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The citadel itself is still closed for restoration. Only the garden in front of it and the Báthory Tower can be visited, with a 10 lei ticket.
Râșnov Citadel, about 16 km from Brașov on the road to Bran, is still closed for restoration: you can visit the garden in front of the walls and the Báthory Tower for 10 lei, but not the citadel itself. Bus 130 from Brașov takes about 30 minutes and costs 7 lei, and a lift from the town square goes up the hill (40 lei return). The town hall plans to reopen the citadel in stages from 2028.
Is Râșnov Citadel worth it right now?
Only as a short stop, not as a trip on its own. The citadel drew large crowds before it closed in 2020, but today the inner courtyard and the old well are off limits. What you get is the outside of the walls, the garden at the entrance, the Báthory Tower with its view over the Bârsa plain, and the viewing platform next to the lift.
It makes sense if:
- you are already going to Bran Castle, which is 12 km further down the same road;
- you have children and are heading to Dino Parc, which sits at the foot of the citadel hill;
- you want a panorama of the Bârsa plain and the mountains without a long hike.
Skip it if you only have one day around Brașov and expect to walk around inside a medieval citadel. In that case, put your time into Bran, or into the Saxon fortified churches north-east of the city, which you can still go inside.
What’s open during the restoration
The restoration started in 2020. The first contractor closed the citadel to visitors and worked on it until 2022, when the works stopped in a dispute with the town hall. The project was restarted at the end of 2024, bids for a new design-and-build contract were due in May 2026, and the mayor said in June 2026 that work was expected to start in July–August 2026 (BizBrașov, April 2026; BizBrașov, June 2026). The town hall’s target is a staged reopening starting in 2028.
Since 13 August 2025, the town hall has charged a ticket for the parts that are open (Primăria Râșnov notice):
- The citadel garden (Grădina Cetății), the open area in front of the walls.
- The Báthory Tower, at the garden entrance, with a panoramic view and temporary history exhibitions.
The citadel itself stays closed until the works are finished. The town hall’s tourism page also says the viewing platform is free if you walk up rather than take the lift.
Getting there from Brașov
| Option | From | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 130 (RATBV) | Stad. Municipal stop, Bartolomeu area | about 30 min | 7 lei |
| Regional train | Brașov railway station | about 25 min | check when you buy |
| Car | DN73 towards Bran, 16 km | about 25 min | fuel and parking |
| Taxi or Bolt | anywhere in Brașov | about 25 min | see the Bolt app |
By bus
RATBV line 130 runs from the Stad. Municipal stop in Brașov’s Bartolomeu district to Râșnov. Get off at Primăria Veche or Biserica, in the centre near Piața Unirii, where the lift starts. The ride to the Biserica stop takes about 30 minutes.
Departures from Stad. Municipal (RATBV timetable, valid from 20 August 2026):
- Monday to Friday: 04:50, 05:50, 06:20, 07:10, 07:40, 09:00, 10:20, 11:40, 13:00, 13:40, 14:20, 15:00, 15:40, 16:20, 17:00, 17:40, 18:20, 19:40, 21:00, 22:20
- Saturday and Sunday: 06:40, 08:10, 09:40, 11:10, 12:40, 14:10, 15:40, 17:20, 18:50, 21:50
Back to Brașov from the Râșnov terminus (RATBV timetable); the bus reaches the Biserica stop about 2 minutes later:
- Monday to Friday: 05:25, 06:30, 07:00, 07:55, 08:20, 09:40, 11:00, 12:20, 13:40, 14:20, 15:00, 15:40, 16:20, 17:00, 17:40, 18:20, 19:00, 20:20, 21:40, 23:00
- Saturday and Sunday: 07:20, 08:50, 10:20, 11:50, 13:20, 14:50, 16:20, 18:00, 19:30, 22:30
A Brașov–Râșnov ticket costs 7 lei and is valid for 90 minutes on line 130 and on Brașov’s city buses, so it also covers the bus to Stad. Municipal if you validate it there (RATBV fares). You can also tap a contactless bank card on the validator inside the bus, which buys the right ticket for that line, or use the 24pay app. City bus 16 connects Livada Poștei, at the edge of the Old Town, with Stad. Municipal; see our guide to getting around Brașov by public transport for the city network.
By train
Regional trains on the Brașov–Zărnești line stop at Râșnov, about 25 minutes from Brașov station. Times change with each timetable, so check the official CFR timetable search before you go.
By car
Take the DN73 from Brașov through Cristian to Râșnov, about 16 km. You cannot drive up to the citadel; leave the car in town.
By taxi or ride-hailing
A taxi or Bolt is the fastest option without a car and is worth sharing between three or four people. Bolt’s app shows the price before you book.
Getting up the hill: the lift or on foot
The citadel stands on a limestone hill above the town. There are two ways up:
- The lift. An inclined lift, 165 m long, runs from behind the Casa de Cultură at Piața Unirii 9A to a platform next to the citadel. It runs daily, 09:00–17:00. Tickets cost 40 lei return or 25 lei one way for adults (14 and over), and 30 lei or 20 lei for children aged 3–13; a non-folding pushchair costs 30 lei. You can pay by card at the turnstile or buy online (lift operator). Some third-party sites say it runs only Thursday to Sunday in winter; the operator’s own site lists daily opening.
- On foot. A path climbs from the town to the citadel. Third-party guides put it at about 20 minutes. Walking up also saves the lift fare, and the town hall says the viewing platform is free for people who walk.
Tickets and hours
| What | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Citadel garden and Báthory Tower | 10 lei (VAT included), free under 12 | not published by the town hall |
| Lift, adult (14+) | 40 lei return, 25 lei one way | daily 09:00–17:00 |
| Lift, child (3–13) | 30 lei return, 20 lei one way | daily 09:00–17:00 |
| Citadel interior | closed | closed until the restoration ends |
The garden ticket is sold only on site and only by card, at a POS terminal at the entrance (Primăria Râșnov). The town hall set this price in August 2025 and has not published an update since. It does not publish opening hours for the garden either; third-party listings give 09:00–17:00 in winter and 09:00–19:00 in summer, so treat these times as a guide.
What you’ll see
The walls from outside. The town hall describes Râșnov as a peasant citadel, built in the 13th and 14th centuries by the local community to protect families and their belongings (Primăria Râșnov, history). Râșnov itself is first recorded in 1331. The citadel served as a refuge for centuries and is usually said to have been taken only once, in 1612, when the troops of Prince Gabriel Báthory found the path the defenders used to fetch water. Its well, said to be about 146 m deep, was dug in the 17th century; a local legend credits two Turkish prisoners with the work. The well is inside the closed area.
The Báthory Tower. The tower at the garden entrance is included in the 10 lei ticket. It has a panoramic view and hosts temporary exhibitions; the first, in 2025, was about Polish and Romanian women who changed the world.
The view. From the hill you look out over the flat Bârsa plain (Țara Bârsei) and the mountains around it.
Dino Parc: the family add-on
Dino Parc is a large outdoor dinosaur park in the forest at the foot of the citadel hill, on Strada Cetății. Its website lists more than 120 life-size dinosaurs along a trail, plus play areas, tree houses, an adventure trail, a laser maze and a 9D cinema (Dino Parc).
- Tickets (online shop, checked 10 October 2026): adults 60 lei, children aged 3–17 40 lei. The adventure trail, Dino train and 9D cinema cost 15 lei each, the laser maze 10 lei (ticket shop).
- Hours shown on the website: Monday to Thursday 10:00–18:00, Friday 10:00–18:30, Saturday 10:00–19:00, Sunday 10:00–18:30.
- Season: the website does not say when the park closes for winter. It advertises a Halloween event from 23 October to 1 November 2026, so it is open through October.
Allow two to three hours with children. Our guide to family activities in Brașov has more ideas for kids.
Combine it with Bran and the cave
Bran Castle is 12 km further along the DN73. The Brașov–Bran buses from Autogara 2 follow this road through Râșnov, so you can continue to Bran without going back to Brașov; see how to get from Brașov to Bran Castle for the buses and our Bran Castle visitor guide for tickets. The castle opens at 09:00 from Tuesday to Sunday and at 12:00 on Mondays (Bran Castle), so on a Monday it works well to see Râșnov in the morning and Bran after lunch.
Peștera Valea Cetății, a show cave close to the citadel, is another rainy-day option. Its website lists daily opening, 10:00–18:00 from October to March (last entry 17:30) and 10:00–20:00 from April to September (Peștera Valea Cetății).
For more ideas, see all our day trips from Brașov.
Tips
- Bring a bank card. The garden ticket is card only. The lift also takes cards.
- Check the weekend bus times. Line 130 runs about every 90 minutes at weekends, so note the return times before you go up.
- Walk down, ride up. If you want to save money or the queue is long, a one-way lift ticket (25 lei) and the path down is a good compromise.
FAQ
Is Râșnov Citadel open in 2026?
Only partly. The citadel itself is closed for restoration. The garden in front of it and the Báthory Tower are open with a 10 lei ticket.
How much does it cost to visit Râșnov Citadel?
The garden and Báthory Tower cost 10 lei per person over 12, paid by card. The lift costs 40 lei return for adults. Walking up is free.
When will Râșnov Citadel reopen?
The town hall plans to reopen it in stages from 2028, once the restoration works are done. Works were expected to start in summer 2026.
How do you get from Brașov to Râșnov?
Take RATBV bus 130 from the Stad. Municipal stop (about 30 minutes, 7 lei), a regional train towards Zărnești, or drive 16 km on the DN73.
Can you visit Râșnov and Bran Castle in one day?
Yes. They are 12 km apart on the same road, and the Brașov–Bran buses pass through Râșnov. With the citadel interior closed, Râșnov needs only an hour or two.
Is Dino Parc next to Râșnov Citadel?
Yes. It is in the forest at the foot of the citadel hill. Tickets cost 60 lei for adults and 40 lei for children aged 3–17 when bought online.
Sources
- Primăria Râșnov: garden and Báthory Tower ticket notice, tourist attractions, history of Râșnov
- Lift operator: asaltulcetatii.ro (prices and hours)
- RATBV: line 130 to Râșnov, line 130 to Brașov, fares, tickets and contactless payment
- Restoration timeline: BizBrașov, 8 April 2026, BizBrașov, 29 June 2026
- Dino Parc: website (hours) and ticket shop (prices)
- Bran Castle (opening times) and Peștera Valea Cetății
All prices and times were checked on 10 October 2026.
