Ghimeș-Făget: Rákóczi Fortress, Culture and Via Mariae

Ghimeș-Făget draws attention to the Rákóczi Fortress. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was part of a complex fortification system consisting of ramparts, moats and defensive bastions to protect the border between Transylvania and Moldavia.

Culture and History

The authentically reconstructed Bethlen–Rákóczi Fortress was opened to visitors on 22 May 2026, the 400th anniversary of its construction in 1626. The preserved Rákóczi Fortress is now a ruin; the steps leading up to the fortress from the east were built at the end of the 19th century.

The Gyimesbükki Tájház was created by ethnographer Antalné Tankó Mária and offers an insight into the everyday life of the Csángó people. Those who look beyond fortification history to social and cultural contexts will find a different thematic perspective here than at the ruins.

Another stop focuses on the connection between transport and the border: Railway Watch House No. 30 houses an exhibition on railway history, presenting railway life at that time and the history of border protection. It was built during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and was the easternmost railway watch house in historic Hungary.

The Kontumác Chapel is located on the grounds of the Kontumác quarantine station and provided spiritual support to people placed in quarantine during epidemics.

Music is also part of the cultural identity of the place: the Stradivarius concert in Ghimeş-Făget has become a tradition in the Stradivarius tour programme, attracting audiences from across the country.

Routes

The Bacău County Council installed tourist orientation and information boards along the Ghimeș–Vf. Bilibok mountain hiking trail. The red M05 Via Mariae route is signposted between Târgu Mureş, Miercurea Ciuc (Șumuleu Ciuc) and Ghimeș-Făget.

The first day of the red M05 Via Mariae route begins at Capela Contumaț, leads via Apahavas and Pârâul Ugra to Biserica din Lunca de Sus or Colegiul Sfânta Elisabeta, and covers 20.7 km.

For planning purposes, border history, everyday culture, railways, quarantine and music can be considered as separate thematic focuses alongside one another. The route lengths provide a separate measure of time, allowing you to organise your days according to your interests and the time available; the different types of stops also remain clearly distinguishable.

Different themes and route lengths help you organise your days according to your interests and the time available. For clear planning, cultural sites, the event and the routes can be kept conceptually separate.

When choosing a hotel in Ghimeș-Făget, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the offer pages. This information helps you consider the accommodation framework separately from the cultural stops, the concert and the signposted Via Mariae, without confusing the individual components of your trip.

Other Places

The same broader destination also includes Letea Veche, Cerdac, Horgești, Valea Seacă, Sulţa, Comăneşti, Onești and Moinesti.

To the broader travel overview: Bacau.