First erected in 1377 as a fortification guarding the Rucăr-Bran Pass, Bran Castle carries within its walls centuries of layered history — from medieval stronghold to royal summer residence — with each era leaving its architectural mark on the castle’s façades and towers. The façade restoration focused on the main entrance area, including the Gate Tower, where restorers worked to consolidate and bring to light the original historic mortars that had been concealed beneath successive layers of limewash and cement applied over the centuries. Particular care was taken to preserve the early 17th-century Castellan’s Oath inscription — carved in Old German script — which reads: “the castellan protects his castle at the cost of his life, like a bird that never abandons its nest.” The result is a meticulous conservation intervention that honours the castle’s medieval character while safeguarding its most significant decorative and historic elements for future generations.