Harsova

Geographical data: The Town Hârşova is located in the North-Western part of Constanta County, on the right bank of the Danube River, 10 km far from the confluence of Danube River with the Branch Borcea. The commune is neighbouring in North and South the territory of Ciobanu Commune, the territory of Horia Commune in South-East, the Danube River in South (on the left bank there is the Ialomita Isle situated), the Danube River in West (on the opposite bank there is Insula Mare a Brailei – the Great Isle of Braila – located).

The town encompasses two localities, Hârşova town and the village Vadu-Oii, situated 10 km in North-West in close neighbouring of the road bridge Giurgeni – Vadu Oii.

Communication Ways: The communication links of Hârşova town with the city county seat are provided by National Road DN 2A (E60), with Tulcea town by the National Road DN 22A and with the adjacent communes Ciobanu, Gârliciu, Ghindăreşti, Topalu, by county roads covered by bitumen. The road transportation is 93.1 % made on modernized streets, the length of the road traffic street network within the town is of 29.0 km, 20.0 km including modernized roads. Another transport way between Cernavoda and Braila is the Danube River, but the passenger transportation by boat vas interrupted since before 1989. Hârşova is a port on the Danube River, fluvial vessels may anchor here. During the last years however, the navigation on the Danube River knew a descending curve, finally in 1998 the “Navrom” Agency in Hârşova had been closed. While in the past Hârşova was an important trade centre where ships transporting goods and passengers where passing, today there is not at least a gangway for the vessels transiting the Danube.

Brief history: The archeology researches revealed material traces proving a continuous life of the human communities in areas dated since in the superior Paleolithic. The Neolithic cultures are the best represented, defining one of the most important not only in Dobrudja but also in the country, archeology centers specific to this time,.

The material cultures belonging to the Metal Age, are present within the perimeter of Hârşova town by several archaeology vestiges (tools, weapons, graves) enough to sustain the hypothesis concerning the uninterrupted continuity of life on this adobe. The creator of these cultures is the Geto-Dacian population, direct ancestors of the Romanian people, one of the most powerful force of the ancient world. For Hârşova, the Greek-Elenistic period is considering the existence of the Hârşova Fortress that was facilitating the spreading of the Greek merchandises through out the Getic counties on the Danube left side. The conquest of Dobrudja by the Romans provided new dimensions to these places. During the Trajan time and maybe earlier, a solid fortified fortress was built of stone and bricks, on the place where previously the Getic fortress existed, with the name Carsium – the town of Hârşova nowadays.

Tourist Attractions. The Carsium Museum. In 2005 the Romanian Ministry of Culture and Cults initiated the opening of the Carsium Museum as a department of the National History and Archaeology Museum of Constanta. On 1^st of February 2006 the Museum is opened for the public and on 20 of April is inaugurated by H. Ms. King Michael and Quinn Anne. The Museum illustrates by the most representative discoveries made in Hârşova and in the surrounding areas, the development of the material and spiritual civilization within the Danubian geographic space, starting from the Neolithic till at the beginning of the modern epoch. Items with a special value are exhibited, some of them presented in national and international exhibitions, characteristic for the Neolithic cultures (as Hamangia, Gumelniţa), the cultures of the Metal Age, to the development of the Romanian civilization, Roman-Byzantine and medieval civilizations of the Downstream Danube Area.

Canaralele from Hârşova – Near to the Hârşova town, on the Danube River bank, close to the ruins of the ancient Roman Military Camp Carsium, there are Canaralele from Hârşova. The reservation covers an area of 5.30 ha being declared a nature monument due to its scientific great importance. The Jurassic Limestone Rocks present within this area have been observed since in 1867, so being possible to identify different species of corals, spongiae, etc. Located downstream of the actual port Hârşova, on the right side of the Danube River. Nature monument of landscape and morpho-geological kind. Total area 3.5 ha. Formations built of Jurassic limestone rocks presenting an exquisite landscape view. The rocky region is completed by the fauna and flora characteristic to this relief. The presence of the Danube River results in a very rich fauna of bird species.

The Roman-Byzantine Fortress “Carsium”. Important from historical and cultural point of view, the former military camp “Carsium” was built by Romans during the Century II after Christ. The fortress was built for the military unit Ala (Gallorum) Flaviana, attested by recent discoveries even during the I-II centuries b. C. The archeology campaign performed in 2009 discovered the Northern gait of the fortress, defended by two towers built in a “U” shape. The discovery allowed the establishing of the Northern limit of the fortification. Here the highest number of military poles, 10 till now,have been discovered.  The most important discoveries are: gold items, the bust of Licinius Sura, commander in the Dacian Wars, a bronze masque dated on the II century, luxury ceramic items, a piece of a marble architrave, the handle in shape of a cross, and other items concerning the spiritual life. Of a great value are also the architecture discoveries, buildings made of marble and limestone. The thermae, the Christian Basilica and the items specific to the fortification architecture have been very well preserved.                     

Source: http://www.primaria-harsova.ro/index.html, http://www.helloromania.eu/Atractii-Harsova-Constanta