Ancient Dacian fortress Sarmizegetusa Regia in Romania reopens for tourists

The ancient Dacian fortress Sarmizegetusa Regia in central Romania was recently reopened to visitors, after having been closed for several months, during which work was conducted in the area to highlight its value. “We already had 120 visitors at Sarmizegetusa Regia in the first two days of March. The weather is nice, the cleaning is impeccable, and tourists have only good words to say about the way this historic monument looks like now, and about what was done there during winter, when it was closed,” administrator of Sarmizegetusa Regia archaeological park, Vladimir Brilinsky, told local news agency Agerpres. The fortress was closed to the public between December 1 and March 1. During this period, the administration of the archaeological park conducted several necessary cleaning operations. The Dacian fortress may be visited daily between 7:00 and 17:00, and tickets cost RON 5 for adults, and RON 2 for children, students and pensioners. Some 25,000 people visited Sarmizegetusa Regia last year, and the administration of the park hopes to increase the number to 35,000 this year. The fortress Sarmizegetusa was the most important military, religious and political center of the ancient Dacians. The fortress, which was on top of a 1,200 meter high mountain, was the core of the strategic system in the Orastie Mountains, which comprised six citadels. Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital of Dacia prior to the wars with the Roman Empire. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com