Roman Fort of Călugăreni

About Roman Fort of Călugăreni

In the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD the fort at Călugăreni guarded the road along the Niraj valley, which linked the interior of the province of Dacia with the lands of eastern Transylvania that lay outside the limes. It was an auxiliary fort on the eastern line of the frontier, between Brâncovenești to the north and Sărățeni to the south-east. The first fortification, with a timber wall, appeared at the start of the 2nd century. Around the middle of the century it was rebuilt in stone, on a plan of about 162 × 140 m. Stamps on the bricks show that the garrison was Cohors I Augusta Ituraeorum, a unit of archers originally recruited among the Ituraeans of the Near East. The fort was abandoned in the second half of the 3rd century, and locals kept the name "Sânziana's Fortress" for the place.

The site has been described in writing since the 18th century, and modern research began in the 1960s. Since 2013 it has been studied by the Roman Limes Research Centre of the Mureș County Museum, which has uncovered the headquarters building, the baths and parts of the civil settlement. In the courtyard of the headquarters a paved well and a cistern with almost 2,000-year-old timber came to light, a rarity for the Roman period. The archaeological park has operated since 2015, and the site is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024.

Information verified on 12 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: Călugăreni belongs to Eremitu commune and lies in the Niraj valley, on DJ153A; it is about 35–40 km from Târgu Mureș and about 25 km from Reghin. The archaeological park is on the north-western edge of the village, on the commune road DC23.

Public transport: minibuses run between Târgu Mureș and Eremitu (about an hour), according to the operator's timetable; check whether they reach Călugăreni.

Where to park

The park project included parking spaces in the yard next to the visitor centre; the fee, if there is one, is not published.

Fees & discounts

Prices from the museum's locations page: 5 lei adults, 1 leu pupils and students, 2 lei seniors; entry is free for people with disabilities. An older museum page gave 4 lei for adults, and the prices after the 2026 reopening are not published. Some events are free to enter (for example, the day dedicated to Roman religion on 9 August 2025).

Rules

An archaeological site under research and protected by law: stay on the paths, do not climb on the remains and do not take anything from the ground.

Facilities

Visitor centre · ticket office · information panels · toilets · events and workshops