Transalpina

The Transalpina is a road unveiling nature’s greatness and spectacle, the road closest to the clouds. The highest tourist route in Romania and the oldest national road in Europe, the Transalpina crosses the Parang Mountains between Saliste town in Sibiu County and Novaci town in Gorj County, connecting the two historical regions, Transylvania and Oltenia.

If adventure and Alpine scenery sound alluring, the TransAlpina road offers an ideal mix of the two. Winding its way through valleys and plateaus up to 7,038 feet – a height not reached by any other mountain passage in Romania – the TransAlpina road offers breathtaking views together with lots of driving excitement.

Arguably the oldest road over the Carpathian Mountains, TransAlpina was built at the beginning of the 2nd Century AD by the Roman legions during their war campaign to conquer Sarmizegetusa – the capital of Dacia (modern-day Romania). After the conquest of Dacia, the Romans have used the TransAlpina to transport to Rome the gold extracted from the central part of Romania (Transylvania). At the beginning of the second millennium TransAlpina has become one of the main transhumance routes over the Carpathian Mountains; it still serves this purpose, even today. Paving of the road began in 1930 and eight years later King Carol II inaugurated the new TransAlpina (also named during the monarchy period "The King's Road").

  

 

Citadel Alba Carolina

The Citadel Alba Carolina (Romanian: Cetatea Alba Carolina) is a star-shaped Romanian fortress located in Alba Iulia.

Back in the XVIII century, when the Marquis de Vauban designed and implemented a revolutionary system of fortifications and defenses, little did he know that his designs would earn him international recognition throughout the centuries, as today there are tens of citadels built by the system that bears his name. One of the most spectacular such fortresses is Alba Carolina – the largest citadel in Romania, located in the city of Alba Iulia.

The city of Alba Iulia and the Citadel existing on its territory represent a touristic destination which is well-known both within the country and abroad, especially due to its anthropical resources, but also through the relatively diversified structure of its cultural heritage. 

Alba Iulia has a rich cultural heritage, being endowed with historical and medieval art monuments which are traces of the history of Central Europe, of Romania and Transylvania. 

This section is an invitation to become acquainted with the heritage of Alba Iulia, the starting point being the List of Historical Monuments published by the Ministry of Culture and Cults. Along with the historical buildings and monuments existing in the Citadel, the heritage list also includes a series of buildings from the Old Town (the Lower Town) which were declared historical monuments.