Cetatea Poenari

Mănăstirea Curtea de Argeș

Curtea de Argeș Monastery is one of the most beautiful and legend-laden churches in Romania, a masterpiece of early 16th-century architecture built by the ruler Neagoe Basarab. Its finely carved stone façades, spires twisted like little spirals and rich ornamentation make it unique, a dialogue between Byzantine tradition and Oriental influences. To its name is bound the ballad of Master Manole, the legend of the mason who is said to have sacrificed his wife within the walls so that the church would endure. The church holds the tombs of the kings of Romania — the royal necropolis — giving it a double significance, spiritual and national. The tended gardens and the nearby Manole's Well complete the visit. It is a place of pilgrimage and a first-rank monument; modest dress is advised, and check the visiting schedule.

Lacul Vidraru

Lake Vidraru is an impressive reservoir located in the Fagaras Mountains, on the Arges River, formed after the construction in the 1960s of the Vidraru Dam, a remarkable engineering work of the era, with a very tall concrete arch anchored between the mountain slopes. The lake, its greenish-blue waters stretching between forested ridges, offers a spectacular landscape, especially seen from the crest of the dam or from the hairpins of the Transfagarasan, the famous high-altitude road that passes beside it. Above the dam watches the monumental statue known as Electricity, a symbol of hydropower. The area is an attraction for tourists, who can go boating, admire the views or continue towards the heights of the Fagaras. The setting blends wild nature with large-scale engineering. Practical note: the best time to visit is summer, when the Transfagarasan is open; check the road status, as the high pass closes in winter.

Biserica Domnească Sfântul Nicolae

The Princely Church of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Arges is one of the most valuable monuments of medieval Romanian architecture, raised in the 14th century in the time of the rulers Basarab I and Nicholas Alexander as the church of the voivodal court of Wallachia. Built on an inscribed Greek-cross plan, with walls of brick and stone laid in alternating courses, it preserves an ensemble of exceptional frescoes, among the oldest and best preserved in the Romanian lands. Several rulers and members of the princely family were buried here, making the church an important medieval pantheon. The plain exterior contrasts with the richness of the interior painting, which reflects Byzantine influence. The monument stands in the centre of the old capital town of Curtea de Arges, near other remains of the princely court. It is an essential site for understanding the beginnings of the medieval Wallachian state.

Restaurant Montana Curtea de Argeș

Hotel Posada Curtea de Argeș

Simple quarters in a modest property with a bright restaurant/bar and breakfast.