An old capital of Wallachia, the residence of the first Basarab princes, boast valuable monuments of art due to which the town is known as an important tourist center, a genuine museum of the Romanian history placed in a picturesque natural scenery.

The centuries that have passed have left traces in the written documents or on walls, proving that the inhabitants of Arges have always known how to create a universe of their own, erect monuments which continue to amaze those who come to see them, and that Curtea de Arges has made a valuable contribution to the development of the Romanian architecture, inestimable historical and artistic treasures, genuine masterpieces of the human genius.

The Princely Church- founded by the Basarab princes at the middle of the 14th century built in a classical Byzantine style-is one of the most valuable gems of Romanian mediaeval art and architecture. A treasure of the Romanian painting, the monument preserves frescoes from three periods, the most valuable being the original painting from the time of princes Vladislav I Vlaicu and Radu I. The masterly harmonized colors, the diversity of human physiognomies confers a great artistic value to these frescoes besides their historical significance.

The Curtea de Arges Monastery, founded by prince Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521), a massive construction of Albesti stone, erected by famous masters under the direct supervision of the prince, impresses through its architecture being one of the most beautiful historical monuments in Romania " a true Wallachian St. Sophia which crowns the architectonic development of collateral arts in the Balkan Peninsula" whose fame, enhanced by the legend of Master Manole has gone beyond the country's boundaries.

Just as his forefathers, Neagoe Basarab linked his name to Curtea de Arges forever, founding one of the artistic masterpieces in Romania and even in Europe-the Arges Monastery, becoming a ballad hero.

The Poienari Stronghold lies 27 km from Curtea de Arges on a small plateau on top of Cetatea Mount reachable by a 1,480-step staircase winding through a tick beech forest. Here, at an altitude of 850 m, the stronghold was built as "an eagle's nest", part of the fortifications that defended the northern border of Wallachia.

Chronicles - such as the Cantacuzin Chronicle - say that Vlad the Impaler (1456-1462), son of Vlad Dracul, repaired and consolidated the stronghold in 1457.