Hunedoara Castle's, also known as the Huniazi Castle, is built on a strategic position, on a rocky cliff at the exit of Zlaşti river from a small defile from Poiana Rusca Mountains. It's construction began in the XIV century, over a royal castrum, also built over the remains of an old roman stockade. A 1399 document reminds of a royal castrum  and a castellan of Hunedoara. The castrum has been given in 1409 by the king of Hungary, Sigismund, to the noble Voicu and his family. From that period are an inside wall and a triangular bastion.
The initial core was designed by Voicu's son, Iancu de Hunedoara and his wife, Elisabeta Szilaghi. Later, Matei Corvin, Iancu's son, transformed the castle into a luxurious nobiliar residence. He built the "Matei Wing", with a loggia that has renaissance elements. In 1618, Gabriel Bethlen, the prince of Transylvania, initiated a new work phase, building, among others, the "Bethlen Wing".

In time, the castle was affected by several fires. After the last one, in 1854, that destroyed the roof and the furniture, the castle was restored at the end of the XIXth century and beginning of the XXth century. The main works were in 1907-1917 and 1965-1970.

You enter the castle over a suspended bridge above the abrupt river bed of Zlasti. Under the gate is the guard room and the prison. On the right, you enter the "Knight's hall", built in a gothic style and at the floor there is the "Diet's Hall" with the medalions of romanians leaders and the "Capistrano tower".

Bethlen Wing

Iancu de Hunedoara
A bridge allows access to the "Nje boisa"(Don't be afraid) refuge tower. In the center is the "Bethlen Wing" and the gothic chapel and in the left there is the "Matei Wing", with the loggia, wall paintings that ilustrate the noble's life in the XVth century, the treasury, the watch tower and others
The castle's bailey holds a 30 m deep fountain, dug by Turkish prisoners, with the promise of release if they find water. A Turkish inscription is on the wall: "You have water, but no soul".

In the north-west there is the "bear's trench", where the wild animals were kept, and the ammo bastion, that looks like a terrace in it's upper part. From the terrace there is a wonderful view of the city of Hunedoara and it's surroundings.

A lower scale copy of the castle was built in Budapest during the time when Matei Corvin was king of Hungary.

Knight's hall

Castle's Chapel
The castle annually attracts a large number of visitors from Romania as well as from other countries. From 1970, inside there is a History Museum. Periodically, in the "Knight's Hall" concerts and art exhibitions are organised.
 

 

 Plan of Hunedoara Castle 

Huniazi Castle in sunset