Curtea de Arges: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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In the early 14th century the first independent prince of Wallachia, Basarab I, ruled from this valley, and Curtea de Argeș — 'the Court on the Argeș' — is named after his seat. Little of the palace stands, but its church survived with its wall paintings, and the museums nearby hold what the diggers found. The walk is short, under two kilometres, and starts and ends near the market. Morning is best, when the market is busy and the church is open.

A short history of Curtea de Arges

In the 14th century Curtea de Argeș was one of the first capitals of the principality of Wallachia, and from that period the Princely Church of St Nicholas survives, with 14th-century wall paintings. The most famous building in the town is the monastery church built by Prince Neagoe Basarab between 1512 and 1517, around which grew the legend of Master Manole, the builder who walled his wife into the building so that it would stand. The church was restored at the end of the 19th century, and since then it has been the burial place of the kings of Romania, among them Carol I, who died in 1914.

The ten best sights in Curtea de Arges

1
Princely Court
Ruins of the first royal court of Wallachia, in the town centre; small fee
2
Princely Church of St Nicholas
14th-century church inside the court walls with some of Romania's oldest frescoes
3
Sân Nicoară Church
Ruined medieval church on the hill east of the court; a five-minute climb
4
Municipal Museum
Finds from the court excavations, next to the ruins
5
Ethnography Museum
Folk costumes, carpets and pottery of the Argeș villages
6
Curtea de Argeș Monastery
The famous carved church and the tombs of Romania's kings; modest dress
7
Royal Cathedral
The new cathedral beside the monastery, where the last king is buried
8
Corbii de Piatră Monastery
A church cut into a sandstone cliff, 30 minutes north-east
9
Jidava Roman Fort
Foundations of a Roman camp outside Câmpulung, with a small museum
10
Cetățuia Negru Vodă
A rock church on a wooded hill near Câmpulung; a short steep path

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Curtea de Arges →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Curtea de Arges:

Free walking tours in Curtea de Arges

Basarab's capital

Princely Court · In 1330 Basarab I ambushed the army of the Hungarian king, Charles Robert, in a mountain pass, and the victory made Wallachia independent. Historians still argue where exactly the battle of Posada was fought, but this court was the capital he ruled from.
Princely Church of St Nicholas · In 1920 archaeologists opened a grave in the floor and found a prince buried in robes woven with gold, with a gold belt buckle and jewels — one of the richest medieval burials in Romania. The church's frescoes, painted in the 14th century, are among the oldest surviving in the country.
Sân Nicoară Church · The ruined church on the hill is considered one of the oldest buildings in town, possibly older than the princely church below. From its hill you see how the court sat in a narrow valley guarded by hills, an easy place to defend.
Municipal Museum · The museum shows the finds from decades of digging at the court: pottery, coins and pieces of the palace. The most precious pieces from the 1920 princely grave went to museums in Bucharest.
Ethnography Museum · The hill villages of Argeș were known for their woven carpets and embroidered shirts, the 'ie' that is now a symbol of Romania. Here you can see how the patterns changed from village to village, often enough for a local to tell where a shirt came from.
Central Market · Argeș is plum country, and the plums go into țuică, the clear brandy that farmers distil at home in the autumn. In the market it is sold in reused bottles, and sellers are happy to let you taste before you buy.

Up the Transfăgărășan

North of town the Argeș valley narrows into a gorge and the Transfăgărășan begins, the road that climbs over Romania's highest mountains to Transylvania. On the way are Dracula's real fortress, a giant dam and, at the top, a glacial lake above the treeline. The round trip to Bâlea Lake is about 140 km and takes a full day with stops; the high section is usually open only from July to October. Bears come to the roadside: do not feed them and stay in the car.

Transfăgărășan · Ceaușescu ordered the road after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, to move troops across the Carpathians quickly. It was built mostly by the army between 1970 and 1974, and in 2009 the BBC's Top Gear called it the best road in the world.
Arefu · The village below Poenari has a local tradition that its families descend from the men who helped Vlad the Impaler escape the Ottomans across the mountains, and that he rewarded them with land. Folklorists collected Vlad stories here long before Dracula tourism.
Poenari Fortress · Vlad III rebuilt this ridge-top fortress in the 15th century, and it is the castle most closely tied to the real Vlad, far more than Bran. Part of it collapsed into the valley in a landslide in 1888; about 1,480 concrete steps climb to what is left.
Vidraru Dam · The arch dam is 166 metres high and was finished in 1966; in its day it was one of the largest in Europe. On the hill beside it stands a statue of Prometheus holding a lightning bolt, the communist symbol of electricity brought to the people.
Capra Waterfall · On the north side of the pass the road makes its famous loops down the glacial valley, and the Capra stream falls beside them. Capra means 'goat', and chamois — the wild mountain goats of the Carpathians — can sometimes be seen on the ridges above.
Bâlea Lake · The lake lies in a glacial cirque at 2,034 metres in the Făgăraș mountains, the highest range in Romania. In winter the road is closed and a cable car brings visitors up to an ice hotel built every year from blocks cut from the frozen lake.

Master Manole, the kings and the rock churches

Curtea de Argeș is where Romania's royal family is buried, in a monastery whose building gave the country its best-known legend. From there the route drives east through the hills to churches cut into rock and a Roman fort on the old frontier, ending near Câmpulung. It is a half-day loop of about 110 km. Dress modestly for the churches; the rock churches have no lighting, so bring a phone torch.

Curtea de Argeș Monastery · Prince Neagoe Basarab built the church in 1512-17, and its carved stone and twisted towers made it the most famous building in Wallachia; it appears on the Romanian one-leu banknote. Carol I, Ferdinand and their queens Elisabeth and Marie are buried inside.
Manole's Well · In the ballad, the walls kept falling until Master Manole walled his own wife, Ana, into them. When the church was finished, the prince took away the scaffolding so that Manole could never build anything finer; he made wings of wooden shingles, jumped, and where he fell a spring rose — this well.
Royal Cathedral · The new cathedral was consecrated in 2009 to take the royal tombs the old church had no room for. Queen Anne was buried here in 2016 and King Michael I, the last king of Romania, who was forced to abdicate by the communists in 1947, in December 2017.
Corbii de Piatră Monastery · The church is carved into a sandstone cliff, and its wall paintings are dated to the 14th century, among the oldest in Wallachia. The name means 'the stone ravens'.
Jidava Roman Fort · The Romans built the stone camp in the 2nd and 3rd centuries on the limes transalutanus, the frontier line east of the Olt. The garrison guarded the road into the mountain pass to Transylvania, the same route the modern road still follows.
Cetățuia Negru Vodă · Legend ties the rock church to Negru Vodă, the half-legendary founder of Wallachia, said to have come down from the mountains with his people in the 13th century. A short, steep path through the forest leads to the cell cut into the hill.

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Getting to Curtea de Arges and getting around

Curtea de Argeș Station · End of a branch line from Pitești; few trains — check before relying on it
Bus Station · Minibuses to Pitești, Bucharest and the villages towards the Transfăgărășan
Pitești Station · The nearest main-line station, 45 minutes south

Cheap eats in Curtea de Arges

This is southern, Wallachian Romania: grilled mici, sour ciorbă soups, sarmale, polenta with cheese and sour cream, and plum brandy from the hills. Curtea de Argeș is a small town, so food is simple, cheap and mostly along the main boulevard and around the market. If you are driving the Transfăgărășan, buy lunch here — the few places on the mountain are crowded and can close without warning.

Mici Barbecue · Grilled mici by the market, about 5-6 lei each, with mustard and bread
Gogoșeria la Didi · Hot doughnuts by the market, about 3-5 lei each
Bonita · Bakery near the centre; a cheese pastry about 4-7 lei
Patiseria Bulevard · On the road up to the monastery; pastries and coffee about 5-12 lei
Capra Neagră · Romanian restaurant in the centre; ciorbă and a main about 45-60 lei
5 to go · Chain coffee window; a coffee about 5 lei

Holy places in Curtea de Arges

Curtea de Argeș Monastery · The royal tombs are inside the church; no shorts
Royal Cathedral · Tombs of King Michael I and Queen Anne
Princely Church of St Nicholas · Look for the portraits of the founders on the walls
Corbii de Piatră Monastery · Small rock church; ask at the monastery to go in
Cetățuia Negru Vodă · Rock hermitage on a hill; good shoes needed

Museums in Curtea de Arges

Princely Court · Walk the outline of the palace walls
Municipal Museum · Court finds and town history; under an hour
Ethnography Museum · Embroidered shirts, carpets and painted pottery
Jidava Roman Fort · Walls and gates of the camp, with a small site museum

Nature and day trips near Curtea de Arges

Vidraru Dam · Walk the crest; bungee jumping in season
Lake Vidraru · Forest shore and picnic spots; boats for hire in summer
Bâlea Lake · Short walk round the lake; bring a warm layer
Capra Waterfall · Ten minutes from the road on the north side
Transfăgărășan · Drive slowly; bears and sheep on the road

Things to do in Curtea de Arges with kids

Poenari Fortress · The climb is the adventure; count the steps on the way up
Bâlea Lake · Snow patches to play in even in July
Vidraru Dam · Look down the 166-metre wall from the crest
Lake Vidraru · Pedal boats and picnics on the shore in summer

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Frequently asked questions about Curtea de Arges

What is there to see in Curtea de Arges?

The top sights in Curtea de Arges are Princely Court, Princely Church of St Nicholas and Sân Nicoară Church. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Curtea de Arges?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Curtea de Arges without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Curtea de Arges?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Curtea de Arges, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Basarab's capital.

How do you get to Curtea de Arges and get around?

The main ways are Curtea de Argeș Station, Bus Station and Pitești Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Curtea de Arges, and for how much?

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