A Transylvanian city at the foot of an extinct volcano, crowned by a medieval fortress built in 1250. The nearby Retezat Mountains draw rock climbers and hikers.
Deva rises from Romania's Transylvania region, where a 13th-century fortress overlooks the city from an extinct volcano. You'll find the Romanian Olympic gymnastics training center here, along with the Renaissance-era Magna Curia Palace, the 1640 Orthodox Church Tower, and winding paths through a nature reserve with over 1,400 plant species. The nearby Corvin Castle, one of Romania's largest medieval castles, makes this city an excellent base for exploring the region.
Getting to Deva
Direct trains connect Deva to major European cities, with routes from Vienna (9.5 hours), Budapest (6 hours), and Prague (17 hours). Within Romania, eight daily trains run from Timisoara, and seven from Bucharest. You can take one of six bus routes from the train station to reach central areas, with buses running from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
The Volcanic Hill and Fortress
You can reach the 13th-century Deva Fortress by taking a modern funicular railway or hiking up the 378-meter volcanic hill. Built in 1269, the fortress protected Transylvania until 1849, when an explosion damaged much of its structure. The surrounding nature reserve contains over 1,400 plant species and rare animals, including the horned adder. The funicular operates daily from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Museums and Cultural Buildings
The 1582 Magna Curia Palace now houses the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, where you can examine prehistoric artifacts and Roman reliefs from Ulpia Traiana. Watch performances at the Art Theatre, a building designed in Viennese Secession style. The Printing Museum displays functioning printing equipment from Romania's pre-1990 era, including original printing presses and typesetting tools.
Religious Architecture
Walk through centuries of architectural history in Deva's religious buildings. The Old Orthodox Church Tower from 1640 remains the city's oldest religious structure. You'll find the 18th-century Franciscan Monastery, built by Bulgarian Catholic colonists, near the 1861 Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral. The Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral, completed in 1939, incorporates Art Deco elements into its Orthodox design.
Parks and Green Spaces
Walk through the public park next to Magna Curia, originally the palace grounds until its conversion in the early 20th century. In Bejan Forest's 103 hectares, you can see all oak species native to Romania. Take a 10-kilometer trip to the Simeria Arboretum, Europe's third-largest tree collection, where paths wind through 70 hectares of an 18th-century English-style garden.
Day Trips from Deva
Visit Corvin Castle, 12 miles south in Hunedoara, where you can explore 15th-century Gothic architecture and medieval defensive systems. The Dacian Fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains, UNESCO World Heritage sites, lie within an hour's drive. These pre-Roman structures demonstrate advanced ancient engineering techniques and military architecture.
