Romania: Rupea Fortress

Romania is full of medieval fortresses, castles, and fortified churches – or even all of them above. Rupea Fortress is one of Transylvania’s most iconic and spectacular sites. Rupea is one of the oldest archaeological settlements in Romania, the basalt clifftop was settled as far back as 5500BC. The current Rupea Fortress was built by the Saxon German colonists around 1320s. The fortress has three concentric levels of defensive walls – lover, middle, and upper fortress – each with its own defensive towers. The views are panoramic and vast from the upper level, and it’s quite a steep hike up here, but well worth it.