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Poenari Fortress is included in our One Day Medieval Tour and Vlad the Impaler versus Dracula Tour.
A visit to the medieval Poenari Fortress is a great chance to dig in some centuries-old history but also a good way to exercise as you have to go up 1,480 stairs. But don’t worry too much. The fortress is more than worth the effort, and you can always reward yourself with some of the many traditional sweets sold at the foothills.
Poenari Fortress
Surrounded by legends and forests, overlooking the abys from its high-altitude location, the fortress of Poenari is part of the legacy of the mythical Vlad the Impaler. This medieval prince, praised for his victories against the Turks and his ultimate sense of justice, was also dreaded for his extreme punishments against traitors.
Vlad the Impaler who ruled Walachia three times (1448, 1456-1462, 1476) enlarged the fortress of Poenari. He built a 60 meters long and 10-15 meters wide rock curtain around the original three levels tower. Curious enough, the legends of the time mention the prince forcing traitor boyards to build the fortress by themselves as punishment for their conspiracies.
Towers and inner passage
The strategic importance of the fortress was obvious. Placed on top of the Cetatuia Mountain, north from the main political centers of Targoviste and later Bucharest, the fortress was difficult to conquer while offering a panoramic perspective over potential attacks and an escape route to Transylvania.
Well-prepared for longer stays, the fortress had an impermeable water room and even a dungeon for prisoners while the only entry was equipped with a drawbridge. In the coming centuries after the death of Vlad the Impaler, the fortress belonged to the Hungarian kings and gradually entered a process of degradation until final ruin.
Impaling re-enacting
Better conserved than many other medieval fortresses from Southern Romania, the fortress of Poenari is the authentic legacy of Vlad the Impaler, a prince many Romanian people admire for his courage against the Ottomans. Unfairly associated with the myth of Dracula, Vlad the Impaler most likely never set foot in Bran Castle.
Don’t go there to find out more about this legendary prince, choose instead the fortress of Poenari that he actually built and used during his battles.
Book a room with a view from Hotel Posada Vidraru, right on the shore of Vidraru Lake, only a few scenic kilometers away from the fortress. Guest houses like Casa Eden from Arefu or Pensiunea Panoramic from Capataneni-Ungureni are also great options close to this historical monument.
Poenari Fortress can be visited daily, until 7 pm during summer days. It’s also very close to a major dam, Vidraru, as well as the high-altitude mountain road Transfagarasan.
On your way to Poenari, you can stop in Curtea de Arges to visit one of the most beautiful churches in Romania.
Poenari Fortress is included in our One Day Medieval Tour and Vlad the Impaler versus Dracula Tour.
Location: Arefu, Arges County
Closest city: Curtea de Arges
Nearby attractions: Curtea de Arges Monastery, Lake Vidraru, Transfagarasan
Access: A1 Highway Bucharest-Pitesti and DN7C Pitesti-Arefu
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