Development Agency of Hunedoara County. Here is now director Camelia Bedea with more on this programme:



    “Visitors are welcome here in Hunedoara and we invite them to stay longer so that they may be able to visit the many tourist attractions that our county is home to. This seven day programme, which starts in Tara Zarandului (Land of Zarand) and ends in the Jiu Valley, allows people to visit the regions main tourist assets. They can also taste local dishes and get introduced to our beautiful customs and traditions, which have been preserved unaltered. On the first day they can visit the local history museum, the Gold Museum, the Fabric Museum in Baita and the Gold Prospectors House, all of them located in the Land of Zarand.”



    On the second day, visits can be made to the Deva Fortress, an edifice which, along the centuries, has been owned by princes, dukes and duchesses, each of them bringing their own contribution to the architecture. The building, which has been completely refurbished, was designed to be not only a fortress but also a dwelling place for the aristocracy. Lets find out more about this travel programme from Camelia Bedea:



    “On the third day we invite you to Orastie, where one can visit the local fortress, the famous Sarmizegetusa Regia, the Arsenal Park and the Mada Gorges. Our next stop is Geoagiu Bai, the regions famous spa with its treatment facilities; then we invite our tourists to visit the Roman Baths, the Clocota waterfall as well as the Stone Church of Geoagiu. The fifth day is reserved to the beautiful world-famous Corvin Castle, to the Alun Marble Village, the Prislop Monastery, the Auroch Reserve in Hateg and the Dinosaurs Geopark. Then we move southward to the old and beautiful stone church of Densus, the Malaiesti Fortress, Ulpia Traiana, Banita Gorges and the Bolii Cave. The activities planned for the seventh day include visits to the Mining Museum, horse-riding, cyclotourism and paragliding in the regions mountainous part, which is also famous for its ski slopes very popular in winter.”



    Maia Tonde is the representative of Romanias largest theme park, the Arsenal Park, located in Orastie, Hunedoara County. Here is Maia Tonde herself, giving us details about the park:



    “The Arsenal Park is actually an experience, quite unique in Romania. It has been developed for families and team-building activities, and here everybody can have fun and relax. At the beginning of each year, the park is closed for three months, for maintenance works, but otherwise, we have an all-year-round season. It very much resembles military training, yet it is an open-for-everybody program, tailored for people who are active or not so active. It is well worth having the experience of a stay in an armored amphibious vehicle theme room for instance. It is something very special. We have carefully thought-out packages on offer. We even created a unique holiday-sharing package. For instance, two families can share a holiday.”



    Another major tourist attraction in the area, the Dinosaurs Geopark, covers the entire Hateg Land and is a UNESCO site and part of the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme. The programme covers some 100 territories in 33 countries, chosen following a formal selection and validation process, which are included in the Global Geoparks Network. The dwarf dinosaurs discovered in Hateg Country are unique around the word, and their scientific relevance and the fact that they make an attraction point are enhanced by discoveries of dinosaur eggs and embryos. Once a year during summer, the destination is promoted through a family-tailored event: Volcanoes Day. The event consists of workshops, games, contests, tailored for parents, children and grandparents, and all that happens in the town of Hateg.



    The most important tourist asset of the county, however, is Corvin Castle, which is also the host of an international event, the European Castles Fair, an event that will see its 5th edition in 2019. Here is castle guide Ioan Bodochi, offering us a brief description of the castle:



    “If we enter the castle through the inner courtyard, we can see the neo-Gothic gallery. It is a rather recent construction, completed in the second half of the 19th century. From there, we have Loga Matia. This is the first construction with elements of the early Italian renaissance style in Transylvania. Fortunately, on the upper floor, Transylvanias only lay Renaissance fresco has been preserved. Also in the courtyard, we can notice, apart from the open-vault cloister, the old and quite large semicircular entrance. Next to it there stands the administrative wing. From the courtyard, if we walk inside the castle, first we can visit the Mercenaries Kitchen, which hosts an exhibition of old engravings and images of the castle as well as an original scale model, built in 1866.”



    So here we have a complex destination, available for all types of tourism and where accommodation offers are numerous. Usually, travel agents suggest you get accommodation at the heart of the county, where from one can reach all natural and historical assets.




  • Tourist attractions in Hunedoara County

    Tourist attractions in Hunedoara County

    Today we invite you to join us on a trip to western Romania, to a county that suits all tastes and pockets. Mountain resorts, interesting museums, castles and fortresses, they are all the ingredients for a beautiful holiday in Hunedoara County.



    This is an area accessible to all categories of tourists, says Alin Suciu, head of the Deva Fortress Public Administration Service: “First of all, Hunedoara is one of the counties with the biggest tourist potential in the country, as there are a lot of tourist objectives worth visiting here. It is equally interesting for tourists who have a passion for history, and for people who want to go skiing or practice other winter sports. For the first category of people, a visit to Deva Fortress, a medieval fortress with a fascinating history, is a must. Then there is the Hunyadi Castle in Hunedoara. Probably the most important tourist spots of this type are the Dacian fortresses in Sarmisegetuza and Ulpia Traiana near Haţeg. Then there is also a museum of the gold, one of the most important in Europe, located in the locality of Brad.”



    Any visit to Hunedoara County should start from its county seat, Deva. The main tourist attraction here is Deva Fortress, first mentioned in documents in 1269. It is one of the most important fortresses in Transylvania. It is located at the top of a hill, overlooking the Mures Valley.



    Alin Suciu has the details: “At present, 50% of Deva Fortress has been restored to its former glory. The fortress is open to visitors, who are invited to come here to learn more about the history of that time. Some time this year we will stage several bike competitions on the fortress’s hill and in the future we plan to also hold tourist orientation competitions. This year Deva Fortress will be the venue for a long series of cultural events, such as an international jazz festival and a sculpture camp, fashion shows and many others. Also, medieval and Dacian festivals, staged at Sarmisegetuza fortress will also be held. Straja resort is also located in the area, where extreme sports lovers are expected.”



    Straja resort is a hotspot with tourists in love with winter sports, but also with people in search of a place to relax or take long walks, who usually come here in summer. Mihai Dumitrescu, the administrator of a guesthouse in the area, tell us more about it: ”In our area, tourists can find anything they want. Ecumenical tourism also has its attractive offers. We have the hermitage in Straja, which is fantastic, then there’s the Way of the Cross, which is unique given that it is the longest pilgrimage route in Europe. Tourists can also ride horses or go rafting, paragliding or trekking. Lots of caves along the Jiu River Valley can also be visited. Of all those, we recommend Pestera Bolii. In the region, the Hunyadi Castle and the Dacian fortresse can also be visited, as well as the aurochs reserve. “



    Lying at around 90 kilometers from Straja, the Hunyadi Castle is the best-preserved Gothic, civilian and military architecture monument in Central and Southeastern Europe. Tourists should expect to see an imposing monument, according to monument museographer Ioan Bodochi: ”Those who visited Bran Castle should imagine a citadel which is double in size, with a spacious inner courtyard, with two main reception halls, a Knights’ Hall, where they can visit a military technique exhibition. Then there’s the Diet Hall, with the original arrangement of the halls where council meetings were held, there are also other exhibitions showcasing medieval items. If tourists happen to be in the region in high season or at the weekend, there is an order of the local knights trying to reenact the medieval atmosphere. These are only some of the offers which at the moment the caste makes available for the tourists who may want to step inside.”



    Many tourists are interested in buying traditional handicraft objects, created by local craftsmen. Tourists will find everything they want and will leave Hunedoara County contented with their souvenirs, says Alin Suciu, head of the Deva Fortress Public Administration Service: ”They are sure to be privileged, a hundred percent. As of this year, the fortress will host a great many events, especially during winter. There will be two or three months of events organized in cooperation with various NGOs that will stage specific workshop teaching tourists the art of pottery, horseshoeing, iron processing and sewing. Tourists have the opportunity to go back in time and see how objects used to be made in the past and can also buy items that are manufactured on the spot.”



    Tourists can find free-of-charge booklets, presentation brochures, maps in foreign languages right near Deva Fortress, says Alin Suciu, head of the Deva Fortress Public Administration Service: ”They don’t have to buy them. There is a tourist information center located at the foot of the fortress, where brochures are available. Right now we have materials presenting the fortress and the city of Deva in Romanian, English and Hungarian. We intend to issue brochures in other languages as well, such as Italian and German.”



    We hope that we have talked you into spending a holiday in Hunedoara County. The earlier you make your booking, the more-cost effective your holiday will be.