The Dacian fortress at Căpâlna

Have you ever wondered why Herodotus, the father of history, considered the Getae “the bravest and most righteous of the Thracians”?  

A trip to the Căpâlna Fortress will give you an opportunity to get to know these legendary ancestors better. You can find it on the Fortress Hill, on the left bank of Sebeș. To get here, you will climb to over 600 m altitude. Trees marked with a red cross and a blue triangle will be your companions.

Built at the middle of the 1st century BC, in the time of Burebista, the fortification had an important role in the Dacian defence system. The ruins will reveal the ingenious construction technique “murus dacicus” and also the strategic thinking of our ancestors.

Discover the magnificence of a moment from the distant past, in the middle of an impressive landscape!

The Dacian fortress at Căpâlna is included in the UNESCO world heritage and it was an inportant strategic point in the Dacian defence system. It was meant to defend against the Romans. It was part of the fortifications that protected Sarmizegetusa, the capital of the Dacian Kingdom. Archaeological research revealed the fortress had rather a military than civilian role, being used as a place of refuge in the centuries that followed.

The fortress had only a short life of about 50 years, as it was besieged by the Romans during the two Dacian wars. In the last Dacian-Roman war, which took place in 105-106 AD, the fortress was burned down and totally destroyed.

At Căpâlna, priceless ancient vestiges were discovered, such as Roman coins, Dacian shield pieces, weapons, vessels, tools and adornments. Among the adornments, we mention two earrings and a necklace with gold pendants, which were brought to light by treasure hunters.

Archaeological digging also revealed medieval materials, given that the ruins of the fortification were used as an observation post during the Middle Ages. 

The objects discovered at Căpâlna are currently exhibited at the Union National Museum in Alba Iulia, as well as at the Sebeș Museum, where they can be admired and studied closely. 

The Dacian Fortresses Festival is annual. Every 4 years, by rotation, it also reaches the Săsciori commune and varied activities are organised around the UNESCO monument site. 

If you are a history enthusiast, the ruins of the mediaeval fortress in Săsciori, erected, most probably, in the 12th century, under the name of Castrum Petrii and the Earth Fortress in Laz dating from the 8th-9th century wait for you to discover them.

Attractions of the area: the Stancu House in Loman, the “Maria Poenariu” Memorial House in Laz, the funeral pillars in the Loman village and also the elements of folk technique, such as the still operational mortar mill in Laz.