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Alba Iulia
Attractions in Alba Iulia
Highlights
Alba Carolina Fortress is a fortress built at the beginning of the eighteenth century on the Citadel ...
Children, young people and adults, we are waiting for you from dawn to dusk to overcome the most ...
Museikon este un muzeu de artă sacră, parte dintr-un proiect care a inclus restaurarea clădirii ...
Biblioteca Batthyaneum este una dintre cele mai importante instituţii culturale şi documentare din ...
Parcul dendrologic din Alba Iulia se găsește la marginea orașului, la poalele Dealului Mamut, și ...
Rezervația Naturală Iezerul Ighiel, aflată la circa 10km de satul Ighiel, la o altitudine de circa ...
Made up of huge, brown-reddish rocks, the Râpa Roșie is visually reminiscent of the American Grand ...
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Tourist attractions in alba iulia
The Alba Carolina Fortress complex is the main tourist attraction in the city. It includes a number of buildings that have become popular tourist attractions, especially after their restoration. The former citadel includes, among others, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Coronation Cathedral, the Museum and Union Hall, the Batthyaneum Library, the cell where Horea, Cloșca and Crișan were arrested, Apor Palace, Princes' Palace, as well as several statuary groups.
In a (full) day tour you can explore everything related to the fortress. Moreover, you can ride a bike on the pedestrian and cycling alley, around the fortress walls. Luckily, the tourist attractions inside the fortress recommend Alba Iulia as a destination to explore even when it is raining or snowing, so in any season.
A tourist bus rides regularly around the Cetate neighborhood if you want to get a glimpse of the city. In addition, we recommend a walk through the Dendrological Park on the outskirts of the city. Nearby the park, you have the most modern bike and promenade lane in the city, known as "Transalpina de Mamut" (5km).
For horse lovers, and especially for kids, at the Equestrian Center inside the citadel, you can ride the horses used for modern popular parades.
Remember that the change of the guard at the fortress is only performed outside of the cold season.
Photo: Kiki Vasilescu, CC BY-SA, Wikipedia
The city's history revolves today around the citadel, just as it did in the past.
The fortress (hence the city) was originally a Roman camp called Apulum - an extension of an existing Dacian fort on the site of the current fortification. The town appears in documents starting in the 10th century, under the name of ”Iula”, and plays a focal point in the Kingdom of Hungary in Transylvania.
The old names - Bălgrad or Weißenburg (both meaning White Fortress) - reflect the citadel as the only landmark of the settlement.
The star-shaped fortress and the buildings inside it have been recently restored. In contrast, the "lower town" has retained a monotonous and lackluster appearance inherited during the communist period.
One day trips around Alba Iulia
After visiting all there's to see in Alba Iulia, start exploring its surroundings. Fortunately, you have a lot of places to go and lots of things to do within an hour's drive from the city; activities are suitable for the entire family.
For active travelers, we recommend the marked routes in the Trascău Mountains, for the gorges, caves, and meadows with daffodils that hide between the green valleys. The spectacular landscapes of Trascău are a delight in any season.
You can spend a whole day south of Alba Iulia. Starts with a walk to the natural wonder Râpa Roșie near Sebeș; the almost moonlike landscape here is unique in the country. Move on to another interesting place: the Mar'tinuzzi (or Martinuzzi) Domains in Vinţu de Jos commune.
Transylvanian wine has a special flavor, and the wineries near Alba Iulia welcome you almost anytime for tastings. You will definitely go home with one or more bottles of white wine.
Last but not least, visit the (now famous) Ciugud commune, east of Alba Iulia. It boasts one of the largest golf courses in Europe.
