Costești-Blidaru Dacian fortress: the strongest stronghold of the Orăștie Mountains
The Costești-Blidaru Dacian fortress is the ruin of a Dacian fortified town near Costești village in Hunedoara County, Romania. Built in the 1st century BC against the Romans, it is one of six Dacian fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a hidden gem for anyone interested in Dacian history.
Blidaru’s entrance tower was designed as a trap: it forced attackers to turn to the right so that their exposed flank faced the defenders. This Dacian fortress is one of the strongest in the whole mountain chain.
The history of the Costești-Blidaru Dacian fortress
In the 1st century BC, during the rule of the Dacian king Burebista, the Dacians began to raise a chain of stone fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains to defend themselves against the Romans. Six of them, Sarmizegetusa Regia, Costești-Cetățuie, Costești-Blidaru, Piatra Roșie, Bănița and Căpâlna, formed the defensive system that was later associated with King Decebalus. They were built in the style known as murus dacicus and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.
Blidaru stands on the ridge of the same name, at about 750 m, on the left bank of the Grădiștea stream, just as the nearby Costești-Cetățuie fortress does. It is the strongest fortified complex of the area and stretches over a plateau of almost 6,000 square metres. It consists of two joined enclosures with six strong towers in all.
The first enclosure, on the upper plateau, is trapezoidal, with four towers at its outside corners and, in the middle, a residential tower in a dominant position. Researchers date it to the middle of the 1st century BC, or to the end of or shortly after Burebista’s reign. The entrance led through tower I, which was designed to stop an enemy from deploying his forces and to push him to the right, exposing his flank to the defenders.
The second enclosure was added to the west of the first, with a pentagonal outline and a small difference in level between the two; the east wall was shared. This extension is dated to the end of the 1st century AD and is linked with the Roman campaigns of Domitian in AD 88 and of Trajan in AD 102–106. It still shows traces of casemates.
After Trajan’s first victory at Tapae in AD 101, the Dacians fell back to protect the heart of their kingdom around the capital Sarmizegetusa. The neighbouring citadel of Costești-Cetățuie is reported to have been destroyed by Trajan’s army in AD 102, as shown on Trajan’s Column. Today Blidaru survives as an archaeological ruin.
Curiosities about the Costești-Blidaru Dacian fortress
- Blidaru is one of six Dacian fortresses on the UNESCO list (1999). Five are in Hunedoara County; only Căpâlna lies in Alba County.
- The entrance tower was planned so that attackers had to turn to the right, which exposed their flank to blows from the defenders.
- The fortress consists of two joined enclosures with six towers in total, spread over a plateau of nearly 6,000 square metres.
- Traces of a residential tower survive inside the first enclosure.
- The second enclosure still shows traces of casemates, and its building is linked with the Roman invasions of AD 88 and AD 102–106.
- A virtual 3D reconstruction of the Dacian fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains exists online, helping visitors imagine how Blidaru looked.
Tours near Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Costești-Blidaru Dacian fortress: what to see
- The setting is the main attraction: the ruins crown a ridge at about 750 m above the Grădiștea valley.
- Look for the layout of the two enclosures, the four corner towers of the first and the entrance tower with its angled approach.
- Inside the first enclosure, the base of the residential tower can still be read in the ruins.
- Sarmizegetusa Regia, the Dacian capital, is about 13 km away, Bănița Fortress about 26 km, Densuș Church about 29 km and the Fortress of Deva about 32 km.
- The sources used here say little about paths and facilities, so check the current access and opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress
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Questions
Where is the Costești-Blidaru Dacian fortress?
It stands near Costești village in the commune of Orăștioara de Sus, Hunedoara County, in the Orăștie Mountains in Romania.
When was the Costești-Blidaru fortress built?
It was built in the 1st century BC, in Burebista’s time, as protection against the Romans. A second enclosure was added at the end of the 1st century AD.
Is Costești-Blidaru a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes. It is one of six Dacian fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.
What makes Blidaru special among the Dacian fortresses?
It is the strongest fortified complex of the area, with two enclosures, six towers and a cleverly designed entrance tower.
What can you see at Blidaru?
The stone ruins of two enclosures, including the corner towers, the entrance tower, traces of a residential tower and of casemates.
What else is worth seeing near Costești-Blidaru?
Sarmizegetusa Regia is about 13 km away, Bănița Fortress about 26 km, Densuș Church about 29 km and the Fortress of Deva about 32 km.
Also nearby
Sarmizegetusa Regia
Hunedoara · Dacian capital with sanctuaries, UNESCO site
13 km away
Bănița Dacian Fortress
Hunedoara · UNESCO Dacian stronghold in the Orăștie Mountains
26 km away
Densuș Church
Hunedoara · medieval church built of Roman stones
29 km away
Fortress of Deva
Hunedoara · ruined citadel on a volcanic hill
32 km away