# Râșnov Fortress

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Brașov County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov) › [Râșnov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/rasnov)

> A medieval peasant fortress on a rocky hill above Râșnov, looking out to the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains; the upper enclosure is under restoration, but the Fortress Garden and Báthory Tower are open.

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**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Râșnov, Brașov County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Ticket: 10 lei. Information verified on 29 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 09:00 – 19:00 — Hours are for the Fortress Garden and the Báthory Tower: 09:00–19:00 in summer, 09:00–17:00 in winter. The upper enclosure is closed for restoration; a phased reopening is expected from 2028. The inclined lift has its own summer and winter hours.
- **Ticket:** 10 lei — garden and tower, card only
- **With kids:** Yes — free under 12
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — below the hill and in the centre
- **Best season:** All year round — open all year
- **Address:** Dealul Cetății; reached from Strada Cetății or by the inclined lift from Piața Unirii, Râșnov, Brașov County
- **Coordinates:** 45.5905, 25.4706
- **Website:** https://rosenauturism.ro/obiective-turistice/cetatea-rasnov/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A2%C8%99nov_Fortress
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3656045
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii)

## About Râșnov Fortress

Râșnov Fortress sits on a steep-sided limestone ridge above the town, right where the road from Bran comes in. Tradition links the first fortification to the Teutonic Knights, who held the Burzenland between 1211 and 1225, but the walls you see today were begun in the 14th century, in stone and brick. The first reliable mention dates from 1335, when the Tatars laid waste to the whole region and only the fortresses of Râșnov and Brașov held out.

It was never a nobleman's castle but a refuge for the community: at every invasion the people of Râșnov, Cristian and Ghimbav climbed up here with their animals and supplies and lived in the small houses of the enclosure. It withstood Ottoman sieges in 1421, 1436 and 1441 and fell only once, in 1612, to Prince Gabriel Báthory, after the besiegers found the path to the secret spring. To stop that happening again, a 146 m well was cut into the rock between 1623 and 1640. The fortress was abandoned in 1850.

Before it closed it was one of the most visited fortresses in the country, selling around 400,000 tickets a year. The upper enclosure has been shut for restoration since 2020, and the tender for the works was only launched in 2026, after years of delays.

### What you can see

What you can visit now is the outer courtyard, known in the Middle Ages as the "fortress garden": a sloping meadow with paths, benches and the ruins of the lower chapel, where livestock was kept during sieges. From here you get a close look at the walls, the round gate bastion and the towers of the upper enclosure, and below you the town and the Burzenland, ringed by the Bucegi, Piatra Craiului and Postăvarul mountains.

At the garden entrance stands the Báthory Tower, the square tower that livestock once passed under. Its upper part collapsed during the siege of 1613, and in 2003 archaeologists found weapons, tools and 416 silver coins beneath the rubble. The tower was rebuilt in 2010–2012; you climb it for the view and for the temporary history exhibitions held inside.

### Good to know

The upper enclosure, with the refugees' houses, the well, the chapel and the museum, stays closed for the whole restoration. The town hall expects a phased reopening from 2028, so for now you can only see the fortress from the garden and from outside. The ticket covers the garden and the tower only.

## Don't miss

- The view from the Báthory Tower over the Bucegi, Piatra Craiului and the Burzenland plain.
- The walls and round gate bastion of the upper enclosure, seen up close from the fortress garden.
- The ruins of the lower chapel, in the outer courtyard where livestock sheltered during sieges.
- The ride up on the inclined lift from the old centre, with Râșnov spread out below you.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Râșnov is on the DN73, ~15 km from Brașov (~25 minutes) and ~14 km from Bran. You go up to the fortress either from the town centre, by lift, or from Valea Cetății (Strada Cetății), where a ~1 km footpath climbs to the top.

**Public transport:** metropolitan bus 130 runs from Brașov (Stadionul Municipal) to Râșnov; from the town centre, take the lift behind the House of Culture up to the fortress, or walk up the path that runs alongside it.

### Where to park

Below the fortress hill, in Valea Cetății, there are pay car parks next to Dino Parc; they fill up quickly in July and August. In the centre, next to the lift's lower station, there is an underground car park with ~170 spaces.

### Fees & discounts

Fortress Garden and Báthory Tower: 10 lei per person over 12, including the exhibition in the tower; children under 12 go free. Tickets are sold only at the entrance and by card only. The inclined lift is paid separately: 30 lei for adults and 20 lei for children return, 20 lei for adults and 15 lei for children one way (adult fare from 14, free under 3).

### Rules

The upper enclosure is a building site and cannot be visited. The walk up from Valea Cetății or from the centre is steep, on dirt and stone paths: wear comfortable shoes. The Báthory Tower is climbed by stairs.

### Facilities

Toilets at the garden entrance · inclined lift accessible to people with disabilities · cafés and souvenir shops in the old centre

## Details

- **Construction period:** 13th–17th centuries
- **Founder:** the community of Râșnov
- **State of preservation:** under restoration

## Frequently asked questions about Râșnov Fortress

**How much is a ticket to Râșnov Fortress?**

A ticket to Râșnov Fortress costs 10 lei (garden and tower, card only). Fortress Garden and Báthory Tower: 10 lei per person over 12, including the exhibition in the tower; children under 12 go free. Tickets are sold only at the entrance and by card only. The inclined lift is paid separately: 30 lei for adults and 20 lei for children return, 20 lei for adults and 15 lei for children one way (adult fare from 14, free under 3).

**What are the opening hours of Râșnov Fortress?**

Opening hours at Râșnov Fortress: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Hours are for the Fortress Garden and the Báthory Tower: 09:00–19:00 in summer, 09:00–17:00 in winter. The upper enclosure is closed for restoration; a phased reopening is expected from 2028. The inclined lift has its own summer and winter hours.

**Can you visit Râșnov Fortress with kids?**

Yes, Râșnov Fortress is suitable for children (free under 12).

**Where can I park at Râșnov Fortress?**

There is paid parking at Râșnov Fortress (below the hill and in the centre). Below the fortress hill, in Valea Cetății, there are pay car parks next to Dino Parc; they fill up quickly in July and August. In the centre, next to the lift's lower station, there is an underground car park with ~170 spaces.

**How do I get to Râșnov Fortress?**

Râșnov Fortress is located at Dealul Cetății; reached from Strada Cetății or by the inclined lift from Piața Unirii, Râșnov, Brașov County. By car: Râșnov is on the DN73, ~15 km from Brașov (~25 minutes) and ~14 km from Bran. You go up to the fortress either from the town centre, by lift, or from Valea Cetății (Strada Cetății), where a ~1 km footpath climbs to the top. Public transport: metropolitan bus 130 runs from Brașov (Stadionul Municipal) to Râșnov; from the town centre, take the lift behind the House of Culture up to the fortress, or walk up the path that runs alongside it.

**When is the best time to visit Râșnov Fortress?**

The best season for Râșnov Fortress: All year round (open all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Valea Cetății Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-valea-cetatii) — Caves · Râșnov, BV · 35 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 3 km
  A lit cave on the slopes of Postăvarul, between Râșnov and Poiana Brașov, with a great hall over 20 m high, visited with a guide and sometimes used for concerts.
- [Cristian Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cristian) — Monasteries and churches · Cristian, BV · 5 km
  A Saxon church fortress in the Burzenland, near Brașov: a 19th-century Neoclassical church ringed by a double medieval wall with eight surviving defensive towers.
- [Zărnești Bear Sanctuary](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sanctuarul-de-ursi-zarnesti) — Zoos and aquariums · Zărnești, BV · 95 lei · 1 – 1¼ hours · 8 km
  The Libearty Bear Sanctuary, on 69 hectares of forest near Zărnești: home to more than 120 brown bears rescued from captivity, visited only on guided tours. It is not a zoo.
- [Poiana Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poiana-brasov) — Resorts and thermal baths · Brașov, BV · Free · 5½ – 6 hours · 8 km
  Romania's best-known ski resort, above 1,000 m beneath Postăvaru: 12 slopes, cable cars almost to the summit and, in summer, forest trails and views over Brașov.
- [First Romanian School](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/prima-scoala-romaneasca) — Museums and memorial houses · Brașov, BV · 20 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 13 km
  The old school in the courtyard of St Nicholas' Church in Șcheii Brașovului, now a museum: a classroom with wooden benches, a replica of Coresi's printing press and Romanian books five centuries old.
- [St Nicholas Church in Șchei](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-sfantul-nicolae-din-schei) — Monasteries and churches · Brașov, BV · 45 min · 13 km
  The Orthodox church of the Romanians of Șcheii Brașovului, built from 1495 on the site of a wooden one, with Gothic-Baroque towers, painted façades and Nicolae Titulescu's grave in the churchyard.

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Last updated: 29 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania