Corvin Castle, Hunedoara, Romania :: Travel blog

Corvin castle, Hunedoara

Corvin castle from the outside, Romania
Corvin castle from the outside

Corvin castle is one of the biggest castles in the Europe. It looks like something right out of a fairytale. With its pebbled lane entrance, tall round towers, drawbridge, and moat, this building makes a great impression. You cannot miss it while visiting Transylvania.

I must be honest with you. I love history and I love medieval castles, so when I first looked on the Corvin Castle, I was able only to say "Wow" (and I saw the photos of it on the internet). This building is amazing from the outside, it's an awesome place for photography. 

The castle is also called the Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle. In the Romanian language it's called Castelul Huniazilor or Castelul Corvinilor, and in the Hungarian language: Vajdahunyadi vár.

Iancu Hunedoara, Founder of the Corvin Castle
Iancu Hunedoara, Founder of the Corvin Castle

Founder

Corvin's castle construction started by the John Hunyadi (Hunyadi János, Iancu or Ioan de Hunedoara). Iancu of Hunedoara was the son of a noble family of Romanian ancestry and was a leading Hungarian figure.

John Hunyadi was one of the leaders who stopped Turkish rise towards Europe in Belgrad after their conquest of Constantinople in 1456. To this day you can hear the bells in Romanian churches to celebrate that victory.

History

Corvin castle was built in 1446 in a Renaissance-Gothic style on a rock above the Zlasti River. The building has many towers, three of them were used as prisons, other was for defensive purposes and were able to handle large weapons.

The castle has two large halls: The Diet Hall and the Knight’s Hall, both in a rectangular shape and all decorated with marble. The Knight's Hall was used for feasts and the Diet Hall for ceremonies.

After the John Hunyadi death in 1456, the castle building stopped. Two years later his son Mathias Corvinas has become the king of Hungary. He also was the prince of Transylvania, so using the new source of money he built the Matia Wing. The final works finished in 1480 and the Corvin Castle was that times one of the biggest (and definitely most impressed) buildings in the whole Eastern Europe.

Throne hall in the Corvin Castle
Throne hall in the Corvin Castle

One of the prison towers was the place where the famous Vlad Dracula was held as a prisoner after being deposed in 1462 for seven years.

While in the 16th century not much changed with the castle, in the 17th century many military purpose additions were added. The new building has been added, called the Large Palace, which was facing the town. It has two levels and a large living area and a living chamber was there.

Also, the external yard was built and it was used mainly for the storage and administration purposes. The two new towers were constructed: the Artillery Tower and the White Tower.

Corvin castle history
Corvin castle in 1865.

Legends

There are two main famous legends related to the Hunedoara Castle: The Raven and the Ring and The Fountain.

The Raven and the Ring

The raven and the ring are both the symbols of the Hunedoara's Corvin Castle. There is an interesting legend related to it. It said that Iancu of Hunedoara (builder of the castle) was, in fact, the illegitimate son of Sigismund of Luxemburg, king of Hungary. When Iancu was born, he received a special golden ring, so people would be able to recognize him later as a king.

Unfortunately, the raven stole that ring. Iancu of Hunedoara, who was a kid that time, went outside the castle and used his bow to kill the bird with an arrow. He hit him straight in the heart and he was able to recover the ring.

Corvin castle well
Well inside Corvin Castle.

Since then, The Raven and the Ring are the symbols of Iancu of Hunedoara and whole Corvin Castle.

The Fountain

When you will go ti the castle's courtyard, you will find there a fountain. The legend says that John Hunyadi told to three Turkish prisoners captured during the battle, that they will get their freedom if they will dig a well so that the castle would have drinking water. 

The prisoners worked day and night for 15 years, digging in the hard rock. When they finally got to the water, Iancu was already dead, and his wife decided not to honor his promise. Three prisoners were so upset, that they carved inside the well the text: "Water you have but you don’t have a heart".

Practical information for tourists

Warning: this information are valid in the day I'm writing this article (13th of April 2017), so it can change. If you plan to visit the castle, see the actual information here: http://www.castelulcorvinilor.ro.

The castle is opened on Monday between 12:00 and 17:00, and from 09:00 to 17:00 in other days (including Saturday and Sunday). The last entry is 45 minutes before closing time, so on 16:15. The charges are:

  • 30 lei in May, June, July, and August.
  • 25 lei in March, April, September, and October.
  • 20 lei in November, December, February, and January.
  • 5 lei for students.
  • There is also 5 lei photo and 15 lei video charge.

There are many signs showing directions to the castle in the Hunedoara, so there's very easy to get there once you got to the city. You can also get there by train or a bus.

Hunedoara Castle, Romania
Hunedoara Castle, Romania

Conclusion

This is for sure an attraction worth to visit. With its towers and the bridge, the Corvin castle is amazing, mostly from the outside, but insides are also worth to see. Make sure to take your camera, as the views will be awesome.

While visiting Corvin Castle don't forget, that Transylvania has also a lot of different beautiful locations worth to visit or see (or climb). Hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to leave my a comment below.

Wojciech Kuźma

Hey there! My name is Wojtek and I am very happy that you came to my travel blog. I've been traveling the world for a few good years now and I still want more.

On my website I describe the adventures that have happened to me, you will also find here a collection of valuable tips for tourists and travelers. If you liked this article, be sure to leave a comment and read some more!


4.88 | 17 votes
Comments: 17
  •   13th April 2017, 12:07

    Wow! Ive never imagined that there would be so awesome castle in Romania! You must definitely write more about this country, as it looks like you know it. Regards!

  •   15th April 2017, 11:34

    Such a beauty castle! I must definitely travel Romania.

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  •   18th June 2018, 15:02

    Hunedoara Castle in Romania looks just amazing! Great and very interesting place, such a big castle / stronghold in the middle of nothing. Some time ago you lived :-) However, the tourist attraction like this doll and it is difficult not to visit such tourist attractions as Hunedoara, being in Romania. This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Zamek Hunedoara w Rumunii wygląda po prostu niesamowicie! Świetne i bardzo ciekawe miejsce, taki wielki zamek / warownia w środku niczego. Kiedyś to się panom żyło :-) Aczkolwiek atrkcja turystyczna jak ta lala i trudno nie zwiedzić takiej atrakcji turystycznej jak Hunedoara, będąc w Rumunii.

    •   5th July 2018, 16:04

      This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Rzeczywiście Rumunia nie ma co narzekać na brak atrakcji turystycznych, a zamek Corvin w Hunedoarze przoduje! :-) Aczkolwiek to nie jedyne ciekawe miejsca w Rumunii, warto zwiedzić całą Transylwanię.

  •   5th July 2018, 14:40

    I have a question about admission tickets. Do you have to reserve them in advance, are there any big queues, etc. This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Mam pytanie co do biletów wstępu. Czy trzeba je wcześniej rezerwować, czy są jakieś duże kolejki itd.

    •   5th July 2018, 16:00

      This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Cześć Ola, byłem w Zamku Hunedoara w Rumunii bodajże w czerwcu (rok temu), więc sezon już był, i zbyt wielu osób nie widziałem - żadnych większych kolejek. Jeśli chodzi o bilety, to trzeba je kupić jeśli chcemy wejść do środka zamku Corvin, kosztowały bodajże 30 LEI (ok. 28 złotych). Mam nadzieję, że te informacje Ci pomogą - w razie czego pisz!

  •   17th July 2018, 09:38

    Hunedoara Castle, also known as Corvin Castle, is my favorite place in Romania. I also love the mountains in Transylvania, but this castle has something magical about it. First of all, it's beautiful, and secondly, it's so interestingly arranged. Still the bridge at the entrance, a miracle! This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Zamek Hunedoara, zwany także zamkiem Corvin, to moje ulubione miejsce w Rumunii. Uwielbiam jeszcze góry w Transylwanii, ale ten zamek ma w sobie coś magicznego. Po pierwsze jest przepiękny, a po drugie jakoś tak ciekawie ułożony. Jeszcze ten most na wejściu, cudo!

  •   22th August 2018, 13:06

    A magnificent castle. I would like to visit it with mynosprawnym mężem / wózeknosprawki /. Is it possible? I am asking for an opinion. This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Zamek wspaniały. Chciałabym go zwiedzić z moim niepełnosprawnym mężem /wózek inwalidzki/. Czy jest to możliwe? Bardzo proszę o opinię.

    •   3rd September 2018, 10:26

      This text was translated automatically. Original text is below: Cześć Basiu, z wejściem na dziedziniec czy zobaczeniem zamku Hunedoara z zewnątrz nie będzie problemu (o ile pamiętam nie ma tam większych przeszkód), jednak wejście do niektórych sal wymaga pokanania schodów. Zamek Corvin nie jest tu wyjątkiem, cała Rumunia nie jest zbyt dobrze przystosowana dla osób niepełnosprawnych niestety, no może poza większymi miastami.

  •   23th October 2018, 23:31

    Thanks for finally talking about Corvin Castle, Hunedoara, Romania in your travel blog!

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