Rupea Citadel, Medieval citadel on basalt cliff in Rupea, Romania
Rupea Citadel rises on a basalt hill in the town of Rupea, Brașov County, linking several courtyards, defensive towers and residential buildings through staircases and passages. Three rings of walls encircle the entire site and mark different defense zones that were expanded over centuries.
The first fortification was built in 1324 under King Charles I of Hungary to protect the trade route into Transylvania. Over the next five centuries, Saxon settlers expanded the compound several times and reinforced the walls against Ottoman attacks.
The name derives from the Latin word Ripa, referring to the rocky ridge where the compound sits. Visitors today walk through courtyards and stairways that show how soldiers and their families once lived inside these walls.
The entrance sits at the foot of the hill, from where a steep path leads up through the outer gates. Sturdy shoes are helpful, as many staircases and uneven surfaces define the visit.
In the uppermost courtyard, traces of an old well reach down to great depths and secured the water supply during sieges. Remains of old channels and storage systems show how thoughtfully the compound was engineered.
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