The gentle climate and the richness of the soil made the area around Alba Iulia inhabitable since ancient times and established Alba as a leading wine growing region since 1st century AD. Northwest of Alba Iulia are the Apuseni Mountains and in the east the Transylvanian Plateau with its rolling hills and deep, wide valleys.

Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania. Alba Iulia is historically important for Romanians, Hungarians and Transylvanian Saxons.

One of the oldest settlements in Romania, known in ancient time as Apulum, Alba Iulia served as the largest military and economic center during the Roman occupation. Temples, mosaics, thermae and statues, amphitheaters, the governor's palace "Daciarum Trium" – all rendered the original Dacian Apulul as the miniature copy of the mother Rome. Alba means white and comes from the time when the Slavics called the settlement Belgrade (“White Castle”). Iulia comes from the name of Romanian Prince Gelu (Iulius in Latin) who ruled over the land around Alba Iulia during the 10th century. The Habsburgs tried to impose the name Alba Carolina (Karlsburg) in honor of the emperor Charles VI. In 1918 the town became once again Alba Iulia.

The modern city is located near the site of the important Dacian political, economic and social centre of Apulon, mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy and believed by many archaeologists to be the Dacian fortifications on top of Piatra Craivii. After the southern part of Dacia became a province of the Roman Empire, the capital of the Dacia Apulensis district was established here, and the city was known as Apulum. Apulum was the largest city in Roman Dacia and the seat of the XIII Gemina Legion. Apulum is the largest castra located in Romania, occupying 37.5 ha (750 x 500 m2).

Middle Age was earlier here, Alba being certified as a county in 1171, then as "civitas", along with Brasov, Sibiu and Rodna. The first documentary reference Alba Iulia had been made in 1276, and was then taken over and consequently translated as Bãlgrad or Gyulafehérvár.

An Episcopal citadel and an important political, military and ecclesiastic center of the province, Alba Iulia reached an important climax between 1542-1690, being the capital of the independent Principality of Transylvania and "the residence of the Transylvanian princes", as the traveler Evlia Celebi eloquently wrote. Famous rulers and voivodes, musicians and painters, ambassadors and scholars, engineers and doctors met in "the city of fine arts", endowing this "Transylvanian Heidelberg" with a new glowing.

An important commercial center, a real foundation stone of the province and of the entire South-Eastern European world, the city has gained a special cultural importance due to the notable accomplishments in the bishops Ladislau Gereb and Francis Varday's time but mostly during the prince Gabriel Bethlen's time.

The well-known Collegium Academicum, the first higher educational institution in Transylvania, which had been running since 1622, boasted for about four decades some of the most brilliant representatives of the European Humanism and Renaissance: Apaczai Csere Janos, Martin Opitz, Alstedius, Biserfeldius, Johannes Piscator, genuine titans with passion for knowledge and multilaterality. Nowadays the local universities continue the tradition of the old academic schools.

Between 1577-1702, more than 22 works, "real masterpieces of language, belief and Romanian feeling", such as Tetraevangheliarul slavon (1579), Evanghelia de invatatura (1641), Noul Testament de la Balgrad (1648), Psaltirea (1651), Bucoavna (1699) or Chiriacodromionul (1699) came out of the printing presses of Balgrad. The ample series of incunabula and rare books (such as Codex Aureus) from the Batthyaneum Library (where it is the oldest astronomic observatory in Romania) enrich through their singleness the culture of Alba Iulia. The well-known Collegium Academicum, the first higher educational institution in Transylvania, which had been running since 1622, boasted for about four decades some of the most brilliant representatives of the European Humanism and Renaissance: Apaczai Csere Janos, Martin Opitz, Alstedius, Biserfeldius, Johannes Piscator, genuine titans with passion for knowledge and multilaterality.

The ample series of incunabula and rare books (such as Codex Aureus) from the Batthyaneum Library (where it is the oldest astronomic observatory in Romania) enrich through their singleness the culture of Alba Iulia.

On the first of November 1599, once with the voivode Michael the Brave's victorious arrival, Alba Iulia has become the capital of the first political union of all Romanians. His military, administrative, cultural and national accomplishments represent a seal-symbol of the Transylvanian map and of Romanian people's consciousness. The mitropoly that he had founded here, "our most resistant and useful establishment from this side of the Carpathians", symbolizes the integration of Transylvania into the great Romania.

Having been overtaken by the Austrian suzerainty after 1700, the city of Alba Iulia had experienced fundamental changes between 1714-1738 and therefore became a real military bulwark, a monument of baroque architecture built in Vauban style.

Alba Iulia has the greatest and best-preserved fortress of this kind in Romania, which has become an effigy of the city. The serfs revolt led by Horea, Closca and Crisan, tragically put down in February 28th 1785 on the Pitchfork Hill, makes the city a seal symbol of the fight for justice and freedom.

Eloquently defined by Nicolae Iorga as "the cultural municipality", Alba Iulia also honored its reputation through the synods organized by the Romanian priests, through public assemblies of Astra (1866, 1875, 1886) and those of the Romanian Theatre Fund Society (1878, 1909), through papers and publications, the well known names of St. Ludwig Roth, Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga, Octavian Goga, Lucian Blaga, Liviu Rebreanu, Iuliu Maniu, Constantin Daicoviciu ennobling the city.

On the 1st of December 1918 another glorious page of history was written in the citadel of martyrdom and glory, as a corollary of its millenary history. Here, in Alba Iulia, on the Field of Horea, 100,000 Romanians and 1,228 delegates have democratically, plebiscitarily and irrevocably decided the Unification of Transylvania with the mother country, accomplishing the dream of many generations.

An Episcopal citadel and an important political, military and cultural center, Alba Iulia reached its peak between 1542-1690, serving as the capital of the independent Principality of Transylvania and the residence of the Transylvanian princes. In 1599, Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) achieved here for a brief period of time the union of the three main provinces of Romania: Walachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia. The town later became an important printing centre. Nowadays the local universities continue the tradition of the old academic schools.

The peasant revolt led by Horea, Closca and Crisan, executed on February 28, 1785 on the Pitchfork Hill (Dealul Furcii) turned the city into a symbol of the fight for justice and freedom.

It was here that on December 1st 1918 the province of Transylvania announced its unification with Romania. In 1922 Prince Ferdinand was crowned King of Romania in an act which mirrored the union achieved more than four centuries earlier by Mihai Viteazul.

In the old town visitors can stroll along the wide, tree-lined streets of the Habsburg citadel, one of the most impressive in Europe, to discover the historical, cultural and architectural places of interest of Alba Iulia: the Roman Catholic Cathedral – the oldest and most valuable monument of architecture in Transylvania., the Batthyaneum Library, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Reunification, the Babilon Building – housing the National Museum of Unification, the Union Hall, the Apor Palace, the Princely Palace, and the University of Alba Iulia.

For those interested in natural attractions and outdoor adventures, Alba Iulia is a good starting point for exploring the Apuseni and Retezat parks.

How to get to Alba Iulia

By Plane

Major airports:

1. Bucharest
a) Henri Coanda Airport
From this airport there are two possibilities:
- travel by plane to Cluj-Napoca
- travel by train directly to Alba Iulia

By plane to Cluj Napoca:
From the airport take Bus no. Expres 783 (local transport line RATB) and get off at Aeroport "Aurel Vlaicu" Baneasa. From here you may fly to Cluj-Napoca Airport.

By train directly to Alba Iulia:
From the airport take Bus no. Expres 783 (local transport company RATB) and get off at Piata Presei Libere (Terminal Curse Interne / Terminal Plecari Internationale / Oras Otopeni / Aeroport "Aurel Vlaicu" Baneasa / Piata Presei Libere). From Mon through Fri, from 05:30-23:00 (every 15 mins); Sat-Sun, from 05:30-23:00 (every 30 mins)

From the bus stop Piata Presei Libere change to Bus no. RATB 205 and get off at Gara de Nord (North Railway Station) bus stop.

From the railway station there are various direct trains to Alba Iulia:
R 374 – leaves at 06:30 and arrives at 13:11
IC 531 – leaves at 13:00 and arrives at 19:44
A 1826 – leaves at 16:45 and arrives at 02:20
R 346 – leaves at 16:45 and arrives at 23:01
R 370 – leaves at 18:50 13:00 and arrives at 01:24

b) “Aurel Vlaicu” Baneasa Airport
From this airport there are two possibilities:
- travel by plane to Cluj-Napoca
- travel by train directly to Alba Iulia

Extreme caution with taxis in Bucharest is needed– choose only those cabins that have the tariffs displayed on the door and that use a meter. Trusted companies may be reached at the following numbers: 021 9494, 021 9444, 021 9477, 021 9488.

2. Cluj-Napoca Airport
From the airport take a taxi (with the following logos: Disel Taxi - + 40264953, Nova Taxi + 40264949, Pritax - + 40264942, TerraFan - + 40264944) to the Beta Bus Station, from where you can take a bus to Alba Iulia. Buses run on an almost hourly basis. The following transport companies cover the route Cluj-Napoca – Alba Iulia: Dacos, Transmixt, Normandia. Advanced booking is recommended.

3. “Traian Vuia” Timisoara Airport
From the airport take Bus no. 24, get off at Punctele Cardinale bus stop and change to Bus no. 11 till you reach the railway station. Alternatively, you may take a taxi to the railway station (fares may be a bit high because of the distance and heavy traffic). Recommended taxi company - Omnitour 0040-748.110.531.

From the railway station there are some direct trains to Alba Iulia.
There are various direct trains to Alba Iulia:
A 1974 leaves at 06:15 and arrives at 10:20;
A 1767 leaves at 15:10 and arrives at 19:11;
A1839 leaves at 18:03 and arrives at 23:14;
A1942 leaves at 23:10 and arrives at 03:28

4. Budapest Airport (Hungary)
If you choose to fly to Budapest Airport, there is the possibility to travel to Aiud or Cluj-Napoca by minivans provided by different road transport companies, i.e. Transgilyen. (0040-258-863271, 0040-745-217688 or 0040-742- 355185; www.transgilyen.ro or Amasis, 0264-431922, 0264-430267, 0264-590323 or 0788-308742; http://www.amasis.ro).

Airline Companies
The national airline is Tarom (http://www.tarom.ro/).
Low cost airlines that operate flights to and from Romanian airports: Wizzair (http://wizzair.com), Carpatair (www.carpatair.com), Blue Air (www.blueair-web.com), Sky Europe (www.skyeurope.com), Easy Jet (www.easyjet.com).