Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Deva
Sights
1
Citadel
A1
A2
Sleeping
C4
A2
Eating
5
Arta
B3
B4
B2
Sights
Rising some 270m from town on a rocky hilltop, the
citadel
(admission free)
bestrides the
town. A
funicular
( 0254-220 288; return 10 lei; 9am-9pm)
saves visitors from the
steep climb (which leads up behind Parcul Cetăţii at the west end of B-dul 1 Decembrie).
At the top there are plenty of stone walls to ponder and 360-degree views of the surround-
ing hills.
Work started on the stone fortress in 1250. Legend says the wife of the mason was bur-
ied alive in the walls to ensure its safekeeping. In 1453 Iancu de Hunedoara expanded the
fort, just in time to imprison Unitarian activist Dávid Ferenc (1510-79), who died here. In
1784, during the peasant uprising led by Horea, Crişan and Cloşca, the fortress served as a
refuge for terrified nobles fearful of being killed by militant peasants. In 1849 Hungarian
nationalists attacked Austrian generals held up in the fort. The four-week siege ended with
the mighty explosion of the castle's gunpowder deposits, which left the castle in ruins.
Down by the park, at the foot of the hill, is the
County Museum
(Muzeul Judeţean
Hunedoara -Deva; 0254-216 750; adult/student 4/1.50 lei; 10am-6pm)
, housed in
the 17th-century Magna Curia Palace. Expect an exhibition on local flora and fauna - in-
cluding huge stuffed bisons - geology and a mix of classics thrown in for good measure.
