Curtea de Argeș

Curtea de Argeș is on the Argeș River in Argeș county, in the historic region of Muntenia. As of 2021 it had a population of 25,977.

Understand
Curtea de Argeș was the first capital of Wallachia and retains the most important Byzantine buildings on the territory of Romania, including the Princely Church, a 14th-century monument on the UNESCO tentative list. An important political and economic center during the medieval age, the importance of Curtea de Argeş fell after the relocation of Wallachia's capital to Târgoviște but regained its prestige during the interwar period with the designation of the cathedral of the Curtea de Arges monastery as a royal necropolis by Carol I.

By train

 * Gara Regala - panoramio.jpg

There is 1 direct train daily from Pitești, and 2 regular per day.

By bus


Direct buses to Pitești (30 min), Bucharest (1 hr 20 min), Brașov (2½ hr), Câmpulung (1 hr) or Râmnicu Vâlcea (45 min); but the times may be erratic.

By plane
The nearest airports are Bucharest Otopeni 162 km away, Craiova  151 km away and Sibiu  149 km away—see those pages for flight options. If you fly in and hire a car, none of those transfers are difficult.

Transfăgărășan scenic road
The Transfăgărășan climbs to an altitude of, making it the second highest mountain pass in Romania after the Transalpina. Being a winding road, dotted with steep hairpin turns, long S-curves, and sharp descents, it is both an attraction and a challenge for hikers, cyclists, drivers and motorcycle enthusiasts. In a segment of the British TV show Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson proclaimed that the Transfăgărășan was "the best road in the world", a title the presenters had previously given to the Stelvio Pass in Italy.

The road is usually closed from late October until late June because of snow. Depending on the weather, it may remain open until as late as November, or may close even in the summer. Signs at the town of Curtea de Argeș and the village of Cartisoara provide information.

Hiking
There are several hiking trails near Curtea de Arges. To begin and end such a route, it takes many hours, maybe two days. Generally, these trails are not in great difficulty, but require a lot of endurance and, of course, a map of the area. The tourist potential of this area is and will remain enormous. The mountain offers mountain trails, mountaineering and other such touristic-sports activities



Stay safe
Do not feed the wildlife. Romania is home to 6,000 brown bears, or 60% of the European bear population. At one point in 2017, authorities declared the 1,480 steps up to the ruins of Poenari Castle off limits until they could remove a mama bear and her three cubs. Police blamed tourists for leaving food which attracts the animals.

Go next

 * Pitesti – About 20 km away.
 * Ștefănești – Another important historical town in the area
 * Bucharest, Ploiesti and Targoviste – Also quite close by.
 * Sibiu – It can be reached by the scenic Transfagarasan and Transalpina mountain roads.