Western Romania: Medieval fortress of Orăștie reopens after years of restoration works

The medieval fortress of Orăștie, in western Romania, was reopened on Monday, August 18, to the general public, after several years in which it underwent a process of conservation and restoration.

The fortress, located in Hunedoara County, is now part of the local tourist attractions in the Mureș Valley.

“We are inaugurating an important project of the local administration, the foundations of which we laid ten years ago, when we drew up the project for the protected center of the town, in which we integrated objectives from the central area, especially the Orăștie fortress,” said on this occasion the mayor of the locality, Ovidiu Bălan, cited by Agerpres.

The fortress was built around the year 1300 and was documented in 1544 by German cartographer Sebastian Munster. During the Tatar and Turkish invasions, locals would retreat to the fortress for safety.

The restoration was financed with EU funds worth RON 19.5 million, in a project valued at RON 25.4 million (EUR 5 million) in total.

The opening of the Orăștie Fortress was marked by an Open Doors Day, historical reenactments, weapon handling demonstrations, and medieval theater.

Access to the fortress will be free for all visitors until August 24.

(Photo source: Ovidiu Balan on Facebook)