Anything but a rest day at Rasnov Castle.

Last night was a pretty ordinary sleep.  First we had fireworks going off at 10pm, then 2am and then the dogs starting going crazy.  I woke up a very unhappy camper.  Around this part of the world people like to celebrate getting married by letting off fireworks, eating, drinking and dancing.  That's not good for an old cyclist who's addicted to sleeping. Still we had a lot to do today and our first task was to go and visit the famous Rasnov Fortress.  We left Vampire Camping and caught the local bus down to the town of Rasnov.  Rasnov is a sleepy village close to the town of Brasov.  After reaching the town we had to climb to the fortress which got the heart going.  We could see the imposing fortress as soon as we entered the town.

 The photo above is of Rasnov Fortress, looking from street level.

 Once we climbed the 5000 steps we were rewarded by a stunning view looking out over the plains of Rasnov and back to Bran.  We had beautiful weather and a castle with view tourists to irritate us.

 The photo above is of the fortress as we made our way to the entry point.  No matter what side of the fortress we were on, each one was as spectacular as the other.  We were having such a fantastic day.

 As we made our way around the fortress I kept snapping photos along the way.

 As soon as we entered the fortress we were blown away by the magnitude of the fortress before us.  The photo above is looking from the entrance gates up to the fortress.

 I took the above photo whilst walking the narrow cobblestone alleys of the fortress.  The chap in the photo is of Maurice, one of our cycling buddies from Brisbane, Australia.

 Another photo taken inside the fortress.

 The Romanian flag still flies high above the fortress.  In the above photo you can see the area we will be riding over tomorrow.  Yep, more mountains.

 The photo above was taken by Peter looking into some of the ruins with the beautiful landscape down in the valley.  After a lot of climbing it was time to leave the fortress and head back to Vampire Camping to clean up and get our gear ready for our next stage of the tour.

Like usual, I've added some history of the fortress to digest.

Rasnov Fortress, is located on a rocky hilltop in the Carpathian Mountains, 650 ft. above the town of Rasnov. First mentioned in an official document in 1331, the fortress was built by Teutonic Knights as protection against invading Tartars and was later enlarged by the local Saxon population. Strategically located on the commercial route linking the provinces of Transylvania and Walachia, Rasnov differs from other Saxon fortresses in that it was designed as a place of refuge over extended periods of time. As such, it had at least 30 houses, a school, a chapel and other buildings more commonly associated with a village.
The defensive system included nine towers, two bastions and a drawbridge.

Surrounded by 500-foot-slopes on the north, south and west sides, the fortress was obliged to surrender only once, in the year 1612 when invaders managed to find the secret route that supplied the people inside the fortress with water. With the location of their water supply no longer a secret, the need for a well inside the fortress became a must.According to local legend, two Turkish prisoners were put to the task of digging a well through solid rock in the center of the fortress. They were promised their freedom once the well was finished.

Work on the 470-foot-deep well began in 1623 and took 17 years to complete. The well provided extra security as it meant the people didn't have to go outside the gates at all during a siege. It was in use until 1850 when the wheel broke.

The last siege of Rasnov Fortress took place in 1690 during the final Ottoman invasion of Transylvania. Damaged by fire in 1718, it was rebuilt the following year. The next major damage occurred as the result of an earthquake in 1802. The fortress was last used as a place of refuge during the revolution of 1848 and was abandoned after that.

Recently, the old fortress has been restored to its former glory and today, you can visit the impressive remains. There is also a museum here, hidden behind the ancient walls, where you can find a skeleton buried beneath a glass floor, as well as some other interesting artifacts.The inner rooms are maze-like, with several wooden ladders linking them and a few so-called secret passages which should keep you busy for quite awhile.

Another day on tour draws to a close, and Peter and I are having a fantastic time.  We're riding heaps, seeing some amazing countryside and meeting truly special people.  With 3 weeks of the tour gone and another 3 months to go, I think I should go to bed now and get some sleep.  The wedding goers have gone, the other campers have gone, so I should get a good night's sleep tonight.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.