The Poenari Castle is located in Romania, and is accessed through the Transfăgărășan highway (one of the most beautiful in the world), about 25km from Curtea de Argeș, the historical capital of Wallachia. It is located in an elevated position within the valley of the Argeș river, close to the Făgăraş mountains, in a privileged natural environment.
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| Poenari Castle |
Poenari Castle is the authentic castle of Vlad Tepes, the Romanian prince who inspired Bram Stoker to create Dracula. It is less touristy than others but is due, above all, to its difficult access, its semi-dilapidated state and being outside the most common Romanian tourist route through Transylvania, where Bran Castle is located, which they have used as a claim for Dracula. It was built in the 13th century, and used intermittently until the 17th century. Vlad III the Impaler used it as the main bulwark against the Ottomans in the 15th century.
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| Poenari Castle |
Climbing to the top of Poenari Castle is not an easy task, since the access ladder is made up of more than 1,400 steps in different sections (about 30 minutes to ascend), through what is known as Bosque de los Empalados, with stakes driven into the bodies of his enemies, which the prince used as a warning to those who dared to climb up to the castle. In general, the difficulty is not high but minimum physical conditions are needed, and we recommend going up with water and sweets. The entrance is cheap, much more than for other castles. As it is in ruins and it is small, the visit lasts no more than 30-40 minutes, reading the few posters that explain the history of the castle and Vlad. The most striking thing is the impressive views of the valley.