It is located at about 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of the city of Brașov and about the same distance from Bran, on DN73, a road that links Wallachia and Transylvania.
The Râșnov Fortress was first built as a castle by the Teutonic Knights in the years 1211–1225. Râșnov was mentioned for the first time in 1331 as Rosnou and again in 1388 as villa Rosarum.[4] While the village was razed many times in its history by Tatars, Turks, and Wallachians, the fortress was conquered only once, in 1612, by Gabriel Báthory.
Legend of the fortress well
There is a legend attached to Râșnov Fortress. During a particularly long siege of the fortress, the citizens of Râșnov were concerned about the lack of available fresh drinking water. Two Turkish soldiers, having been captured earlier, were put to the task of digging a well in the centre of the fortress. These two men were assured that they would be given their freedom once the well was completed. According to local legend, it took them 17 years to finish the well, but they were still killed afterwards. This famous well still sits in the centre of Râșnov Fortress, and is 143 metres (469 feet) deep.
Two ski jumping events took place in Râșnov, as part of the Women's Ski Jumping World Cup 2013/2014 competition. The events were scheduled for March 2014, on the "Valea Cărbunării" slope.[6] During the 2019–20 World Cup, both women and men had events in Râșnov.[clarification needed].
Notable people
Erich Bergel (1930–1998), German trumpet player and conductor