Poenari Castle

Poenari Castle (IPA: /po.ǐe.'narʲ/) also known as Poenari Citadel ("Cetatea Poenari" in Romanian), is a ruined castle in Romania, in Argeş County (Căpăţânenii Pământeni village of the Arefu commune) on a canyon formed on the Argeş River valley, close to the Făgăraş Mountains. It stands on a cliff, on the right side of the Transfăgărăşan road which climbs high into the mountains.

It was erected around the beginning of the 13th century by the first Romanian rulers in the South region of Romania, known as Wallachia. Around the 14th century, Poenari was the main citadel of the Basarab rulers. In the next few decades, the name and the residents changed a few times but eventually the castle was abandoned and left in ruins.

However, in the 15th century, realizing the potential for a castle perched high on a steep precipice of rock, Vlad III the Impaler repaired and consolidated the structure, making it one of his main fortresses.

Although the castle was used for many years after Vlad's death in 1476, it eventually was abandoned again in the first half of the 16th century and was in ruins during the 17th century. Due to its size and location, the castle was very hard to seize, even by natural forces. However, in 1888, a landslide brought down a portion of the castle which crashed into the river far below. Nonetheless, the castle was slightly repaired and the walls and its towers still stand today. To reach the castle, visitors need to climb 1,500 steps.

In fiction

Bram Stoker's book says that Romanians knew Dracula's castle as "Cetatea Lui Negru Vodă" or Citadel of the Black Prince, although this fictional version of the castle was situated some 200 kilometers to the north. This castle, like most other elements of the book, has little in common with its historical counterpart.

External links

* [http://www.manningkrull.com/photo_album/swi_aus_rom_slo/draculas_castle/ Pictures and video of the Castle from ManningKrull.com]
* [http://www.free-conversant.com/mindspill/79/enclosure/05-DraculaCastle_Entrance-small.jpgPicture of the Castle from mindspill.org]
* [http://www.mysteriousjourneys.com/en/dracula_initiation_tours/photo_album/ Some pictures] from the Castle