Corvin Castle rises from the Transylvanian foothills as one of the largest and most elaborately detailed Gothic-Renaissance fortresses in Europe â a 14th-century military stronghold rebuilt as a residence of extraordinary architectural ambition by the Hunyadi family, whose power shaped medieval Hungary.
What to see
- The Knight's Hall â the castle's great ceremonial room, 27 meters long with vaulted ceilings and the family coat of arms carved into the stone
- The Chapel â a Gothic chapel of considerable quality, its spire visible from the valley below
- The drawbridge and the Bear Pit â the original drawbridge mechanism and the pit below the eastern tower, associated with local legends of Vlad the Impaler's imprisonment here
What to eat
- Sarmale (cabbage rolls stuffed with minced pork and rice in tomato sauce) and mÄmÄligÄ (polenta) at the restaurants in Hunedoara town at the foot of the castle
Take note
- The castle is open year-round; guided tours are available in Romanian and English; the surrounding valley walk gives the most dramatic exterior views