The Blidaru Citadel is located at 1,5 kilometer S-V, in straight line with the Cetăţuie Hill. The maximum altitude of 709 meters, is reached at the level of the location tower in the middle of the fortification.
An enemy army, after getting in front of the Costeşti Citadel, and tried to push its access to Sarmizegetusa Regia, could notice three mountain peaks, but also Orăştie Valley, packed with towers. After building the 19 towers on north and north-east from the citadel, the strategic situation of Blidaru had considerably changed. No army from antiquity could step forward in Orăştie Valley. Not even the romans after conquering the Costeşti Citadel could climb up to Blidaru from this valley, and choose another route from the flank where there were no towers. Traces of a conflagration set by the invaders are missing both inside and outside the citadel.
„The tower forest” from Blidaru had constituted a unique defense device in antiquity, this system being an innovation of the Dacian architects and military excellently adapted to the fighting conditions on the mountain. By using the defense system and by using most of the archers and artilery, the number of Dacian victims was considerably reduced. Here the Dacian army was the one that settle the fighting rules from the beginning.
The character who led the professional army from Blidaru was a general. He wasn’t under the spiritual coordination of the high priest, as the Costeşti garrison chief was. Inside the Blidaru citadel there is only one tower, with no sanctuaries, nor inside or outside it. Beside the architectonics and strategic renewals regarding Costeşti, this citadel also reflects the changes produced on society’s level.
On the great king Burebista’s time and his descendants, the kings were listening to the high preist. On Decebalus time the ones who defeated Fuscus became, according to Iordanes, „semidivine beings”. Such an ansis was living in the Blidaru citadel. His rank is revealed in the characters that are shown on the walls of the tower inside the citadel.
The trail to the citadel, starts from the Costești village, that can be easily reached from any hotel in Transilvanya by road. The picturesque hike takes about one hour to complete.
