[3] The village is located at the northern edge of the commune, at the foot of the Piatra Craiului Mountains, on the Rucăr-Bran Pass.

[2] Ciocanu was founded and named around 1850 by Iosif Că­ciulă, Teche Poponeci, and Bucur Stinghe, three deserters from the Imperial Austrian Army who purchased land from the elders of Rucăr.

In the late 16th century, Doamna Florica, the daughter of Michael the Brave, took possession of the village, in turn granting property to the Rucăr elders.

[3] In 1916, during the early stages of Romania’s participation in World War I, the area was the scene of heavy fighting (see Battle of Dragoslavele).

Reportedly, prior to the war, a German spy posing as a hunter had photographed the Romanian military’s local strategic defenses.