poenari castle

This castle is actually more related to Dracula than Bran. You have to climb 1480 steps, but there is nice view to the valley. Entrance is 5 lei.

The trail to get there is not just for anybody. You have to be in shape, there are over 1000 steps. The view from up there is really amazing. The ruins are interesting. This is one of the place Vlad Tepes used to hide from his enemies.

You have to do a tour de force to get up (there are 1,480 steps to climb) but the view is worth the effort. From top you can see the entire region, including the start of the Transfagarasan road.

If you are driving the Transfagarasan, you must climb 1480 steps from the canyon of Arges river to Poenari Castle. You will see a spectacular view on the Transfagarasan and surrounding mountains. But it is a real "must see place". It is supposed that place was the real Dracula Castle, not that one in Bran. It was a small fortress for a dozen of soldiers. It belonged to Vlad III Impaler who was known of paling his enemies.

1400 steps up to Vlad's ruined castle. What a view! This was a lot of work walking this distance but well worth it!

We had this in our itinerary all along. It is a hike up 1480 stairs, but there are a few benches along the way if needed. I recommend bringing water. There are quite a few dogs that will greet you, they adopted us and cleared the path of any other animals. I found them to be very friendly so no issues there. The top would've been a great tear, but as the locals say it's always foggy in late fall. Overall worth it even with the fog.

The stairs are killer; It took me 30 minutes to climb to the top. However, if you can make the climb it's a must see. There is not a complete castle, it's only ruins but use your imagination. It's cool (temperature wise) when you get to the top but the views are breathing taking.

The stairs are a killer. I was there in April as well so the weather had a lot to be desired. When I got to the top however, it was amazing. I have an obsession with going to random places and this is right up there for me.If you can handle the stairs then I would highly recommend this. You won't regret it!

You have to climb lot of stairs, but it deserves for the view and for the story.There is a ticket entrance after you climb the stairs, so don't forget the money at the car :)Enjoy!CarpatBike

You may become disappointed if you're expecting a preserved castle, with collections and artifacts, but other than a mockup of impalement, there aren't any of these.But coming here to connect with its rich history is, in my view, a fulfilling quest.First, there are 1,480 steps to climb. The environment is pleasant, the trees even beautiful. The anticipation of being in the castle will make you forget your tiredness. In the 15th century, Vlad the Impaler got his reputation from his practice of impaling his enemies or those he decided to execute. Though appearing cruel today, it was but one method of capital punishment in the Middle Ages. This castle, or fortress, appeared in legends about this ruler who was loved by his people for being a kind of Robin Hood. The Count recognized the castle's potential as a defense fort and decided to fortify it. At the same time, he wanted to punish some nobles who plotted to have the Turks defeat him. So, he commanded them to work on the castle. Another legend had him successfully fleeing the victorious Turks, escaping only because a village lady advised him to reverse the shoes worn by his horses. The stories are displayed here in English.There are nice views of the hills and valleys, but of the ruins themselves, you definitely need to imagine the glorious days when the fortress was standing.

The view is awesome, but just know you have 1480 stairs to climb (80 m in altitude). It's pretty exhausting unless you pace yourself. Beware of the summer heat and bring water.The ruins aren't much to look at to be honest. The castle is so so old that there's nothing much to look at other than the general shape. It's pretty neat to stand at the edge of the towers and it's nice to be in such an old place with so much history, but visually, it doesn't offer much.I'm very glad I went, because the view is really nice and it's a cool achievement to climb that many stairs. Don't expect the ruins to wow you, but the view will!

Cine nu a fost acolo merita macar o data. Ho s never travel at this location he must try . It s beutiful

The jurney up to the castle is a bit overwhelming, because of the almost 1500 stairs. My time: 40 min upstairs and 30 min downstairs (and I'm not a sportive girl). An advantage is that most of the stairs are built in deep forest, so it's really cool/chill.Once you're up, you have to pay a fee to visit the castle (5 RON/1,2 EUR).The view is amaizing, makes you forget all the hard climb.

You have to climb quite a lot until you reach the ruins. Poor guidance, so you must make some research on your own to understand what you see.

The true castle of Vlad the Impaler. Great views and well worth climbing the 1400+ steps. Make sure you bring your camera and a bottle of water.