Arad Fortress
An 18th-century Vauban-style fortress on the banks of the Mureș.
<p>Arad Fortress is still half a secret. It's a star-shaped Vauban fortress built between 1763 and 1783 on the island between the two branches of the Mureș — and until recently it was a closed military zone. Since the late 2010s it has slowly opened to the public, and you can still walk the walls without crowds.</p><p>It's a place of heavy memory. The 13 Hungarian generals of the 1848-49 Revolution were imprisoned and sentenced to death here, executed on October 6, 1849. Their monument and the Romanian-Hungarian Reconciliation Memorial sit just outside the fortress, by the river.</p><p>Tip: the inner citadel is visited on weekends by guided tours only, with prior booking — small fee, about an hour. If you come without booking, you can still wander the outer ramparts, the bridges over the moat, and the surrounding park. Bring binoculars — the Mureș attracts birds.</p><p>Pair the visit with a walk down Revolution Boulevard, especially in the evening. Arad has some of Romania's finest Secession architecture, and a quiet rhythm that lets you actually look at it.</p>
