One of my favourite places to visit in Transylvania was the impressive Corvin Castle; also know as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle.
This Gothic-Renaissance piece of art made it to my list of most beautiful places to visit in Romania and I’m sure this is very obvious at first sight but let me share with you some cool facts and practical info so you can visit the spectacular Corvin Castle too!
A brief history of Corvin Castle
Construction of what would become one of the largest castles in Europe began in 1446 on top of an old 14th-century stone fortress and over the course of the centuries had several renovations. Most notably after a fire in 1854 which destroyed most of the wooden parts of the castle.
The order to build the castle was given by John Hunyadi whom back then was the Vivid of Transylvania, that was the highest ranking position in Transylvania within the Kingdom of Hungary.
During the 15th century the military building was transformed into a Gothic residence that followed the most advanced models of military and civil contemporary architecture of the time.
After the fire in 1854, it took around 40 years to renovate the castle to its current looks and it’s been suggested that the 19th-century architects developed the renovation with an interpretation of how a Gothic castle should look like.
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Exploring Corvin Castle
When you start your visit to Corvin Castle and cross the suspended bridge entrance towards the inner courtyard, you quickly get an incredible first-hand look at how a military fortification could at the same time accommodate prisons, halls, palace, chapel, and other functional rooms for storage of food and artillery.
Going up to the different towers offers every time a new perspective of this magical place and its easy to feel like you’re travelling in time when entering the Knight’s Hall or one of the many chambers that are open to the public.
An area that was a bit shocking for me to visit were the torture chambers where a display of tools and instruments can be seen. This room can feel tasteless or even repulsive for some, but it can’t be ignored that this is part of the dark past of the castle.
Corvin Castle and popular culture
One of the main first things that come to mind when someone mentions the region of Transylvania is the legendary tales of Count Dracula.
The fictional character created by Bram Stoker was inspired by Vlad The Impaler, and whilst the “real” Dracula’s Castle associated to him is in the town of Bran, it’s said that Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned at Corvin Castle although it’s not known for a fact that to be the case.
Throughout your visit you will be able to read and learn about other legends associated with the castle, which is constantly surrounded by an aura of mystery.
How to visit Corvin Castle
Located in the town of Hunedoara, Corvin Castle sits almost half way between Sibiu and Timisoara. If you’re driving it would take 1.5-3 hours respectively from those towns.
As I was travelling with public transport I took first a train from Sibiu to Sebes and then a bus to Hunedoara. There’s not much more to see in Hunedoara but the castle itself is already well worth the trip and it’s was quite easy to get the connecting transfers with public transport.
If you decide to spend the night in Hunedoara, I can recommend the Hobby Hotel as a budget-friendly option where I experienced wonderful hospitality by the owners.
Alternatively, if you’d rather have someone else arrange things for you, it’s easy to book a day trip from Cluj or a group tour from Sibiu.
Tickets and opening times to visit Corvin Castle
You can buy tickets online on the Corvin Castle’s website or at the gate. Adult tickets cost 50 Lei (about €10) and there are discounts for students and pensioners. It’s possible to join a guided tour for a fee but if you prefer to explore at your own pace I can confirm that there’s plenty of signage on site explaining interesting stories about the history of the castle.
Opening times are from 9:00 to 20:00 but on Mondays it’s 12:00-20:00.
Should you visit Corvin Castle?
I surely recommend you to do so! I visited several castles in Romania and Castelul Corvinilor one was one of my favourites and even that it’s a famous place to visit I didn’t feel it as crowded as Bran Castle or Peles Castle which allowed me to have a more relaxed experience.
Being one of the biggest castles in Europe you can expect to walk a fair bit so try to put aside a good 2-4 hours for your visit.
Contributed by Juan from planetofadventures.com
Juan writes on his blog about places to visit and activities to do all over the world with a focus on outdoor adventures, slow travel and low cost travel tips. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and Pinterest.
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