From ruins to reconstruction: Rupea Fortress
During the 90s, this fortress was nothing more than a stack of ruins.
Located on the road that links two famous Romanian cities — Sighişoara and Braşov — the fortress of Rupea was founded in the 14th century by the Transylvanian Saxons.
In Hungarian, the citadel’s name was Kőhalom, meaning “mound of rocks” and referring to its three levels (The Upper, The Middle and The Lower). Historians believe that almost 400 people used to live inside the walls of Rupea Fortress, where they had all the necessities: a parish, a chapel, a local market, a fountain and even a so-called “bacon tower”, where all the meat reserves were stored.
In the 18th century, the citadel slowly lost its importance, most of its inhabitants relocating in the new village situated at the base of the hill. Consequently, by the 1780s, Rupea Fortress, once one of the most important Transylvanian citadels, ended up entirely abandoned. Even if the local community constantly preserved it over decades, by the 1990s, there was nothing but a bunch of ruins.
Two years ago, I heard the news that Rupea Fortress was reopened for visitors, after three years of heavy restoration works. This happened just a few weeks before leaving for a road trip throughout Romania, in order to discover some of the beauties my country has to offer.
So I added Rupea to the map, but once I got there, I had mixed feelings about everything surrounding me. I don’t think it’s a good idea to visit a historic monument immediately after restoration. If I was an expert in the field, I’m sure things would have been different for me.
I’m your average typical tourist with an added love for history, so this fortress and its story was a treat for me. But the “new look” and the crisp smell of building materials kept getting in my way and kept me from having a real connection with the place.
On the other hand, the fact that the fortress has been revived was just admirable. In 2013, a restoration project as big as this one was a sign of hope for the Romanian cultural and historical heritage. In fact, this was my conclusion after visiting Rupea Fortress and I was very positive about it.
Since then, I steadily followed the topic and, as I was expecting, things got better and better. For example, two months ago, I found out that Rupea Fortress had a record number of tourists. It seems that, just after the restoration works, the local authorities expectations were exceeded. In 2013, 61.000 tourists visited the Rupea Fortress. In 2014, there were 115.000 tourists, and in 2015 so far, there are already 150.000.
I don’t know when I will have another opportunity to visit Rupea Fortress again, but as a witness of its astonishing evolution, I think it will be an interesting experience. If any of you want to read more about the citadel’s history, here’s a link. And If you ever get in the area and visit it, I would be more than happy to know your impressions.
Written by Alexandra Palconi, an Eastern Europe travel enthusiast.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, please consider recommending/sharing it.
We have also written about Prague, Viscri, Košice, the unique cave bath of Miskolctapolca, Kraków, Plitvice Lakes Natural Park, Lake Bled, Veliko Tarnovo, Novi Sad, Stari Bar, Bánffy Castle, Hunyadi Castle, Gyula, Kaunas, Gauja National Park, Kuressaare, Ruhnu, Zadar, Mostar, Tartu, Wigry National Park, Krk Island, Budva, Mileştii Mici Winery, and Ljubljana.
Follow Eastern Chronicles on Medium, Facebook, and Instagram.
