Rasnov Fortress Opening Hours, Transylvania Romania

Last Updated on februarie 5, 2015

Rasnov Fortress Opening Hours, Transylvania Romania.

Rasnov Fortress (Romanian: Cetatea Rasnov, German: Rosenauer Burg) is a historic monument and landmark in Romania. It is situated in Rasnov, Brasov County, in the immediate vicinity of Brasov.

The citadel was built as part of a defence system for the Transylvanian villages exposed to outside invasions. A decisive aspect for building the citadel on the actual location was the route of the invading armies which were coming from the Bran pass and were passing through Râșnov, on their way to Burzenland.

The only chance of survival for the inhabitants of the area, inclusively from Cristian and Ghimbav, was the refuge inside the citadel. Compelled to stay there for decades, the people of Rasnov and the nearby villages turned the fortification into a dwelling. (wikipedia.org)

The medieval fortress is supposed to be built in 1211–1225, in the time when the Teutonic chevaliers ruled Barsa County.  After the crusaders have left, the wooden fortress was rebuilt or transformed into one made of stone.

The first documents mentioning the Rasnov Fortress refer to a strong fortification, resistant to an enemy’s siege, which saves the lives of the inhabitants sheltered inside its walls.  The Citadel dates back from 1335, when during a Mongolian invasion in Transylvania, Barsa County was completely devastated.

The first Turkish siege is mentioned in documents in 1421.  The citadel has heroically resisted, and the Turkish have stopped the siege and headed towards the yet not fortified Brasov, which they have destroyed.  The Turkish have also sieged with no success the Râşnov Citadel in their campaigns from 1436 and 1441.

Rasnov Fortress Opening Hours:
April – October:  daily 9.00 – 19.00.

Rasnov Fortress Opening Hours:
November – March:  daily 9.00 – 17.00.

The Citadel of Râșnov is open for visits daily, including the days of legal celebrations like Easter, Christmas, and the New Year, the program remaining unchanged.

Visiting fee:
Adults: 10 lei
Children, students: 5 lei.

Free access:
– Children younger than 3 years old;
– Persons with disabilities, on a proving certificate basis.

Access to Rasnov, from Brasov, DN73 is made by car or by public transport (bus). Brasov-Rasnov distance is about 15 km.