A holiday spent in the so-called Hateg Country – a beautiful region in Romania – cannot be completed without going through Deva and visiting a historic monument with a particular load: The medieval Fortress of Deva. Deva fortress was built in the middle of the 13th century on the hill that bears its name, a volcanic cone of 378 m in height. The first documentary mention of the fortress dates from 1269.
Deva Fortress – a difficult history
Due to its strategic location, the fortress was one of the most important Transylvanian fortifications in the Middle Ages. Its history was a stormy one, with changes of owners and unpleasant events that partially destroyed it.
Until a few years ago, Deva Fortress was an unpleasant sight in ruins, guarding the hill like a stump of history combined with authorities’ indifference. Finally, however, the restoration and rehabilitation works have started, and after three years, they have been completed; now Deva Fortress can be visited in civilized conditions.
The walls were strengthened and raised, paths and trails appeared, and the visiting area increased considerably. Access to the fortress is made through a cable car. A small one, which moves hard. In the summer of 2018 broke down twice, leaving tourists adrift, but, right?, better than to climb the hill by foot, as a while ago. Especially since this is the only elevator on a slope in Romania – it goes on a route of 278 m.
The hill of Deva Fortress 
View of Deva from the lifting car 
The lifting car
King Bela IV was the one who committed the building of the fortress. Stephen, son of Bela, then made a donation to the Chyl County, of Câlnic, for the bravery shown by him in the fight carried under the fortress walls. In fact, in the 13th century, there were a lot of fights against the Tatars, after which the fortress became the residence of the voivodes Borsa and Kan, who were leading here the voivodeship of Transylvania.
The citadel’s history was marked by various events, among the most important being the one that in 1453, Iancu de Hunedoara turned it into a noble castle, which put Deva on the map of the most important strategic places of Transylvania. Another one was that in 1786 the citadel was besieged after the uprising led by Horea, Cloşca, and Crisan.
The builder Manole was called… Kelemen
Photo by Stefan Sorean 
Photo by Ivanica Monica
Deva fortress was enlarged several times, rebuilt, and renovated. Today, it has three different enclosures, which occupy the hill ridge where visitors have beautiful landscapes, both on Deva and the surrounding hills. You can visit the Artillery Chamber, the Bethlen Semicircular Bastion, the oven area, etc.
Like any place of this kind, the fortress has more legends. The best known of them is a classic, absolutely similar to the one with builder Manole: Kelemen the stonemason tried to build the fortress with his team, but what he made in the day fell apart at night. To ward off the misfortune, the craftsmen decided to offer a sacrifice and build inside the walls the first wife to come the next day with food. Kelemen’s wife, who appeared first, was also called Ana. It was sacrificed, and the construction could be completed.
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