Drobeta Turnu Severin

Drobeta-Turnu Severin is a city in the Mehedinti county,on the left bank of the Danube, below the Iron Gates. It is situated in western Oltenia, at the edge of the Topolnita depression, 220 km south-east of Timisoara, 113 km west of Craiova and 353 km west of Bucharest.

Tourism attractions:

• Roman Fort - vestiges of the former Roman camp defending the military headquarters, where the Emperor Trajan has established headquarters during the war in 105 and 106 AD; the fort shows the importance of this banks of the Danube in Roman times; the foundations have been preserved and the remains of baths.
• Porțile de Fier Region Museum - is divided into sections (over 50,000 exhibits on), ethnography, art, natural sciences (includes an interesting aquarium).
• Heroes Monument - was built after World War I (1930-1933).
• Cultural Palace - in the spring of 1913 began construction of the palace. After more than a decade (1924) was made available to the public first room.
• Grecescu Church – built in 1868 by the family of Ioan Grecescu boyars. The value and beauty of this church are given by its interior painting in neoclassical style, created by George Tatarescu (1872).
• Trajan's Bridge - built in only three years (103-105) after the plans of a famous architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, Trajan's Bridge remains the most daring engineering work of the ancient Roman. Premiere of high technological complexity (even today not fully known the technical formulas), this bridge was built on 20 piles of stone; was 1135 m long, 14.55 m wide and 18.60 m high and had one gateway monument at the ends of which vertical relics can be seen today on both sides of the Danube.
• Severin Citadel - was the most important strategic redoubt on the Danube; the conquerors ensured the advance to new conquests.   
• Water Castle - was originally designed in 1910 for town water supply.
•  Art Museum - This building was built in 1990 and has a rich patrimony of great artistic value, national ranking.
• Central Park - was arranged on the market place in front of City Hall in spring 1900.

The historical vestiges from Drobeta Turnu Severin are proof of how important the area has been for centuries. Archaeological excavations attest human settlements in this area since the Palaeolithic (the remains of settlements dating from the Palaeolithic were brought to light and are still studied in Schela Cladovei).

The settlement had an economic boom during the Roman period and Middle Ages, becoming an urban and commercial strategic centre.

After they were conquered by the Romans, the Geto-Dacian people transformed the Drobeta town in one of the most prosperous settlements of the Roman empire.

Tourism attractions close to Drobeta

The Vodita monastery (rebuilt), the oldest in the Oltenia province, a monastic settlement built  (1370-1372) by ruler Vlaicu Basarab is located 20 km from Drobeta Turnu-Severin on the way to the Vodita valley.

Man has shaped the county relief creating impressive constructions in the Iron Gates area, the former Cazanele Dunarii (Danube’s Gorges) - a challenge for sailors - the Danube waters were ‘tamed’ by the construction of two large dams, linking Romania and Serbia.

The Topolnita cave - Cireșu, one of the largest in the country (over 11 km already explored, with galleries on several levels and with stalactites and stalagmites million years), a natural monument protected by law, is situated 31 km from Drobeta Turnu Severin.

Forests with a rich and varied fauna and the rich hydrographical network attract fishermen and sport hunters. Visitors are impressed by the beauty of the cave landscape and the interesting geological structures.

Near the Şimian locality, on the road from Craiova to Drobeta Turnu Severin,in the middle of the Danube, lies the Simian island, where the Turkish houses and mosque from the 17^th century from the Ada Kaleh island were moved, before this island was flooded by Iron Gates accumulation lake.

At 6 km from Drobeta Turnu Severin lies Cerneti, the former capital of the county until 1833.  The "Tudor fortress" is the memorial house belonging to Tudor Vladimirescu revolutionary, the well-known hero of the revolution of 1821.

Here you have 3 star hotels, 2 stars hostels, pensions of 3 stars and 2 stars, restaurants, candy stores. Medical services: Orsova`s main hospital, drugstores, medical places, dentistry.

Local traditions: Severin Days – 23^rd April each year, National Festival of Literature "The meaning of love" – every year in June, the "Songs of Romanians everywhere" Festival - October each year, National Book Fair of Autumn – October, Camp Creation of Mraconia Artists - every summer, The Festival of light music- inter-county contest, Taraf Folk Festival "Autumn Severineanul" - September each year, Siseşti "pots and wire Ceramics Fair ", Medieval Festival in partnership with the Negotin City of Serbia.