# Roman Fort of Călugăreni

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Mureș County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/mures) › [Călugăreni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/calugareni)

> An auxiliary Roman fort on the eastern limes of Dacia, in the Niraj valley, now a modernised archaeological park (Limesparc) with exhibition pavilions and a viewpoint.

[UNESCO World Heritage](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/unesco-heritage)

**At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in Călugăreni, Mureș County. Ticket: 5 lei. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 12 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The Time Box pavilions are open from 1 April to 30 November, Tuesday to Sunday; closed on Mondays. The Mureș County Museum gives different hours on its pages (Tuesday–Friday 9–17 or 9–18, Saturday–Sunday 10–16 or 9–16), and it has not published a new schedule since the park reopened in June 2026. Call before you go on 0756 617 783.
- **Ticket:** 5 lei — pupils 1 leu, seniors 2 lei
- **Visit duration:** 1 – 1½ hours — estimate; pavilions, viewpoint
- **With kids:** Yes — workshops at events
- **Best season:** April – November — pavilions 1 Apr–30 Nov
- **Address:** Archaeological Park, Călugăreni no. 4–5, on DC23 (Eremitu commune), Călugăreni, Mureș County
- **Coordinates:** 46.62646, 24.87597
- **Phone:** +40 756 617 783
- **Website:** https://muzeulmures.ro/limesparc-calugareni/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castra_of_C%C4%83lug%C4%83reni
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q612811
- **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice), [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii)

## 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.

### What you can see

Most of the fort's walls lie underground, so a visit relies on the park's installations, which cover over 5 hectares: interpretive panels, the Time Box exhibition pavilions, dedicated to the fort and the Roman baths, and the Busola viewpoint, with views of the fort's ground, the civil settlement and the Niraj valley. The park was modernised and extended with Recovery and Resilience Plan funds, under the Roman Forts Route, and was inaugurated in June 2026 as Limesparc, with a visitor centre in two rebuilt traditional barns. On event days (in summer, the Roman festival) there are reenactments, workshops and guided visits to the excavations.

### Good to know

The schedule since the park reopened in 2026 is not published on the museum's page, and its pages give different hours, so call before you go. The site is open-air, in the countryside, with stretches that have no shade.

## Don't miss

- The Busola viewpoint, with views of the fort's ground, the civil settlement and the Niraj valley.
- The Time Box exhibition pavilions, dedicated to the auxiliary fort and the Roman baths.
- The guided visits to the excavations in the headquarters courtyard, with the paved well and the cistern with preserved Roman-era timber.
- The Roman festival in summer, with historical reenactments, parades and workshops for children and adults.

## 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

## Details

- **Construction period:** 2nd c.
- **State of preservation:** ruins
- **Historical period:** 2nd–3rd c. AD
- **Civilisation:** Roman

## Frequently asked questions about Roman Fort of Călugăreni

**How much is a ticket to Roman Fort of Călugăreni?**

A ticket to Roman Fort of Călugăreni costs 5 lei (pupils 1 leu, seniors 2 lei). 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).

**How long does a visit to Roman Fort of Călugăreni take?**

A visit to Roman Fort of Călugăreni takes about 1 – 1½ hours (estimate; pavilions, viewpoint).

**Can you visit Roman Fort of Călugăreni with kids?**

Yes, Roman Fort of Călugăreni is suitable for children (workshops at events).

**How do I get to Roman Fort of Călugăreni?**

Roman Fort of Călugăreni is located at Archaeological Park, Călugăreni no. 4–5, on DC23 (Eremitu commune), Călugăreni, Mureș County. 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.

**When is the best time to visit Roman Fort of Călugăreni?**

The best season for Roman Fort of Călugăreni: April – November (pavilions 1 Apr–30 Nov).

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Last updated: 12 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania