Chindia Tower, Fortified tower in Târgoviște, Romania

Chindia Tower rises in the Curtea Domnească ensemble in Târgoviște: a stone-clad truncated pyramid base carries a red-brick cylinder 9 metres across, reaching 27 metres. Two upper levels show broken-arch openings and balconies on stone corbels, and a spiral stair runs up the central axis. The tower stands over the porch of Mircea the Elder's church-paraclis, of which only traces of the altar and nave walls remain.

Begun during the second reign of Vlad III the Impaler in the second half of the 15th century, the tower served as a guard point, fire lookout and treasury store. It was completely restored between 1847 and 1851 by Prince Gheorghe Bibescu, who raised it by about 5 metres to its present 27-metre height. A Latin manuscript records that by the mid-18th century it held the prisons.

The tower connects to local memories of Prince Vlad and draws visitors interested in this historical period. The name itself reflects traditions that still resonate in the region today.

You can enter the tower and climb the stairs to explore the different levels and views. It is best to wear sturdy shoes since the stairs are narrow and the surfaces are historic.

The name may come from feasts called chindii held near the tower, or from the archaic word chindie, meaning sunset, when guards signalled the closing of Târgoviște's five gates. After that signal nobody could enter or leave the town overnight, and residents were barred from the streets and from lighting outdoor fires that would have made the town visible from afar.