After a ten month break the castle of Râşnov is once again open to the public. Entrance will be free until the end of this month, with a fee to be charged again starting on September 1st. To make the most out of the potential of this historical and tourist attraction, several entertainment and cultural events will be held in the castle, during the month of august and the beginning of September. Also, to allow the tourists to visit the Castle of Râşnov safely, special routes have been created.

"I am very sorry that we were forced to keep the castle closed for visitors, but we wanted to prevent the occurrence of a tragedy. But from now on, everything will go back to normal, and we hope that we will soon begin major restoration works", the mayor of Râşnov, Adrian Veştea said.

The Castle of Râşnov is now managed by the local authorities, after its management was concessioned to the company "Drumuri Publicitare" between 2000 and 2007. The mayoralty of Râşnov sued the company in 2007, alleging that the latter did not honor the terms of the partnership. The renovation works performed by the company, which is no longer associated with the mayoralty of Râşnov, destroyed the "natural foundation" of the castle"s wall, causing it to collapse several times.

Râşnov is one of the best preserved fortresses in the region of Transilvania, built by peasants in the 13th-14th century to provide defense against the attacks of the Turks and Tartars.

OVIDIU VRÂNCEANU, Braşov (TRANSLATED BY COSMIN GHIDOVEANU) After a ten month break the castle of Râşnov is once again open to the public. Entrance will be free until the end of this month, with a fee to be charged again starting on September 1st. To make the most out of the potential of this historical and tourist attraction, several entertainment and cultural events will be held in the castle, during the month of augus