Welcome to Rasnov, Romania – a quiet little provincial town with not much going on but still enough things to do for a few days. While the city makes a great one-day trip from Brasov, I highly recommend renting a car and spending a few days here. It will be enough to glimpse the lovely town and discover the best things to do in Rasnov!
If you plan to visit Rasnov Fortress on a day trip, check out this FULL-DAY TOUR FROM BRASOV! You will discover 3 of the most beautiful and important tourist sights Romania offers. The Peles Castle, Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle), and the Rasnov Fortress are among them!
For those based in Bucuresti and wanting to discover this part of Transylvania, check out this FULL-DAY TOUR FROM BUCURESTI! You will visit Peles Castle, one of the most luxurious castles in the world, see Rasnov Citadel, and explore 14th-century Bran Castle, known as Dracula’s Castle, a Romanian national monument!
Disclosure. *This post contains a few affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link.*
Table of Contents
The Best Things To Do In Rasnov
The city has a few pretty streets with colorful houses, so take a short walking tour of the old town. Stay at the fancy Radsor Hotel and admire the “Hollywood” sign at the top of the hill. Next, hike to the Citadel and admire the views over the city. Then, have fun at Dino Park and discover the Valea Cetatii Cave. Finally, drive to Zarnesti town and learn more about the rescued bears from Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti.
Overnight at Rasnov Hotel
The fancy-looking hotel in the middle of the town is the perfect choice for spending a few nights in Rasnov. Almost all rooms overlook the Citadel, and the hotel truly offers a 4-star experience. Classy and sassy, modern and chic, well maintained and very welcoming, everything to make your stay memorable!
Appreciate the silence, the hospitality, and the coziness of the hotel and enjoy the spectacular view over the Citadel from the terrace. You can try delicious traditional dishes at the on-site restaurant and don’t forget to taste some Romanian wine!
Make sure to order the homemade PAPANASI, a traditional Romanian fried pastry, doughnut-shaped, served with sour cream and jam topping.
TIP: The on-site pastry shop has a variety of tasty sweets, tees, and coffee. And the artisanal ice cream is so delicious!
Check out the accommodation here!
Enjoy the panoramic views over the city from the Citadel
The Rasnov Citadel is an impressive thirteenth-century fortress built on the top of the mountain, 200 meters above the town. It dominates Rasnov’s skyline, a great example of a fort made to protect the community during an invasion.
A funicular takes you to the Citadel at the base of the hill. For those who wish to hike to the Citadel, there is a path on the right-hand side of the funicular. It’s quite an easy hike, so don’t take the funicular unless you don’t want to walk.
Once at the top, follow the path to the entrance. Find the ticket office and you’re ready to go. It is a self-guided walk through the outer wall, gates, and inner courtyard. You can let your mind go free and imagine how people lived when the Citadel was operational.
Rasnov Citadel is a reasonably well-preserved site with small souvenir shops and a beautiful panoramic view of Rasnov and the surrounding mountains.
Opening hours:
April – October: daily 9.00 – 19.00.
November – March: daily 9.00 – 17.00.
Note: If the Citadel is undergoing renovation work, and you can’t go inside, hiking up to the fortress and walking outside the walls is still a good idea!
Have fun at Dino Park
The best place to spend an exciting day with your children is Dino Park, East Europe’s largest dinosaur theme park. Children and adults walk through a beautiful forest on a historical route where they encounter more than 100 dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals that lived on this territory.
By encounter, I mean dinosaurs reproduced in their original size on a 1 to 1 scale. And you get to meet Seismosaurus, the biggest dinosaur ever living on our planet.
The walk takes around one hour and can be entertaining for children and adults as well. You can spend more time in the park since there is also an entertaining area with cinemas, a playground for kids, a small volcano that simulates a small earthquake, a gift shop, a zip line, and a museum.
FEE: 42 RON ( around 8.5 € or 9 $) for adults, 32 RON (around 6.5 € or 7 $) for children.
OPENING HOURS:
Monday to Thursday: 10.00 – 18.00
Friday & Saturday: 10.00 – 19.00
Sunday: 10.00 – 18.30
Discover Valea Cetatii Cave
Not many tourists know about this hidden gem outside Rasnov. Only 1.5 kilometers away from the city, Valea Cetatii cave is a small but interesting place to discover during your Rasnov visit.
Park your car near the road and walk 400 meters, about 20 minutes, on a marked path through an old forest. Buy your ticket for the 30-minute guided tour at the cave entry. The entrance is permitted only with a guide, twice an hour during winter and every 30 minutes during summer, so you’ll have to wait until one is available.
Although the tour is offered only in Romanian, the guide will take the time to translate it into English and answer everyone’s questions.
The cave allows a short tourist route that is clear and easy to access. You will be amazed by the beautiful calcite formations and white arches inside.
When you reach the Big Room, a 20-meter high and 2.500 square meters room, the guide will turn off the lights to experience absolute darkness.
FEE: 20 RON ( around 4 € or 4.5 $) for adults, 10 RON (around 2 € or 2 $) for children until 14.
Guided tours occur twice an hour during winter and every 20 minutes during summer.
Visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti
Libearty Bear Sanctuary is the largest brown bear sanctuary in the world and home to one hundred bears who roam freely on 70 hectares of oak and hazel forest. The shelter gathers many bears saved from captivity from different zoos or private places throughout Romania.
The sanctuary is only open for visitors from Tuesday to Sunday, and the guided tours are conducted in Romanian and English. There are only two guided tours daily, and only 40 visitors per visit are allowed.
Remember! The place is not a zoo: you can sometimes see the bears; other times, you won’t.
On the guided tour, you’ll learn more about this place, who made everything possible, and you’ll listen to sad stories about those poor bears’ lives and why and how they ended up in this sanctuary. The sanctuary is also home to abandoned or abused animals like wolves, donkeys, and dogs.
The entry-price ticket might seem expensive, but after realizing the price contributes to easing the bears’ pain by providing food and medicine, you will consider it an opportunity to help them. Those bears need donations; making additional contributions and purchasing stuff from the small shop is highly recommended. Undoubtedly, one of the best things to do in Rasnov is to visit the bear sanctuary, as you’ll learn many exciting things.
RELATED: Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti: http://bearsanctuary.com/libearty-bear-sanctuary or https://millionsoffriends.org/en/libearty/visit-the-sanctuary
BOOK YOUR FULL-DAY TICKETS HERE – if you’re based in Brasov and would love to visit the Bear Sanctuary and the Rasnov Fortress on a day trip. On top of that, you will explore Dracula’s Castle in Bran with a skip-the-line ticket. You will also get to visit the charming medieval town of Brasov!
The Best Things To Do In Rasnov. Interactive Map
Underneath, you’ll find a customized map with all the locations mentioned in this article. Just open up this article on your phone and click on the frame in the upper right corner of this map. The Google Maps app will open, and you can check all the details. I hope it helps!
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