Citadel of Alba Iulia – Romania

One of the most spectacular such fortresses is Alba Carolina – the largest citadel in Romania, located in the city of Alba Iulia. The Alba Carolina fortress was built between 1714 and 1738 and it is considered to be the most representative of Vauban type in Europe. Alba Carolina Citadel is the crowning attraction of Alba Iulia. Within this star-shaped citadel are museums, churches and the Unification Hall that sealed the union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918. Traveling to Romania with the best Romania tour operator will make your tour more enjoyable and memorable.

About Citadel of Alba Iulia

• The fortress was designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Morando Visconti, who worked under the supervision of the general Stefan de Steinville and was later completed under General Weiss. Between the 18th and 19th centuries the fortress served as the military headquarters of Transylvania and also as a general armament repository.
• The perimeter of the outside walls is about 12 km. The fortification has seven bastions (Eugene of Savoia, St. Stefan, The Trinity, St. Michael, St. Carol, St. Capistrano and St. Elisabeth) that make it into a star-shaped, Vauban-style fortress. The largest bastion is the Trinity. On the whole, the fortress stands out as the most important baroque architectural ensemble in Romania and Europe.
• Str Mihai Viteazul runs up from the lower town to the first gate of the fortress, adorned with sculptures inspired by Greek mythology. From here, a stone road leads to the third gate of the fortress, dominated by a horseback statue of Carol VI of Austria.
• If you’re short on time, focus on the dazzling Coronation Cathedral and National Union Museum. Ideally, spend a full day strolling museums, posing at grand gateways, and idling in cafes. The citadel is free, but the museums carry entry charges.
• A nearby 22.5m-high granite column, the Uprising Memorial, was erected in 1937 to commemorate these events. It also offers a superb panorama over the surrounding hills.
• Just before you enter the third gate, a footpath leads 500m south to out-of-sight Michael the Brave Church. The wooden church, brought to Alba Iulia in 1992 from Maramureş, stands on the site of a former Metropolitan cathedral built by Mihai Viteazul in 1597 and destroyed by the Habsburgs in 1714.

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