Câlnic, Alba

Câlnic
Commune
Câlnic Citadel
Location in Alba County
Câlnic Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°53′10″N 23°39′11″E
Country	Romania
County	Alba
Population  (2021-12-01)	1,810
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Vehicle reg.	AB

Câlnic (German: Kelling; Hungarian/Turkish: Kelnek) is a commune in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania, composed of two villages, Câlnic and Deal (Dál). Câlnic village is known for its castle, which is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

The castle

Main court of the Câlnic castle. The building to the left is the chapel. Behind the wall, hills surrounding the village and the castle can be seen.

Main court

Câlnic Citadel, first mentioned in 1269, is very well preserved. Built as a noble's residence, it was bought in 1430 by local peasants and fortified. It consists of a large court surrounded by walls and some buildings adjacent to the walls. In the middle of the court there is a large donjon as well as a chapel. The castle differs from most other constructions of this type in that it is not situated on a hilltop but rather in a depression, much lower than the surrounding hills. This position, clearly inconvenient in case of a siege, can be explained by the castle's first function as a residence, not meant as a defensive construction.

Outside view of the castle

See also

• List of castles in Romania
• Tourism in Romania
• Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania

Bibliography

Liviu Stoica, Gheorghe Stoica, Gabriela Popa - Castles & fortresses in Transylvania: Alba County / Castele și cetăți din Transilvania: Județul Alba, Cluj-Napoca, 2009, ISBN 978-973-0-06141-3