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Tourist attractions in Hunedoara County

Today we invite you to join us on a trip to western Romania, to a county that suits all tastes and pockets. Mountain resorts, interesting museums, castles and fortresses, they are all the ingredients for a beautiful holiday in Hunedoara County.

Daniel Onea, 09.02.2017, 14:10

This is an area accessible to all categories of tourists, says Alin Suciu, head of the Deva Fortress Public Administration Service: “First of all, Hunedoara is one of the counties with the biggest tourist potential in the country, as there are a lot of tourist objectives worth visiting here. It is equally interesting for tourists who have a passion for history, and for people who want to go skiing or practice other winter sports. For the first category of people, a visit to Deva Fortress, a medieval fortress with a fascinating history, is a must. Then there is the Hunyadi Castle in Hunedoara. Probably the most important tourist spots of this type are the Dacian fortresses in Sarmisegetuza and Ulpia Traiana near Haţeg. Then there is also a museum of the gold, one of the most important in Europe, located in the locality of Brad.”

Any visit to Hunedoara County should start from its county seat, Deva. The main tourist attraction here is Deva Fortress, first mentioned in documents in 1269. It is one of the most important fortresses in Transylvania. It is located at the top of a hill, overlooking the Mures Valley.

Alin Suciu has the details: “At present, 50% of Deva Fortress has been restored to its former glory. The fortress is open to visitors, who are invited to come here to learn more about the history of that time. Some time this year we will stage several bike competitions on the fortress’s hill and in the future we plan to also hold tourist orientation competitions. This year Deva Fortress will be the venue for a long series of cultural events, such as an international jazz festival and a sculpture camp, fashion shows and many others. Also, medieval and Dacian festivals, staged at Sarmisegetuza fortress will also be held. Straja resort is also located in the area, where extreme sports lovers are expected.”

Straja resort is a hotspot with tourists in love with winter sports, but also with people in search of a place to relax or take long walks, who usually come here in summer. Mihai Dumitrescu, the administrator of a guesthouse in the area, tell us more about it: ”In our area, tourists can find anything they want. Ecumenical tourism also has its attractive offers. We have the hermitage in Straja, which is fantastic, then there’s the Way of the Cross, which is unique given that it is the longest pilgrimage route in Europe. Tourists can also ride horses or go rafting, paragliding or trekking. Lots of caves along the Jiu River Valley can also be visited. Of all those, we recommend Pestera Bolii. In the region, the Hunyadi Castle and the Dacian fortresse can also be visited, as well as the aurochs reserve. “

Lying at around 90 kilometers from Straja, the Hunyadi Castle is the best-preserved Gothic, civilian and military architecture monument in Central and Southeastern Europe. Tourists should expect to see an imposing monument, according to monument museographer Ioan Bodochi: ”Those who visited Bran Castle should imagine a citadel which is double in size, with a spacious inner courtyard, with two main reception halls, a Knights’ Hall, where they can visit a military technique exhibition. Then there’s the Diet Hall, with the original arrangement of the halls where council meetings were held, there are also other exhibitions showcasing medieval items. If tourists happen to be in the region in high season or at the weekend, there is an order of the local knights trying to reenact the medieval atmosphere. These are only some of the offers which at the moment the caste makes available for the tourists who may want to step inside.”

Many tourists are interested in buying traditional handicraft objects, created by local craftsmen. Tourists will find everything they want and will leave Hunedoara County contented with their souvenirs, says Alin Suciu, head of the Deva Fortress Public Administration Service: ”They are sure to be privileged, a hundred percent. As of this year, the fortress will host a great many events, especially during winter. There will be two or three months of events organized in cooperation with various NGOs that will stage specific workshop teaching tourists the art of pottery, horseshoeing, iron processing and sewing. Tourists have the opportunity to go back in time and see how objects used to be made in the past and can also buy items that are manufactured on the spot.”

Tourists can find free-of-charge booklets, presentation brochures, maps in foreign languages right near Deva Fortress, says Alin Suciu, head of the Deva Fortress Public Administration Service: ”They don’t have to buy them. There is a tourist information center located at the foot of the fortress, where brochures are available. Right now we have materials presenting the fortress and the city of Deva in Romanian, English and Hungarian. We intend to issue brochures in other languages as well, such as Italian and German.”

We hope that we have talked you into spending a holiday in Hunedoara County. The earlier you make your booking, the more-cost effective your holiday will be.