Information
Râşnov (
- German:
Rosenau; Hungarian: Barcarozsnyó) is a town in
Braşov County, Romania with a population of under
16,000.
It is located at about 15 km from the city of
Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links
Wallachia and Transylvania.
Its name is derived from Slavic
"žrŭnovy", meaning (village or valley) "of the mill". In 14th
century, German documents used the name Rasnov, but the
modern German name, Rosenau is based on a popular etymology,
being influenced by German "rose", however
In Râşnov a citadel
was built around the year 1215 by the Teutonic Knights and it was
mentioned for the first time in 1331. The citadel was conquered only
once in its history, around the year 1600 by Gabriel Báthory.
Myth
There is a myth attached to Râşnov Fortess. During
a particularly long siege of the fortress, the citizens of Râşnov were
concerned about the lack of available fresh drinking water. Luckily,
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 32 years to finish
the well. This famous well still sits in the centre of Râşnov
Fortress, and is 143 metres deep.
External links
RasnovCastles of the Teutonic
KnightsRasnov