# Sarmizegetusa Regia

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Hunedoara County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/hunedoara) › [Grădiștea de Munte](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/gradistea-de-munte)

> The capital of the Dacian kingdom, hidden in the beech forests of the Orăștie Mountains: the walls of Decebalus's fortress, the paved road and the sacred area with andesite and limestone sanctuaries, a UNESCO site.

[UNESCO World Heritage](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/unesco-heritage) · [Top 20 in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/top-20)

**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Grădiștea de Munte, Hunedoara County. Opening hours: Monday–Friday closed, Saturday–Sunday 09:00 – 18:00. Ticket: 30 lei. The visit takes 2 – 2½ hours. Information verified on 29 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday–Friday closed, Saturday–Sunday 09:00 – 18:00 — Temporary hours due to restoration work: from 25 September and throughout October 2026, open on Saturdays and Sundays only, 09:00–18:00 (until 20:00 in September); closed Monday to Friday. Throughout 2026 the site has opened only at weekends (plus Fridays in August). Last winter (1 December 2025 – February 2026) the hours were Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–15:00, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Check the hours on the museum's website before setting off.
- **Ticket:** 30 lei — pupils, seniors 10 lei
- **Visit duration:** 2 – 2½ hours — including the walk from the car park
- **With kids:** Yes — sloping path, no pushchairs
- **Parking:** Yes, free — ~850 m from the entrance
- **Best season:** May – October — snow on the road in winter
- **Address:** At the end of county road DJ705A, about 19 km from Costești, Grădiștea de Munte, Hunedoara County
- **Coordinates:** 45.6207, 23.3072
- **Phone:** +40 254 216 750
- **Website:** https://www.mcdr.ro/index.php/ro/sectii-si-compartimente/sarmizegetusa-regia
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmizegetusa_Regia
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q739802
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Sarmizegetusa Regia

Sarmizegetusa Regia was the political, military and religious capital of the Dacians for the last century and a half before the Roman conquest. The settlement grew high up in the Orăștie Mountains, far from the open valleys, and reached its peak under King Decebalus. After two wars with the Roman Empire, Trajan took it in AD 106; the Romans kept a garrison here for a while, then the place was abandoned, and its name passed to the new capital of the province, Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, some 40 km away in the Hațeg Country — a different site, and one it is often confused with.

The site has three parts: the fortress itself, an enclosure of about 3 ha behind 3 m thick walls built in the murus dacicus technique (dressed limestone blocks tied together with timber beams); the civilian settlement, spread over artificial terraces along the ridge; and, east of the fortress, the sacred area. Some of the best-known Dacian objects were found here, such as the vessel inscribed "DECEBALVS PER SCORILO".

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

### What you can see

From the ticket office you enter the fortress between moss-covered walls and old beech trees, then walk down the road paved with limestone slabs, several metres wide, to the sacred area. In a broad clearing, rows of column bases mark the rectangular sanctuaries, in limestone and andesite, and next to them stand the two circular sanctuaries: the large one, with its posts restored in a ring, and the small one. Alongside is the "Andesite Sun", a disc of slabs with rays, thought to have been an altar. The routes are waymarked and have information panels in Romanian and English.

### Good to know

In 2026 restoration work is under way on Terrace X and inside the fortress enclosure, so the site opens at weekends only and some areas may be fenced off. The last 850 m or so, from the car park to the entrance, are walked uphill.

## Don't miss

- The large circular sanctuary, with its andesite posts restored in a ring, in the middle of the clearing in the sacred area.
- The "Andesite Sun", the disc of slabs with rays next to the sanctuaries.
- The road paved with limestone slabs that runs down from the fortress gate to the sacred area.
- The fortress walls in the murus dacicus technique, among the old beech trees along the enclosure.
- The drive up the Grădiștea valley, with stops at the Costești-Cetățuie and Costești-Blidaru fortresses, also on the UNESCO list.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** leave the A1 motorway at Orăștie and follow county road DJ705A through Beriu, Orăștioara de Sus and Costești, then up the Grădiștea valley through Grădiștea de Munte to the car park at the end of the road: ~40 km from Orăștie, the last ~19 km from Costești through almost uninhabited country. The road is paved all the way to the car park; the Orăștie–Costești section was upgraded in 2024–2025. Orăștie is ~30 km from Deva, ~40 km from Alba Iulia and ~85 km from Sibiu on the A1. Cars are not allowed beyond the car park: the last ~850 m to the ticket office are on foot, up a path through the forest (10–15 minutes). In winter the road may be covered in snow or ice.

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

### Where to park

Free, spacious car park at the end of the paved road; from there it is ~850 m on foot, uphill, to the ticket office. Cars are not allowed beyond the car park.

### Fees & discounts

Adults 30 lei; pupils, students and seniors 10 lei; people with moderate or mild disabilities 10 lei, with severe disabilities (and their companion) free. Photography fee 15 lei (private individuals). Audio guide in Romanian, English, French, German and Hungarian: 30 lei for 90 minutes. Specialist guided tour for groups of up to 30 people: 100 lei in Romanian, 150 lei in English. Annual pass: adults 200 lei, family 300 lei, pupils/students/seniors 100 lei. Single ticket for all the sites of the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation, valid for 7 days: adults 150 lei, children 50 lei, family 300 lei (2 adults + 2 children) or 200 lei (1 adult + 2 children). Commercial filming or photography: 300 lei per hour.

### Rules

Photography is charged separately (photo fee), and commercial filming and photography have their own rate. Cars stay in the car park. The site is guarded and monitored at all times; do not climb on the walls or the sanctuary posts, and keep to the waymarked routes, especially near the works. Wear hiking or sports shoes: the paths are earth and stone, sloping and slippery after rain.

### Facilities

Ticket office at the site entrance · toilets next to the ticket office · audio guide for hire · information panels in Romanian and English · mountain gendarmerie post · no shops or petrol stations on the last ~19 km (stock up in Costești) · guesthouses and restaurants in the Grădiștea valley

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1st c. BC–1st c. AD
- **Founder:** the Dacian kings
- **State of preservation:** ruins
- **Historical period:** 1st c. BC–2nd c. AD
- **Civilisation:** Dacian, Roman

## Frequently asked questions about Sarmizegetusa Regia

**How much is a ticket to Sarmizegetusa Regia?**

A ticket to Sarmizegetusa Regia costs 30 lei (pupils, seniors 10 lei). Adults 30 lei; pupils, students and seniors 10 lei; people with moderate or mild disabilities 10 lei, with severe disabilities (and their companion) free. Photography fee 15 lei (private individuals). Audio guide in Romanian, English, French, German and Hungarian: 30 lei for 90 minutes. Specialist guided tour for groups of up to 30 people: 100 lei in Romanian, 150 lei in English. Annual pass: adults 200 lei, family 300 lei, pupils/students/seniors 100 lei. Single ticket for all the sites of the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation, valid for 7 days: adults 150 lei, children 50 lei, family 300 lei (2 adults + 2 children) or 200 lei (1 adult + 2 children). Commercial filming or photography: 300 lei per hour.

**What are the opening hours of Sarmizegetusa Regia?**

Opening hours at Sarmizegetusa Regia: Monday–Friday closed, Saturday–Sunday 09:00 – 18:00. Temporary hours due to restoration work: from 25 September and throughout October 2026, open on Saturdays and Sundays only, 09:00–18:00 (until 20:00 in September); closed Monday to Friday. Throughout 2026 the site has opened only at weekends (plus Fridays in August). Last winter (1 December 2025 – February 2026) the hours were Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–15:00, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Check the hours on the museum's website before setting off.

**How long does a visit to Sarmizegetusa Regia take?**

A visit to Sarmizegetusa Regia takes about 2 – 2½ hours (including the walk from the car park).

**Can you visit Sarmizegetusa Regia with kids?**

Yes, Sarmizegetusa Regia is suitable for children (sloping path, no pushchairs).

**Where can I park at Sarmizegetusa Regia?**

There is free parking at Sarmizegetusa Regia (~850 m from the entrance). Free, spacious car park at the end of the paved road; from there it is ~850 m on foot, uphill, to the ticket office. Cars are not allowed beyond the car park.

**How do I get to Sarmizegetusa Regia?**

Sarmizegetusa Regia is located at At the end of county road DJ705A, about 19 km from Costești, Grădiștea de Munte, Hunedoara County. By car: leave the A1 motorway at Orăștie and follow county road DJ705A through Beriu, Orăștioara de Sus and Costești, then up the Grădiștea valley through Grădiștea de Munte to the car park at the end of the road: ~40 km from Orăștie, the last ~19 km from Costești through almost uninhabited country. The road is paved all the way to the car park; the Orăștie–Costești section was upgraded in 2024–2025. Orăștie is ~30 km from Deva, ~40 km from Alba Iulia and ~85 km from Sibiu on the A1. Cars are not allowed beyond the car park: the last ~850 m to the ticket office are on foot, up a path through the forest (10–15 minutes). In winter the road may be covered in snow or ice. Public transport: we found no regular service to the site. The nearest railway station is Orăștie, from where you continue by car or taxi.

**When is the best time to visit Sarmizegetusa Regia?**

The best season for Sarmizegetusa Regia: May – October (snow on the road in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-costesti-blidaru) — Fortresses and fortifications · Costești, HD · 5 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 16 km
  One of the strongest Dacian fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains: murus dacicus walls, six towers and a dog-leg entrance, on a wooded hill above Costești, a UNESCO site.
- [Piatra Roșie Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-piatra-rosie) — Fortresses and fortifications · Luncani, HD · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 16 km
  A Dacian fortress on top of a rocky hill above Luncani, with an ancient paved road of stone steps and tower ruins hidden in the forest; a UNESCO site, far from the crowds.
- [Costești-Cetățuie Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-costesti-cetatuie) — Fortresses and fortifications · Costești, HD · 10 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 18 km
  A Dacian fortress on Cetățuia hill, at the gateway to the Orăștie Mountains: earth ramparts, a stone wall built in the Hellenistic manner, tower houses and temples, a UNESCO site.
- [Bolii Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-bolii) — Caves · Bănița, HD · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 24 km
  A cave crossed by a mountain stream north of Petroșani, with a 20 m-wide portal and a gallery of about 466 m walked end to end on footbridges, beneath the Dacian fortress of Bănița.
- [Bănița Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-banita) — Fortresses and fortifications · Bănița, HD · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 24 km
  The ruins of a Dacian fortress on the rocky summit of Piatra Cetății, above the DN66, which guarded the southern approach to Sarmizegetusa Regia; a UNESCO site, reached only on foot by a steep climb.
- [Hațeg Bison Reserve](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/rezervatia-de-zimbri-hateg) — Zoos and aquariums · Hațeg, HD · 45 min · 34 km
  Romania's oldest European bison reserve, in the Slivuț forest near Hațeg: the first bison brought from Poland arrived here in 1958, and the herd can be watched from the fence of the enclosure.

---

Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sarmizegetusa-regia
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/sarmizegetusa-regia.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/sarmizegetusa-regia.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/sarmizegetusa-regia.md
Last updated: 29 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania