Citadel Hill (371 m =1,217 ft), a truncated volcanic plug, with stunning views of the Mures valley. Citadel Hill is a protected nature reserve thanks to its rare floral species and the horned adder ( Vipera Ammodytes ). Perched on the top of the hill are the ruins of the Citadel (Cetatea Devei) built in XIII c at the time of the Mongol invasions, on earlier Roman foundations. Under the protection given by the fortress, the city grew in the following centuries. An important military and administrative centre it has played a significant part in Transylvanian history.

In 1849, just before the Central European Revolution defeat, after the general Bem retreat and then occupation, the fortress was blown apart by a powerful blast in the storehouse filled with explosives (12 August). Since then, the ruins are silent and now a historical monument. Accessed by foot, on winding alleys up to the top of the hill the ruins can be visited and also a rewarding panorama of the surrounding valley delights the visitors.

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