Rast

Rast is a commune situated in the south of the county Dolj, at a distance of 78 km from Craiova, 32 km from Calafat and 8 km from Bailesti. The commune only includes one village, with the same name, situated in the Danube meadow, on the Bulgarian border. The remainings of a settlement from the Neolithic, from the 4^th Millennium AD, where discovered in the village, on the bank of the Danube, in the period 1943-1950, containing burnt clay statues, decorated with geometrical themes. On the top of the vestiges from the Neolithic, traces of habitation from the Iron Age where discovered, and also from the 10^th century.

Another vestige discovered in the area is a necropolis from the intermediary period from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, and also a field of funerary urns of the type Garla Mare-Carna, where the statues of two women dressed in bell-shaped dresses where discovered.

The village was first attested in 1535. The church, having two titular saints, “Sf. Nicolae” and “Sf. Parascheva”, was built in 1844 and still preserves the original interior paintings. 

The commune is a very important supplier on the agricultural market, of cereals, oleaginous plants, vegetables, fruits (peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, apples, strawberries), and also meat. Fish-culture and beekeeping are two other important occupations of the inhabitants of the village.

Main touristic objectives:

• The church with two titular saints “Sf. Nicolae” and “Sf. Parascheva” (1844), that preserves tha original interior paintings.
• The recreation area “Ostrovul Vana”, Beach no. 1 on the bank of the Danube, Butoi area.
• Beach no. 2 on the bank of the Danube, called “Zona Plutitoare” (Floating area)

Events:

• Annual festival of the commune „Floarea Salcamului”– second Sunday in May
• Weekly fair on Sunday