Poenari Citadel, an enchanting medieval fortress, is located on a mountain top in Argeș County, 27 kilometers from Curtea de Argeș. This citadel is a historical monument since the 14th century, being an important tourist attraction for those who want to visit Transfăgărășan.
The mountain road, the landscape and the beauty of the fortress are worth the effort to climb the 1480 steps in the ridge to the ruins of the Poenari Fortress. This was the source of inspiration for the writer Jules Verne in the composition of the novel “Carpathian Castle”. The citadel is the second residence of Vlad the Impaler, rebuilt to serve as a fortress against the Turks who attacked him. Poenari Fortress was the last refuge of the ruler before he left Transylvania.