Leaving Bucharest at 8 am. The meeting point is University Square. We will exit Bucharest through its eastern side and will take the A1 highway. The road will cross the Northern part of the Romanian Plain; near Pitesti (after 100 km, 62 miles), we will take the national road through the hills in order to reach Curtea de Arges.

The panorama becomes nice; from this point onwards, the mountains from the north are visible and their peaks are white, being covered with snow for most part of the year. The road between Pitesti and Curtea de Arges passes through many villages. This day trip is a good opportunity to see the pure face of Romania, the real one, without any mask or other adjustments.

After 2 hours‘ drive, we arrive in the first Capital of Wallachia, the town of Curtea de Arges. We will cross the city and continue our journey towards the mountains. The villages become nicer and more picturesque. The hills are now tall and vast, while the villages are developed on the small river valleys converging to the large valley of the river Arges.

After 25 km (15 miles), we arrive at Dracula’s fortress, also known as the Poenari Citadel, Poenari Palace or Vlad Tepes’ Fortress, built during the 13^th century. During the 14^th century it gained strategic importance and became the fortress of Basarab the First, the founder of Wallachia and the Ruler that transformed the town of Curtea de Arges into the Capital of Wallachia.

Poenari Citadel Poenari Castle, Dracula Citadel, Arges

Vlad Dracula, (Vlad Tepes) consolidated and expanded the fortress. There are many stories about the relation between the cruel impaler and the nobility of that period of time. It is said that he rebuilt the fortress with the bodies of the noblemen of that period of time that were convicted for breaking the laws. The fortress served Dracula’s necessities for many years, as he used it as protection and refuge during his war with the Ottoman Empire. The fortress lost its importance after his death. Now, many years later, a large portion is still visible and in good conditions. Dracula’s Fortress is situated on a big cliff, next to Transfagarasan road, at a high altitude. In order to reach this place, visitors have to climb almost 1500 steps. From above, a great panorama of the Arges Valley is visible. It is quite amazing to listen to the guide’s stories and actually see the place which he is speaking about. There are also stories about military tactics that helped the armies of the rulers (like Vlad Dracul) to escape from the enemy. For example, it is sad that he once put the horseshoes in reverse, tricking the enemy about the direction of his flee.

After the visit to Dracula Fortress, our one day trip continues towards Vidraru Dam. The 5 km road upstream, following the narrow valley is spectacular. The stone cliffs, the big gap between the road and the bottom of the river, the steep slopes, the woods and the thin mountain air, they all give a beautiful sensation. After reaching the dam everything calms down, while the imposing Fagaras Mountains are visible on the north side. This is the place where we will take the lunch break.

The day tour continues back to Curtea de Arges. This is one of the oldest towns in Wallachia and it has a rich history. Being the first Capital of Wallachia, it had a Royal Court and a Royal Church which still exist nowadays and are opened for visitors. We will visit this old place after going to the Municipal Museum, where we will better understand the history of the settlement and of the entire Wallachia. After that, we will pay a visit to the Folk Art Museum, hosted by Norocea House. This is an old house, built in 1922-1923 by the painter and restorer Dumitru Norocea. The museum has more than 12000 pieces: traditional objects, used in the households of Arges, crafted products, traditional clothes made by wool and other fabrics.

Curtea de Arges Pure Romania day tour Medieval Ages

The last landmark of Arges during our day trip is Curtea de Arges Monastery, one of the most beautiful Monasteries in Romania and of the entire orthodoxism. The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș was built in the 16^th century using the byzantine style. It resembles a large, imposing mausoleum, with beautiful lines and details. Its white nuance, the lines, the clean but rich architecture, the perfect proportions and its height, they all make it astonishing. There is also a national Romanian myth linked to this cathedral, the myth of creation, which explains the necessity to make sacrifices in order to obtain great achievements. A full article about the Cathedral and this national myth will soon be available in the blog section. In the evening our journey will continue back to Bucharest on the A1 motorway.

The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, the first Capital of Wallachia, copyright Iulia Georgescu

Medieval Ages (one day Tour) is one of the most appreciated tours because it offers the opportunity to discover a great portion of the rich story of Romania and some of its beautiful nature in a short period of time.