The Alba Carolina Fortress
The Alba Carolina Fortress – both tourists and locals agree it`s hard to describe in a few words everything you can find here and they also agree one should see it at least once in a lifetime; after restoration, the fortress became the second national location recommended by tourists in România, on TripAdvisor; it has Vauban bastions and it was built in the beginning of XVIII Century, in the medieval city of Alba Iulia, on the Citadel Hill, having the role of strategic fortress of defence for the Habsburg Empire, against the Ottoman Empire. Before it was built, there had been two other fortresses: The Roman Fort of the XIII Gemina Legion (106 e.n.) and the Medieval Citadel of Bălgrad (XVI-XVII centuries). It has seven impressive gates, many landmarks, including the Union Hall, The Obelisk The prison Cell of Horea, the oldest and longest roman-catholic cathedral in Transilvania, and the orthodox cathedral where the King and Queen of Romania were crowned. Also, you will find here the Batthyaneum Library with a part of Codex Aureus. The Fortress is animated at every step and in summertime there are events such as parades with Austrian solders on horses, dacian and roman battles, music concerts, theatre and film shows or torchlight demonstration.