Aiud Fortress

In the center of Aiud municipality, Alba county, the citadel preserves a medieval enclosure around the churches and the former Bethlen castle. The fortification of the complex began towards the end of the fourteenth century. The walls follow an irregular pentagon outline, and the towers bear the names of the guilds that were responsible for their defense and maintenance.

Among these are the towers of the coopers, tailors, butchers, shoemakers, furriers and potters. Inside are the reformed church and the evangelical church, together with parish buildings and constructions related to the history of the fortress. In the past, the defense was strengthened by a moat and access by a drawbridge. From the surrounding streets you can follow the succession of towers and walls that surround the historic core of the city. Visiting the interiors of churches and museum spaces is done according to the rules of the institutions that administer them.

The Coopers’ Tower and the Reformed church in Aiud Citadel. Archive photo (June 2007): Roamata / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Cropped and resized.