Curtea de Argeș and Poenari Castle – A Journey up the Arges River
Table of Contents
- Journey from Bucharest
- Curtea de Argeș
- Poenari Citadel (Arefu)
- Vidraru Dam and Transfăgărășan
- Conclusion
Journey from Bucharest
It was a warm day when I ventured out of chaotic Bucharest by way of a car rented from my hostel. Typical of Romania, the vehicle was ancient and it spewed a dark black smoke. The speedometer was no longer functional and navigating through the capital’s heavy traffic and erratic driving was a horrendous experience. When I was finally out of the city I breathed a sigh of relief! I could now enjoy an uneventful drive to Dracula’s real castle (sorry Bran!).
Curtea de Argeș
History
My first stop along the way was a small town, one of the oldest in Wallachia and a place that once played an oversized role in the history of the county. The one-time capital of Arges was established amid the time of the formation of a Wallachian identity. As such, it occupies an important place in the mythology of Romania. The settlement traded with the Transylvanian City of Sibiu to the north and gained in importance until the 15th century when alternate cities such as Bucharest and Târgoviște served as capitals. The city is built on a small stream called the Arges river.
The main reason to visit the settlement is due to a 20th century association, that of Romanian royal family. Although not Romanian, but German, in ethnicity, the royal family is well regarded throughout the historically Francophile county. The first king of Romania, Carol I, ensured that his family would assimilate by learning the local language as well as converting his faith to the Romanian Orthodox Church. His descendants would even cut ties with their German heritage, thus binding themselves to their adopted country. They cemented their ties to the new nation by choosing Curtea Monastery as the location of their burials. Like at their palace at Sinaia, they built a railway to Curtea and endowed the city with one of the prettiest railways stations in Romania.
What to do in Curtea de Arges?
Visitors to Curtea should take the time to check out attractions located on both the north and south ends of the city. To the south you will find a railway station as well as the tattered ruins of the former princely court, a short walk east of the station. Although little is left of the structure (except for the foundations of the 13th century building), the princely church next door continues to shine. Built in Byzantine style, the church is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city.
To the north of the city you will find the Curtea de Arges Monastery. Just outside the monastery, in a city park you will find the ancient Fountain of Manole but is of little importance. The monastery dates from the 16th century and was renovated by the royal family in 1886. The building holds the bodies of the members Romanian Royal family with the last monarch, Michael I buried here in 2017, an event mourned throughout the country. The splendid building is composed of a raised rectangular section with a series of Byzantine domes, with Arabesque engravings on top. As for the fountain it is named Manole, after the Wallachian word for architect, and marks the spot where the hubristic architect of this beautiful structure met his end after a punishment by the prince. You can read about this story here.
Poenari Citadel (Arefu)
My visit to the Citadel
Not far from the village of Arefu, located far atop a mountain canyon is the citadel of Poenari – the real home of Vlad III, Impaler by reputation. The castle is accessible by way of a steep series of steps, a full 1480 of them! This menacing climb should serve as a reminder of the excruciating job that is building something at this elevation. At the base of the canyon lies the Arges river, trickling down from the heights above, the torrid power of this river held back by a massive dam.
Poenari was founded in the 13th century by the Basarabs, the first princes of Wallachia and founders of Curtea de Arges. It rose to prominence under Vlad, who in a flash of twisted genius, “enlisted” enslaved his enemies in the Wallachian nobility and had them repair and improve this imposing stronghold. The work was completed before Vlad’s death 1476 and there is evidence that he lived here for a time. After his death the castle was abandoned and suffered widespread destruction due to a series of earthquakes and landslides.
My visit to the complex in 2017 was a disappointment. The trail was closed that day, this being due to a bear sighting (apparently this is not common in Europe like it is in Canada!). Looking at Google reviews it seems as in recent years the bears have made recurring pilgrimages to the site so make sure to check the Romanian park service website before you go!!! I wanted to sneak in but a park ranger was patrolling the area and would not allow anyone near the stairs up.
Vidraru Dam and Transfăgărășan
History
Just beyond Poenari/Arefu, up a narrow road that slowly winds up the mountainside, swaying back and forth towards a massive dam holding back the Arges River. At the top of this dam river is a large reservoir stretching as far as the eye can see. The Transfăgărășan, a scenic military roadway that cuts across the Carpathians to Sibiu, starts at the base of this Dam. Both the dam (1966) and the roadway (1974) are hallmark projects of the communist authorities. They were built during the second half of the 20th century during the “reign of terror” instituted by the dictator of Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu.
The roadway took over four years to construct and the dam took over five years for its part. The hydroelectric facilities required a total of 42km of tunneling into the rock. By the end of its construction, it was the 5th largest dam in Europe and a top ten structure of its kind in the world. It generates 220MW of power. The roadway is widely considered to be a wasteful and rather useless expense and there is debate about its legacy. It is important to remember that it was actually built to protect against a possible invasion from the Soviet military after the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. The difficult alpine conditions necessitated a high material and human coast. Hundreds of military personnel likely perished during its construction, a fact obscured by the government. The cost of the project is still debated by Romanian society today. I am still confused as to why this road was needed, as a seperate motorway already exists though the mountains to Sibiu.
What to do?
The first thing you should do on arrival is to put your car in gear and cross the dam. Then you should find some place to pull off the roadway, on either side of the structure, to park your car (don’t worry about getting a ticket, plenty of locals will be doing the same). Here you can gaze at the glittering waters of the reservoir or get vertigo looking down at the trickle of the Arges river at the base of the dam. On the east side, overlooking the dam generation building, is an ugly metallic statue of Prometheus. Built in socialist realist style, holding lightning bolts. Although you can’t climb up to the statue itself, you can still get on top of the roof of this building to get a look at it. This will also afford you a fantastic view of the dam.
If you continue to drive on “Ceaușescu’s Folly” towards Sibiu, you will eventually come across the serpentine at Balea Lake. This is a very impressive part of the roadway with many hairpin turns. It was featured in the British series Top Gear and is a favorite of motorists. I plan on returning to Romania to drive it!
Conclusion
Although I made my pilgrimage to Poenari (from Bucharest), the more interesting part of the roadway is the the stretch coming from the city of Sibiu (in Transylvania) towards the dam. I would recommend doing this itinerary instead of the leg leading to Bucharest, as it is less time consuming, and you will be privy to a beautiful view of the Carpathian Mountains.
