About Corvin Castle
Corvin Castle grew out of a royal stone fortress that King Sigismund of Luxembourg granted in 1409, together with the Hunedoara estate, to a nobleman named Voicu. His son, John Hunyadi, Voivode of Transylvania and later Regent of Hungary, turned it after 1440 into a residence worthy of his rank: he doubled the enclosure, raised round and rectangular towers, and built the chapel and the great palace on the west side.
Work went on under his son, King Matthias Corvinus, until around 1480, when the Matthias Loggia was built, one of the first Renaissance buildings in Transylvania. In the 17th century Prince Gabriel Bethlen added new wings, the artillery terrace and the Hussars' Court. Today's romantic look, with its tall pointed roofs, owes much to the restorations of the second half of the 19th century.
What you can see
You enter across a timber bridge resting on tall stone piers, high above the Zlaști valley. Inside, the most striking spaces are the Knights' Hall and the Diet Hall, one above the other, each with Gothic vaults resting on octagonal marble columns; one column still bears a Latin inscription from 1452 naming John Hunyadi.
The route also takes in the Gothic chapel, the Capistrano Tower with its Gothic fireplace, the deep well between the two enclosures, tied to a legend of Turkish prisoners, and the long gallery leading to the Neboisa Tower. The ticket also covers the Guild House and the archaeology exhibition in the Hussars' Court.
Good to know
Between 2018 and 2026 the castle underwent its first full restoration in over a century without closing to visitors; the works also opened new areas, such as the Bear Pit and the Chapel Bridge.
- The timber bridge on tall stone piers, with the castle rising above the Zlaști valley.
- The Knights' Hall, with its octagonal marble columns and John Hunyadi's inscription of 1452.
- The fresco in the Matthias Loggia, the only 15th-century secular painting surviving in Transylvania.
- The castle well and the Arabic inscription on a buttress of the chapel, linked to the legend of the Turkish prisoners.
- The long gallery on piers leading to the Neboisa Tower.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from the A1 motorway or the DN7, turn off towards Hunedoara at Sântuhalm and follow the DN68B into town (~20 km from Deva, ~30 minutes). Timișoara is ~170 km away (~2 hours on the A1) and Sibiu ~130 km (~1 hour 30 minutes). In Hunedoara the castle is signposted from the centre, past the town hall.
Public transport: train to Deva or Simeria, then a bus or minibus to Hunedoara; from the town centre you can walk to the castle.
- Where to park
There is a paid car park right next to the entrance and more car parks lower down in town, a few minutes' walk away. At weekends and on public holidays it fills up quickly — arrive in the morning.
- Fees & discounts
Adults 55 lei, pupils and students 15 lei, seniors 30 lei. The ticket covers the castle, the Guild House and the archaeology exhibition. Photography fee 15 lei, video fee 30 lei. Guide on request: 60 lei in Romanian, 100 lei in English or Hungarian. Groups of at least 20 people pay reduced rates (adults 45 lei). Entry is free for pre-school children and for people with severe disabilities and their companions. Tickets can also be bought online.
- Rules
Pets are not allowed. The stairs, balconies and high galleries can be dangerous for children, older visitors and people with limited mobility: do not lean over the parapets and do not leave children unsupervised. Photography and filming require a separate fee.
- Facilities
Toilets · souvenir stalls · guide in Romanian, English and Hungarian, on request · online tickets · not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs
Reviews
What visitors say
- RRaduP
Foarte fain castelul. Merita vazut.
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