Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress

About Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress

At a glance: Fortresses and fortifications in Costești, Hunedoara County. Ticket: 5 lei. The visit takes 2 – 2½ hours. Information verified on 7 October 2026.

The fortress on Blidaru Hill was one of the key points of the Dacian defensive system in the Orăștie Mountains. It stands on a 705 m hill between the Apa Grădiștii stream and the Faeragului valley, joined by a narrow saddle to the Muchia Faeragului ridge, and watched over the valley that led up to Sarmizegetusa Regia. It was built in two stages: first the eastern enclosure, an irregular trapezium with a tower at each corner, probably in the second half of the 1st century BC; then, in the 1st century AD, the fortress was extended westwards. The Romans destroyed it in the second Dacian war, in AD 105–106.

The walls, about 3 m thick, are built in the murus dacicus technique, inspired by Hellenistic models, and some blocks bear Greek letters, marks left by the stonemasons. The plateau of about 6,000 m², levelled by the Dacians, held a tower-dwelling, probably the residence of the commander, and stone storerooms, while on the slope below the north-west tower lay a vaulted cistern of almost 200 m³, lined with a Roman-style mortar. Systematic excavations began in 1953, led by Constantin Daicoviciu.

Since 1999 Costești-Blidaru has been part of the "Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains", inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Sarmizegetusa Regia, Costești-Cetățuie, Luncani-Piatra Roșie, Bănița and Căpâlna.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: leave the A1 motorway at Orăștie and follow county road DJ705A to Costești (~20 km). After crossing the bridge over the Apa Grădiștii, the path to the fortress starts on the left of the road, waymarked with a blue stripe (it is the start of the long ridge route Costești – Blidaru Fortress – Târsa – Godeanu Peak). The climb takes about 50 minutes, and the first stretch is the hardest. Orăștie is ~30 km from Deva, ~40 km from Alba Iulia and ~85 km from Sibiu on the A1.

Public transport: we found no regular service to Costești. The nearest railway station is Orăștie, from where you continue by car or taxi.

Fees & discounts

We found no separate entry ticket for the fortress. Blidaru Fortress is listed among the sights of the Grădiștea Muncelului-Cioclovina Natural Park, whose visitor fee is 5 lei per person per day; it is paid to park staff on site, by SMS to 7473 (PNGMC1 = one person for one day, €1) or online. Exemptions include children under 14, people with disabilities and local residents.

Rules

Keep to the waymarked path and do not climb on the walls: they are conserved ruins, a historic monument and a UNESCO site. The rules of the Grădiștea Muncelului-Cioclovina Natural Park apply. Wear hiking shoes and bring water: the path is earth, steep at first and slippery after rain.

Facilities

Information panels at the fortress · no ticket office, toilets or shops at the site · supplies and guesthouses in Costești