Visiting Alba Iulia and the Alba Carolina Citadel was a real treat with lots of interesting things to see and do. This is a fantastic and historical place and tourist attraction to explore in the Transylvania region of Romania.
This visit was with a dog, although after the long train journey he slept in the room lots. While visiting, there was lots of sightseeing to do, particularly in the Alba Iulia citadel. There are also many pleasant restaurants and bars to enhance a visit.
Alba Iulia Romania History
Alba Iulia is in the West-Central part of Romania in the heart of the Transylvania region. Historically, the city also has been the base of Transylvania’s Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690, Alba Iulia was the capital of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom. It was also the latter Principality of Transylvania. The city is historically important for Romanians, Hungarians, and Transylvanian Saxons.
In December 2018, they officially declared the city capital of the Great Union of Romania. Great Union Day AKA Ziua Marii Uniri, celebrated on 1st December annually. Ziua Marii Uniri is a celebration of the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918.
The main historical feature of Alba Iulia is the Citadel, also known as the upper town. Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, created this. However, the Habsburgs renamed the city Karlsburg. The fortress has seven bastions in a star shape. They constructed it between 1716 and 1735.
Things To Do In Alba Iulia & Its Beautiful Citadel
I had a good mooch around Alba Carolina Citadel or fortress, which was one of the top attractions in Alba Iulia. The Alba Carolina Citadel is a star-shaped fortress. It takes pride of place in the “Seven Wonders of Romania”. Construction of the Citadel started in 1715 during the Habsburg rule in Transylvania, eventually completed it in 1738.
They built the citadel on the site of two other fortifications: the legionary fortress of Legio XIII Gemina, and also the medieval Balgrad citadel. They named the citadel after Charles VI, also known as Carol VI in Romanian. Charles was the Holy Roman Emperor at the time of the citadel’s construction.
Alba Carolina Citadel Model
A handy thing to do when visiting the citadel is seek out a map to get your bearings. They have various maps about including a bronze model of the site. This has a handy way to help you figure out what to see and where it is. We found various other maps about including as place mats in some restaurants.
1st Gate of the fortress
The 1st gate of The Fortress was the first gateway I passed through, which was very ornate. As I was visiting at Christmas, they enhanced this with a lighted star to walk through. This looked better at night than day time IMO. They constructed the Gate from stone, as a triumphal arch. It is at the base of the eastern terrace on which they erected the fortification.
This gate has many decorative features and includes representations of a few historical and mythical figures. It includes a statue of Mars, the god of war, also Venus, the goddess of beauty at the top. Also featured are mythical characters, Enea, the legendary founder of Rome and Hercules. Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek hero Herakles, the most popular figure from ancient Greek mythology. Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene.
The 2nd Gate of Alba Carolina Fortress
The 2nd gate of the fortress is a lovley thing to see on the hill towards the fortifications. They restored the 2nd gate in 2009. Another rather ornate gateway at the top of a 130-metre slope, designed that way to make it difficult for attackers to reach. I see why as it raised my heart rate climbing.
Obeliscul lui Horea, Cloșca şi Crișan, an impressive sight
The Horea, Closca and Crisan Obelisk were a prominent landmark located outside of the main fortifications. These are on the walkway and visible for quite some way. The obelisk is 20 metres tall, in an art déco style. Obeliscul lui Horea, Cloșca şi Crișan was built to commemorate the fall of the 50th Regiment in the Battle of Custozza in 1866.
The Battle of Custoza took place on the 24 June 1866 during the Third Italian War of Independence in the Italian unification process. The Austrian Imperial army, allied with the Venetian Army. Archduke Albrecht of Habsburg commanded them. They defeated the Italian army despite being outnumbered.
See The 3rd Gate of the fortress
Poarta a III Cetății is the 3rd Gate of the fortress on the main citadel wall. It is accessible by crossing a small bridge across a moat. At Christmas time, they decorated this with a tunnel of lights. The tunnel looked fantastic and was very popular with selfie takers. Outside of the citadel is a pleasant terrace, ideal for walking the bastions. There is also a lower walkway around the whole structure.
The gate had wheels inside, guards historically used them to close the gate. Now it hosts guide maps and information for visitors and was quite informative.
Alba Carolina Citadel Walls & Bastions
This is the main entrance to the citadel at the east end of the fortress. The gate is in the middle of the fortress wall that joins two bastions of the Fortress; the bastions are named Saint Eugene and Saint Capistrano. At the top is the equestrian statue of Emperor Carol VI. The gate has three entrances; one larger central one and two smaller at each side.
The Main Square – Piata Cetatii
Inside the citadel was the main square called Piata Cetatii. At Christmas time, the square has stalls for the Alba Iulia Christmas Market. There were stalls selling gifts, local food, including a favourite of mine, Kurtos. Also, there were stalls selling beers, including the refreshing lager Ursus. They decorated Piata Cetatii with some cheerful lights and also had an ice rink to have some fun.
The Square was near to a museum of Romanian artefacts. These were mainly stone. However, behind that was the striking Universitatea 1 Decembrie 1918 building.
Via Principalis Roman Ruins
Near the main square of the citadel, you can see Via Principalis. Via Principalis is some interesting Roman remains. A Roman legion was stationed here, and this relates to that. You can see the wide street, columns and walls which are like those in Pompei. They also have a sketch showing visitors how the street looked back in the Roman era.
Visit The City’s Museums
There are various museums to visit when in Alba Iulia covering a variety of topics.
Principia museum
The Principia Museum is in citadel square and is a fun place to visit if you enjoy Roman history. They have lots of Roman artefacts to see. The museum tells the story of the Romans in the area. The site used to be the headquarters of the 13th Legion Gemina in Dacia. Overall, this is one of many interesting things to do in the city if you enjoy history.
National Museum of the Union
The National Museum of the Union, another beautiful building to see. On our visit to Alba Iulia it was nicely lit up with Christmas lights. The National Museum of the Union hosts many items regarding the history of modern Romania since unification.
See The Michael The Brave Equestrian Statue
Michael The Brave Equestrian Statue is a bronze statue at the rear of Saint Michaels cathedral. We spotted Michael the Brave statues in many cities in Romania. They are prevalent due to him being one of Romania’s greatest national heroes. I have seen them personally here, in Cluj-Napoca and Tulcea. I’m sure I will see many more.
Roman-Catholic Cathedral Saint Michael
The Roman-Catholic Cathedral of Saint Michael was closed on my visit, so I could not enter. St. Michael’s is the oldest and the longest cathedral in the country dating back to the 11th century. During the 13th century, they also rebuild St. Michael’s cathedral in the transitory style. This is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
Visit Coronation Cathedral
Coronation Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in the Alba Carolina Citadel. They both sit alongside each other. This place of worship is Orthodox, the other next door being a Roman Catholic Cathedral. Both are great religious buildings in their own right, but look very special as a pair.
The Coronation Cathedral or in Romanian Catedrala Încoronării. They dedicate the cathedral to the Holy Trinity and the Holy Archangels, Michael and Gabriel. This is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral. They constructed it to commemorate the Union of Transylvania with Romania. Visiting the cathedral is free, however, donations are welcome.
They built the Cathedral in 1921–1922. They finished it ready in time for the coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie, who were crowned as monarchs of Greater Romania on October 15, 1922.
Catedrala Încoronării Courtyard & Buildings
The cathedral forms part of a group of buildings erected beginning in the late 19th century. They built it in the national style promoted by Ion Mincu and Petre Antonescu. These incorporated traditional forms of Romanian architecture. This is in the Brâncovenesc style, and adapting them to modern tastes.
The buildings and gardens surrounding the cathedral were very special to look around. To me, it felt like being in a monastery and was quite uplifting. I was lucky to be in town on a quiet day and thoroughly enjoyed admiring the buildings. You pass an archway to access the courtyard. This arch is underneath a tower. Which was in the design I had seen a few times in Romania.
Visit Inside Coronation Cathedral
This cathedral was very special on the outside to look at and also take photographs. The inside is spectacular, with intricate art everywhere, especially on the ceilings. The detail of the decor is very special, as are the stained glass windows.
The altar of the cathedral was something special. They made it from dark wood. The altar has an orthodox cross at the top and lots of religious art incorporated into it. I had a nice sit and reflect while sitting in a chair at the edge of the church. Meanwhile, others took their time to pray. It is free to enter the historical attraction and is fantastic to explore.
4th Gate of Alba Carolina Citadel
The 4th gate of the fortress is at the western end of the citadel. They connected this gate by a road from the 3rd gate of the fortress. They also know the 4th gate as Bishop’s Gate and The New Gate.
The gate is at a joining point of two of the bastions, the Trinitarians and Saint Michael. The gate is an important monument and an example of baroque art. It has some very nice decoration and some symbolism. More…
Walk Around the Citadel Fortifications
After passing through the 4th gate, I crossed a bridge and descended into the moat of the fortress. This was green and pleasant. It also had a tourist information centre. The walkway went completely around the citadel and was very nice. However, I decided this would be the evening dog walk and walked the walls twice on my trip.
An interesting thing to see when walking around the fortress are the bridges to the gates. The wooden bridges were eye-catching and nice to see.
Tourist information
Near the fourth gate, in the shadow of the bastion, is the tourist information office. Here you can find out more about the tourist attractions and things to do in Alba Iulia. You can also pick up maps, information leaflets or book a guided tour.
Street Market
In the main area of Alba Carolina citadel, they have a lovely street market. These sell local produce and crafts which make for perfect souvenirs. Some also sell snacks and drinks to help you enjoy your visit.
Locomotive 764156
A common thing to see when in the towns of Romania is examples of their railway heritage. Most railway stations usually have a steam locomotive on display. However, in Alba Iulia, they have one near the citadel a short walk from the 1st Gate of the fortress. This one is a small train and called Locomotive 764156.
Map of Alba Iulia Citadel
You can find various maps of Alba Iulia citadel when visiting to help you navigate the star-shaped fortress. These are pretty handy for making sure you don’t miss any of the kay places of interest when visiting.
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Alba Iulia Restaurants
On my visit to the Alba Iulia and Alba Carolina Citadel, I ate out in restaurants for all of my meals. Also, I popped into a few of the local pubs and bars for a beer or two. This is my experience of the establishments that I visited for sustenance while on my stay. All eateries in the city had traditional Romanian cuisine on the menus from my observations.
These are some great restaurants I visited in on my visit to the city. They all came highly recommended and had great reviews to match.
Pub 13 For Traditional Food in Alba Carolina Citadel
After the bags dropped and tired as hell after the 14 hours in 2nd class seats on an overcrowded Pre-Christmas night train needed some food and a drink. We scoured Google as usual after our first choice was closed. This pointed toward Pub13 on the fortress walls. We left the dog to relax in the room after the interesting train ride and headed out to eat.
Pub13 Was a pleasurable surprise a well-decorated restaurant. They had decorated it out in medieval style, with suits of armour on the walls and heavy wood furniture. The décor impressed me, resulting in me having high hopes for the food.
I am fond of the Romanian dish Mici, so our first time back in Romania, I had to oblige. The restaurant didn’t disappoint and was absolutely delicious, served with fries and some mild mustard. Ursus was the beer of the day, a favourite of mine when drinking in the bars and restaurants of Transylvania.
After lunch, we headed back to the room, and I explored while the fiance had a nap. I think Pub13 is a fantastic place to dine out, and the decor makes it a rather special place.
Evening Meal at La Conac Restaurant
After our evening walkies, our host recommended for us to visit La Conac Restaurant. She had offered to look after the dog for the evening while we went out. Very nice. La Conac was a nicely decorated restaurant that had friendly waiting staff who spoke great English. For drinks, we enjoyed a combination of Tuica and Csiki Sör, a Transylvanian beer that was very refreshing.
The mains were an old favourite schnitzel, this time the Romanian take on pork schnitzel. This was thicker than the ones I had enjoyed earlier in the week at Prater in Vienna. La Conac Restaurant served this with fries, salad, and a side portion of pickled beetroot. Overall, the food and decor of La Conac Restaurant were very good and I highly recommend.
La Poarta Bar
First Stop on my mooch around was to admire the first gate of the fortress while having a bottle of Tuborg at La Poarta. La Poarta is a trendy chilled out bar that on enquiring said they were dog friendly for small dogs. The bar is a well-decorated venue, and the restaurant’s staff also speak great English. They had outdoor seating in the front and rear of the bar, and also a comfortable bar area.
La Vizitiu A Traditional Restaurant
Near the 4th gate of the fortress, by the cathedral is La Vizitiu. La Vizitiu is a traditional Romanian restaurant with both inside and outside seating. IT is a great place to stop while walking around the footpath on the moat of the fortifications. They serve a variety of traditional dishes including Transylvanian soups, mici and pork knuckles with beans. Overall, La Vizitiu is a lovely place for food or just a drink.
Gothic Restaurant
Another of the restaurants at the citadel is Gothic Restaurant. They have a gool location in the shadow of the fortifications and have outside seating with splendid views of the fortress. Gothic has a diverse menu, including Romanian soups, pizzas, pasta and meat dishes. They also have an interesting beer menu with some fantastic Czech and Belgian options. I enjoyed a Leffe here on their outside seating area, which was nice.
Cheap Dog-Friendly Hotels & Apartments
On searching Booking.com for cheap, dog friendly places to stay in Alba Iulia, there were many options. Options are available for most budgets, including some reasonably cheap options. This included rooms in houses, apartments and hotels of varying standards. I needed primarily a budget bedroom, with a shower, and must be dog friendly. The dog-friendly filter narrowed out choices and plumped for a guest room in a house costing less than £15 for the night.
My Stay at a Budget Guest Room in a House
We had arrived early at our accommodation so we could grab a few hours’ sleep after the tiring night train journey, something the host was happy to do. The accommodation this time was a room in an old Romanian lady’s home close to the citadel and a 15-minute walk from the station. The room was clean and spacious and we were welcome to use the kitchen and the lounge in the house.
The host was friendly and spoke good English and was very welcoming to the dog, who got loads of attention. We got some useful restaurant recommendations from the host before venturing out to the citadel. Later in the evening, the friendly host sat outside and socialised with us. She also shared wine, Tuica, and stories and a few sweet snacks. The dog got a treat of some cat food, which he wolfed down and appreciated the Romanian hospitality.
Restaurant Hotel Medieval
Near to the 3rd Gate is the Hotel Medieval, a popular option for citadel visitors. They housed the hotel in a 300-year-old historical building in the middle of the fortress. The hotel building preserves the original architectural elements of the eighteenth century. It has 28 rooms, all with a different view of the fortifications. More info…
Onwards Travel In Romania
Our next stop was Brasov to spend a few weeks over Christmas and new year. We left on a 5-hour train journey mid-morning. We enjoyed a quick Interrail Breakfast of bread, cheese, local meats and also delicious marinaded peppers.
Is Alba Iulia Worth Visiting?
Alba Iulia was a fantastic Interrail stopover and would also make a great day trip. I highly recommend to people that love, history, architecture and also food. The citadel was fantastic for a day and had plenty of things to do. However, I wish I had a few days to explore and soak up the historical significance of the city. It is a great place to get off the train if travelling from Budapest or Vienna on the night train.
We don’t see a lot about Romania in America so this was interesting. Cool photos too!