It is a 13th-century fortress above the Criș valley, where the exiled prince Constantin Șerban lived after 1658.
About the place
The fortress, Sólyomkő in Hungarian, was built between 1242 and 1276 and appears in documents from 1306. It was taken in 1316 by the troops of Charles Robert of Anjou, and after 1658 it was the home of Constantin Șerban, the former prince of Wallachia, who bought estates in the area. In 1711, after the Peace of Szatmár, imperial troops blew it up. Cliffs protect it on three sides and a ditch on the fourth.
In 2024 Aleșd town hall signed a 12.4 million lei contract, funded by Romania's recovery plan, to consolidate the walls, rebuild the keep and make an access path, with a deadline of summer 2026. Until the work is done, you reach it on a dirt road from Peștiș and then a steep forest path of about 20 minutes that passes the ruined chapel.
Good to know
- Ask Aleșd town hall whether the restoration is finished and the site is open.
- Leave the car in Peștiș after rain; the dirt road to the forest becomes hard to drive.
- Wear hiking shoes: the last part of the path is steep.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.