Trascău Fortress (Colțești)

To the west of the village of Colțești, in Rimetea commune of Alba county, Trascăului Citadel rises on a limestone rock. It was built around 1296 by the Thoroczkay family as a residence and place of refuge. The high position allowed for surveillance of the valley, and today it opens up views of the village and the peaks around Rimetea.

Towers and fragments of the enclosure walls survive from the complex. The keep, raised at the highest point of the rock, is the part that immediately catches the eye. The fortress was destroyed during the uprising led by Gheorghe Doja and at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Consolidation and site improvement work completed in 2026 included access routes, stairs and railings. The climb leads to an open-air monument on rocky ground; suitable footwear and compliance with the arranged route are necessary for its completion.

Ruins of the Trascău Citadel. Archive photo (2011): Ioanny98 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro. Cropped and resized. Adapted photo retains same license.