Historic sites
A visit to Sarmizegetusa Regia will provide you with a better understanding of Romanians' origins from more than 2 millenia ago before Romans conquered Dacia.
At that time Sarmisegetuza Regia was the capital of the Dacian Kingdom.
The Dacians are the first known tribe to inhabit the current territory of Romania, their actual origins being obscure. The Dacian Kingdom proves to be a very powerful actor in Easter Europe 2000 years ago as at its might was covering the territory of Romania and significant parts of current Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Ukraine. Sarmisegetuza Regia was placed strategically at 1200 meters altitude and it was protected by a chain of fortresses. The site is an outstanding example of Late Iron Age development and includes a fortress, a sacred and a civilian area proving the spirituality and strength of this nation.
At the beginning of the 2nd century Dacia was conquered by the Roman Empire, changing the destiny of the country and of Sarmisegetuza Regia. Having been partly destroyed during the conflict, a replica of it was made 40 kilometers away which served as a capital for the Roman occupied territory and it was called Ulpia Traiana Sarmisegetuza. Nevertheless significant parts are left for us to see, the site being under strict conservation, together with the chain of protecting fortress are under UNESCO world heritage.
While most words in Romanian language are of Latin origin, Sarmizegetusa is an example of how the ancient Dacian language sounded.
Other such words are: amurg (twilight), băiat (boy), brânză (cheese), fluier (whistle), grumaz (neck), mire (groom), prunc (child), șopârlă (lizard).
A visit to Sarmisegetuza Regia is possible only by private car, there is no public transportation to take you there being in an isolated area in the mountains.
We can arrange a private day trip from Sibiu to visit Sarmisegetuza Regia. The trip can start from other towns like Timisoara or Cluj Napoca or it can be part of a longer tour of Transylvania and Romania.
