# Severin Medieval Fortress [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Mehedinți County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/mehedinti) › [Drobeta-Turnu Severin](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/drobeta-turnu-severin) > The ruins of the fortress on the Danube bank, centre of the Banate of Severin in the 13th century: consolidated walls and moat, the surviving north-east tower and a medieval festival each autumn. **At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 19:00. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 13 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** daily 09:00 – 19:00 — Hours from the website of the "Teodor Costescu" Palace of Culture, which manages the fortress: daily, 09:00–19:00. Other pages give 09:00–21:00 or Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:00, and the official site carries no recent date, so check by phone before you go. - **Visit duration:** 45 min — estimate, outdoors - **With kids:** Yes — deep moat, walls - **Parking:** Yes, paid — around the port and the park - **Best season:** April – October — open-air ruin - **Address:** Strada Portului no. 5, in the park by the Danube, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County - **Coordinates:** 44.62256, 22.65636 - **Phone:** +40 371 067 727 - **Website:** https://casteluldeapa.com/ - **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severin_Fortress - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18547580 - **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice) ## About Severin Medieval Fortress Severin Fortress appeared in the 13th century, when the Kingdom of Hungary organised the defence of the Iron Gates and set up the Banate of Severin in 1230. Around 1247 the Knights Hospitaller were brought here. The place was contested for a long time: in the 14th century it passed back and forth between the Hungarian crown and the voivodes of Wallachia, and from 1386 it was held by Mircea the Elder. In 1448 John Hunyadi was appointed ban of Severin. In 1524 the Ottomans took and destroyed the fortress, and its stones were reused in the fortifications on the southern bank of the Danube. Only one tower was left standing, which locals called "Sever's Tower". The walls were consolidated, studied by archaeologists and put on show in an EU-funded project that also restored the buildings nearby. ### What you can see What remains today are ruins: two enclosures, inner and outer, surrounded by a deep moat, with consolidated walls and the traces of the square towers that flanked the courtyard. The tallest remnant is the wall of the north-east tower, several storeys high. You can also make out the gate in the south-east corner and the foundation of a chapel, with graves around it. The fortress stands in a park close to the Danube, and its courtyard hosts shows and concerts. ### Good to know The fortress is a ruin, not a building with museum rooms: it is visited outdoors, along paths, with no dedicated exhibition. Every year, at the end of summer, it hosts the Severin Fortress Medieval Festival, with medieval camps, armoured combat, archery and fire shows: the 9th edition took place on 22–24 August 2025 and the 10th on 4–6 September 2026. ## Don't miss - The wall of the north-east tower, the only tower left standing after the destruction of 1524. - The deep moat around the two enclosures, visible from the paths. - The foundation of the chapel in the centre of the fortress, surrounded by graves. - The Severin Fortress Medieval Festival, with armoured combat and fire shows, at the end of summer. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** the fortress is in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, in the park near the port, on Strada Portului, close to the Danube. The town is on the DN6 (E70), about 120 km from Craiova and about 50 km from Orșova. **Public transport:** Drobeta-Turnu Severin has a CFR railway station; from the station you can reach the port area by city transport or by taxi. ### Where to park Park on the streets around the port and the park, under the regime set by the town hall; on festival days the spaces fill up quickly. ### Fees & discounts The sources do not agree: a hotel page from January 2026 gives 20 lei for adults, 15 lei for pensioners and 10 lei for pupils and students, România Atractivă gives 10 lei for adults, and other pages say entry is free. The official site publishes no prices. Confirm by phone. ### Rules The fortress is visited along the paths, without climbing on the walls or stepping into the fenced-off areas. Photography is allowed, and on festival days the organisers' access rules may apply. ### Facilities Laid-out paths · performance space in the courtyard · audio guide and stories on the manager's website · the Water Castle nearby ## Details - **Construction period:** 13th–15th centuries - **Founder:** the Kingdom of Hungary - **State of preservation:** consolidated ruins - **Historical period:** Middle Ages - **Civilisation:** medieval ## Frequently asked questions about Severin Medieval Fortress **What are the opening hours of Severin Medieval Fortress?** Opening hours at Severin Medieval Fortress: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Hours from the website of the "Teodor Costescu" Palace of Culture, which manages the fortress: daily, 09:00–19:00. Other pages give 09:00–21:00 or Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:00, and the official site carries no recent date, so check by phone before you go. **How long does a visit to Severin Medieval Fortress take?** A visit to Severin Medieval Fortress takes about 45 min (estimate, outdoors). **Can you visit Severin Medieval Fortress with kids?** Yes, Severin Medieval Fortress is suitable for children (deep moat, walls). **Where can I park at Severin Medieval Fortress?** There is paid parking at Severin Medieval Fortress (around the port and the park). Park on the streets around the port and the park, under the regime set by the town hall; on festival days the spaces fill up quickly. **How do I get to Severin Medieval Fortress?** Severin Medieval Fortress is located at Strada Portului no. 5, in the park by the Danube, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County. By car: the fortress is in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, in the park near the port, on Strada Portului, close to the Danube. The town is on the DN6 (E70), about 120 km from Craiova and about 50 km from Orșova. Public transport: Drobeta-Turnu Severin has a CFR railway station; from the station you can reach the port area by city transport or by taxi. **When is the best time to visit Severin Medieval Fortress?** The best season for Severin Medieval Fortress: April – October (open-air ruin). ## Nearby attractions - [Roman Fort of Drobeta](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-drobeta) — Monuments and historic sites · Drobeta-Turnu Severin, MH · 45 min · 1 km The fort that guarded the northern end of Trajan's Bridge over the Danube: restored walls and foundations in the courtyard of the Iron Gates Region Museum in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. - [Tudor Vladimirescu Cula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-tudor-vladimirescu) — Fortresses and fortifications · Cerneți, MH · 30 min · 9 km The cula on Gârdanul Hill near Drobeta-Turnu Severin, linked to the name of Tudor Vladimirescu: a fortified boyar house with a brick-columned gallery and a watchtower, currently being restored. - [Nistor Kula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-nistor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Cerneți, MH · 30 min · 9 km A fortified manor house in Cerneți, near Drobeta Turnu Severin, built around 1812 and rebuilt after 1821 by the pandur captain Nistor, with a veranda on carved posts. - [Roman Fort of Hinova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-hinova) — Monuments and historic sites · Hinova, MH · 30 min · 16 km A late Roman fort on the first terrace of the Danube, north of Hinova village, with low stone walls and seven towers; the largest prehistoric gold hoard in Romania was found here. - [Danube Gorge Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/drumul-clisurii-dunarii) — Scenic roads · Mehedinți County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 37 km The DN57 runs about 100 km along the Danube from Orșova to Moldova Nouă, through the Great and Small Cauldrons, past the rock face of Decebalus, with Serbia on the far bank. - [Rock Sculpture of Decebalus](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/chipul-lui-decebal) — Monuments and historic sites · Eșelnița, MH · Free · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 38 km The face of the Dacian king Decebalus, carved between 1994 and 2004 into a 55 m rock at the mouth of the Mraconia, on the Romanian bank of the Danube: the tallest rock sculpture in Europe. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-severinului Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/cetatea-severinului.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/cetatea-severinului.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/cetatea-severinului.md Last updated: 13 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania