Fagaras
Fagaras (Fugresch in the Saxon dialect, Fogarasch in German and Fogaras in Hungarian) is a town of 36 000 people located 67km (42mi) north-west of Brasov. The town is mentioned for the first time in a written document in 1291 under the name of Fogros. It is believed that once the name meant the water of the ash tree. Fagaras was the main town of an historic area known as the Country of Fagaras, an important Romanian center from Transylvania. In fact, in the 14th century, this territory was part of Wallachia. The town of Fagaras, economical and political center, was for many centuries the capital of the Fagaras district. Since 1968 it’s being part of the Brasov County.

The Citadel of Fagaras
The fortress, built on the site of a previous Romanian wooden fortification, was founded in 1310 by Ladislau Apor, prince of Transylvania. In the next years the town became an important political center, especially that the Transylvanian Assemblies had gathered here and becasue later it had a superior court law.
At the present, the castle has around 80 rooms and the moat, filled with water, still exists and adds a nice medieval touch to the fortress. The fortress consists of strong walls, roofed tall towers, a lifting bridge and impressive bastions in each corner, all of these being arranged in a trapezium plan.
The castle stands in the middle of the fortification. Built probably in the first part of the 15th century and mentioned for the first time in 1455 by the governor of Transylvania John of Hunyadi, the castle of Fagaras belongs to the western defense system. Built on 3 levels, the castle is protected by several towers.
In 1600 Transylvania and the other two Romanian provinces were unified for one year by the prince Michael the Brave who stayed in the castle of Fagaras. After that all three provinces were split again and Gabriel Bethlen, prince of Transylvania, transformed the castle in what it is today. The former military fortification was transformed into a Renaissance castle. He brought in Fagras craftsmen form Italy who embellished the castle with new architectural elements.
At the end of the 17th century Transylvania fell under the Austrian control. In the first part the Transylvanian Assemblies were held in this castle but by the end of the 18th century it became a military headquarter. From this moment the castle started to fall apart and its worse history was recorded in 1948 when the communists transformed it into a political prison. In the 50s it became a museum displaying various Roman artifacts or related to the medieval evolution of the region, medieval weapons, an ethnographic section and icons.

The Schedule of the Fagaras Castle:
Summer time (June1st - September 30th):
Tuesday – Friday: 08:00 – 18:00
Saturday – Sunday: 09:00 – 17:00
Monday: closed
Winter time (October 1st - May 30th):
Tuesday – Friday: 08:00 – 16:00
Saturday – Sunday: 09:00 – 15:00
Monday: closed

Entrance fee: RON5

Other tourist attractions
The town of Fagaras is known also for its Orthodox church built by the prince Brancoveanu about 300 years ago. Another church is the Franciscan one built in the 18th century. A statue representing Lady Stanca, wife of prince Michael the Brave, faces the castle.