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This road runs parallel and as an alternative to E79, from Deva to Hateg. The road has a couple of attractions that make it a favorite over the other route. The main reason to go this road is Hunedoara, and more precisely, the Corvin Castle situated on a hill overlooking the town. The other reason is the section of road between Hunedoara and Hateg, which is twisty, picturesque and rewarding.

The road starts in Deva, a pleasant city, best known as the home of Romania’s top gymnastics club and training ground for the elite Olympic team. The city is worth a stop for a visit to the ruins of Deva fortress built in the 13th century. There is a recently constructed cable car that provides easy access to the hilltop location—the expansive views of the city and the Mures valley below are well worth the time and admission.

As you head eastward out of town, you will find DN68B toward Hunedoara on your right. The first 14 kilometers are fairly flat and quick as you cross a region mainly known for its coal mining industry. The iron ore reserves in the hills were mined since Roman times. The area developed on a broader scale after 1884 and witnessed its heyday particularly during communism.

Arriving into Hunedoara, it is difficult to get over the acres and acres of abandoned factories and warehouses. As you follow the posted signs to the Castle, you pass dark, smoky and ominous industrial buildings leftover from a time when centrally-planned projects were all the rage. The sadness of the past is highlighted even more as you arrive at the castle and notice the ugly steel plant built (deliberately, mind you) right in front of the castle property.

However, once you ride the motorcycle through the main gates and into the upper parking lot, the overwhelming sight of this majestic castle completely grabs your attention. The Corvin Castle is considered the greatest fortress in Romania. The amazing thing about a country rich in ruins is that the castle is still standing and in fairly good shape. The Rough Guide to Romania quotes travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor as saying that the castle’s appearance was “so fantastic and theatrical that, at first glance, it looks totally unreal.”

The castle is surrounded by a 30-meter-deep moat, and connected by a narrow bridge across several stone piers. Impressive towers dominate the fairytale-like building, with rooflines accented by menacing spikes. Its presence is so strong, dark and ominous that you wonder what an enemy approaching its gates must have felt. The castle was built in the 1300s, and rebuilt and expanded by Iancu de Hunedoara in 1453. You enter the castle through a solid wood door (and yes, pay an entrance fee), and find yourself in the castle’s inner courtyard, surrounded by tall walls and several entrances. The castle is filled with galleries, spiral stairs, and two large halls, one of which served as the Knights’ Hall. The castle boasts its own water well, which was built by two Turkish prisoners over almost 30 years in exchange for their freedom. The castle is definitely worth a visit.

From the castle, head back towards town and the main road, take a right on DN68B and head toward Hateg. As you exit Hunedoara, the road turns right—don’t miss the turn. If you go straight, you will arrive in Calan on the main E79 highway (both DN68B and E79 end up in the same town). Highway 68B from here into Hateg is exceptionally scenic. The road is paved with concrete, so is not particularly smooth. But it is filled with S-curves, hairpins, tight turns and demanding elevation changes. You ride the road up on a ridge where your views become 360-degrees of hills, forests, sheep pastures and herds of cows. This is pastoral Romania at its finest.

From the ridge-top, the road begins an aggressive descent into Hateg. Here you will find a few sharp and quick hairpin turns that will require your full attention and a good deal of braking. As you enter the tiny village of Silvasu de Sus, you will see a sign pointing you toward the Prislop Monastery—take it! The monastery is one of Romania’s oldest convents, dating back to 1400. It is also one of the least known. The one-lane road from the village to the monastery is natural beauty. The monastery houses a group of nuns, and you are welcome to go in and even take pictures.

From here to Hateg is a short ride. Hateg is an interesting town at the foot of the striking Retezat Mountains, featuring one of the highest peaks in all the Carpathians. The town is in the center of an area rich in Roman ruins and Romanesque churches, typically dating from the 13th century. About 20 kilometers from town on Highway 68 you will find Sarmizegetusa with its entire complex of excavated Roman ruins. This was Ulpia Traiana Augusta, one of the pre-eminent Roman settlements in Dacia. Off the same DN68, about 12 kilometers from Hateg, you will find Densus and its 13th century church, built with stones from a 4th century Roman mausoleum. The frescoes inside are from 1443. Northeast of Hateg, near Gradistea de Munte, you will find Sarmizegetusa Regia, considered the seat of power during the reign of Decebal in the 2nd century B.C.

While being a relatively short road, DN68B is chock-full of historical and natural attractions, and perhaps a few pleasant surprises along the way. Yes, it is certainly worth it.

Deva

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DN68B

Hateg

Corvin Castle

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