Samstag, 14. September 2019

Corvin Castle @ Transylvania

The highlight on the way to Sibiu was the Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, but travelling through the villages also gave a good impression of this part of the country.



To stock up our cellar with the wines we had tried the night before, we stopped at their shop which was conveniently on our route.



But also on the road, you could buy wine, "must" (= grape juice) and of course grapes, which was nice.





Many crosses like this are next to the roads in the west of Romania
Abandoned but beautiful brick building

Finally we reached Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, which is dominated by industry but has this exceptional castle on a rock formation. It is one of the largest castles of Europe and was built in the 15th century in a Renaissance-Gothic style by Ioan de Hunedoara or John Hunyadi. Corvin Castle is on every list called the Seven Wonders of Romania.



John Hunyadi was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. He was the son of a noble family of Romanian ancestry and mastered his military skills on the southern borderlands of the Kingdom of Hungary that were exposed to Ottoman attacks. Appointed voivode of Transylvania (the highest-ranking official within the Kingdom of Hungary) he assumed responsibility for the defense of the frontiers in 1441.

Inner courtyard
Knight's Hall











On the outskirts of Hunedoara we saw the first huge and pompous villas of Romas with impressive blacksmithing on their roofs. A strange site between mostly simple houses of villagers.

Pompous Roma villa
Roma villa
Horses still in use



In the evening a barbecue was organised at the campground. A nice sunset and finally a campfire ended this day.