The Hunedoara County

The Retezat Massif, a part of the Meridional Carpathians and to the South of t he Mures Massif, has a surface of 800 sq.km and more than 30 peaks. Among them there are the Retezat (2,484 m above sea) Peleaga (2,509 m above sea) and Papula (2, 502 m above sea). Here in 1935 the Retezat National Park was founded and was named later a reservation of biosphere.

Large surface of forests, rivers, valleys and terraces provided since prehistorical times all was necessary to the inhabitants of this county.

Inside the Cioclovina and Ohaba Ponor Caves there are vestiges of the palaeolithic man. In Turdas, near by Orastie, there are vestiges of the neolithic culture. In the Orastie Mountains (the Surianul Massif), in Gradistea Muncelului there is Sarmizegetusa Regia, the capital city of the Dacian kings as Burebista and Decebal and in the Hang Depression there are the ruins of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the capital city of the Roman Dacia. At the foot of the Poiana Ruscai Mountains, in the town of Hunedoara, there is the imposing Castle of Corvin Family, one of the best preserved mediaeval buildings in the South-Eastern part of Europe. And also here the oldest Christian monuments were built in the Middle Age: churches in Densus, Streisangeorgiu, Strei, Santamarie Orlea, Gurasada, Ribita and Crisciur, real masterpieces of the early European culture. In the municipality of Deva, the capital city of this county, there are two points of tourist interest: the Magna Curia Castle built in the XVI-th century which is now the Museum of the Dacian and Roman Civilization and the

Sports High School which is known in the world thanks to famous gymnasts Nadia Comaneci, Lavinia Agache, Daniela Silivas and Lavinia Milosovici. Also here there is the Fortress of Deva.

The easy ways to the historic and tourist zones of this county, hotels, motels, inns, mountain and forestry chalets, ski-lifts and cable cars, ski tracks in the Parang and Valcan (Straja) Mountains as well as the peoples' hospitality are only some elements of tourist interest.

Travelling in the Hunedoara county the tourist will be able to take part in the folk feasts of the peoples who live here and will know their old costumes, sings and dances and will discover both the beauty of the landscape and the beauty of Romanians' soul.

Hunedoara- Corvin's Castle

In the XV-th century the Castle from Hunedoara was the residence of famous Corvin family who gave it his name.

Having firstly military purposes, it his changed in 1446-1453 unto civil castle. Built different stages, this castle gatheres the gotic style with Renaissance and baroque elements, being one of the most valuables monuments i n Romania and South - Eastern Europe.