Tourist objective unique in Europe, the Route of the Three Fortifications offers the visitors the opportunity of a journey in time through two millennia among the vestiges of three fortifications belonging to three different periods , successively constructed on the same location each new fortress including the former one : The Roman Camp (106 AD), The Medieval Fortress (16th –17th centuries) and Vauban Fortification (the beginning of the 18th century).
By developing the route, areas that were formerly forbidden to public access have entered into tourist circuit the benefits being not limited only to local or national sphere but reflected on entire Europe. This is a unique place in Europe where one can notice and study the historical and architectonic evolution of such diverse influences and populations on a relatively limited area.
Route of the Three Fortifications Project has been initiated on the basis of the agreement between the City Hall of Alba Iulia and the United Nations Development Programme through Beautiful Romania.
In it’s final stage the Route of Three Fortifications consisted of:
The Southern Gate of the Roman camp, Bethlen Bulwark of the Medieval Fortress and St. Eugene Bulwark of the Vauban fortress.
On the route have been set up information areas, exhibition areas, a military camp with medieval specificity, routes and visiting and resting points and the Artillery platform at the bases of St. Eugene Bulwark Here each week one can attend cannon shootings and admire the Guard parade. Further more, due to the development of the area there have been discovered unknown spaces within the bulwarks such as the run tunnel that connects the lower and upper sides of St. Eugene Bulwark. This tunnel was entirely restored. Also it has been set up a beautiful Weapons Room in one of the Watch Rooms of the Medieval fortress.
The route, even if it has lost some of its components from objective reasons, remains for Romania and Europe “a history book” a regained fortress where the visitor can pass through two millennia of history within a relatively limited area.