Craiova Tourist Guide

1. Constantine Mikhail Palace

We will start our city tour by entering perpendicular to the main artery at the road overpass, on Calea Unirii. Street number 4 is Constantin Valimărescu House, built in the 19th century, an architecturally interesting building, historical monument.

A little higher, at number 15, is Constantine (Jean) Mihail Palace, which hosts Art Museumalso a historical monument, built around 1900. The Art Museum has 3 sections: Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Art Collection and European Art Collection.

About the two superb palaces above, it can be said that the rich of the time were competing to show their position, power, and the grandeur of the palaces they built. If Valimarescu, who was a royal adviser, turned to a famous architect, Albert Galleron, who had in his CV the Roman Athenaeum, Mihail hired the esteemed Paul Gottereau, architect of the Royal House, who put his mark on the Royal Palace and the CEC Palace.

2. Statue of Charles I

From here I suggest a small detour. We turn right on Mihai Viteazul and then immediately left and we come to a roundabout in the middle of which is located statue of Carol I, raised on a pedestal. It is placed right in front Carol I National College, another building with an architecture that stands out. It is the second oldest school in Romanian. It offers courses for the whole cycle I - XII for 1800 students who can go to high school for the real, human and natural sciences. The address is Ion Maiorescu Street 2.

3. Music fountain

From here, we turn left on Popa Sapca Street, which on its right side is tangent to the Prefecture Park, which has some beautifully landscaped alleys, an equestrian statue of Michael the Brave and a musical fountain in front of the Administrative Palace.

4. Old Center

We are near Old Center and it is worth taking a few steps on its pedestrian alleys or resting on the benches or stopping at a terrace to admire the old houses in the area. For this we choose the route Calea Unirii (the extension of the one we started our walk on), Lipscani street, Fratii Buzesti street.

5. Baniei House

From Fratii Buzesti Street we go right on Carada, Kogalniceanu and Sfântul Dumitru Streets, which are in extension, to get right in front of the Baniei House, a landmark of the city, located in a small park, called Baniei Garden, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Dumitru, imposing and visible from some distance. Baniei House it was the residence of Craiova's money, it is a historical monument and hosts an ethnographic museum. Address: 16 Matei Basarab Street.

6. Nicolae Romanescu Park

We have taken you around these central streets, maybe not on the optimal route, but there are many interesting buildings. But we will depart from this area and we will go to the south of the city to a place loved by Craioveni, but also by visitors - Nicolae Romanescu Park. For this I followed the streets Matei Basarab, Gheorghe Doja and again Calea Unirii, also located somewhat in extension, anyway keep heading south. There are also signs to the park. The park has several entrances, the main ones being in the large intersection from Calea Unirii.

Nicolae Romanescu Park is declared a historical monument. Nicolae Romanescu is a former mayor of Craiova, who wanted a large park landscaped like the most famous in Europe. For this he turned to the architect Edouard Redont. The plans for the park won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition. The park was laid out between 1901 and 1903. It is the largest park in Craiova and the second largest in the country after the Herastrau Park in the capital; it occupies 90 hectares and is crossed by a parau on which a large lake of 4 hectares was laid out. On the lake there is a nice island. The bridges are also attractive, and there are also stone bridges over the dam. The diversity of birds, the forest, the shade, the quietness, the bicycle paths, the racecourse, the zoo, the suspension bridge attract passers-by to come to this park.

7. Multipurpose Hall and Ion Oblemenco Stadium

Again we have some walking if we choose this mode of transportation. The route is via Boulevard 1 Mai and then left on Boulevard Stirbei Voda.

As an intermediate objective we have the Polivalenta Hall and the Ion Oblemenco Stadium. Multipurpose Hall is a modern arena with over 4000 seats, which hosts the University of Craiova teams participating in basketball, volleyball and handball competitions. It has also hosted many performances and cultural and artistic events. Address: 32 Stribei Voda Boulevard.

Ion Oblemenco Stadium is another modern sports arena, one of the sic soccer stadiums in our country, which can accommodate 30,000 spectators. It is next to the Sala Polivalenta, at 36 Stibei Voda Boulevard.

The two Modena arenas are built on the outskirts of a gypsy neighborhood, where I couldn't believe my eyes to see a private chapel bigger than an entire palace, also gypsy! Incredible. Who wants to admire luxury cars will obviously see through the courtyards of the houses on the boulevard that passes near the training base of the University of Craiova.

8. Youth Park

The road is sinking right at the main entrance of Youth Parkbuilt in Lunca Jiului. It's more of a neighborhood park, rather, but at the opposite end of the entrance has a Water Parkwhich is why his rating has gone up. It's nice and neat.

9. Botanical Garden "Alexandru Buia"

We are in SV Craiova and we want to return to the center. We choose the road that leads us through the Botanical Garden. For this we follow the diagonal offered by Bucovat street, half right on Breslei, half left on Dumbraveni, on Beethoven and we reach Lecca street where is the main entrance, but not the most facetious. Botanical Garden "Alexandru Buia" is based in Oteteleșanu House, built in the 19th century, historical monument. In the middle of the last century Professor Alexandru Buia conceived the birth of this garden, primarily as a study base, a "laboratory" for the students of the Agronomic Institute.

We pass by the greenhouses and then the park alleys open up. Beautiful indeed! With a small pond, with ducks and swans. We turn right into the larger alley and pass Jianu Fountain we exit the park in Jianu street. On the opposite side, the park also hosts a Japanese island. Jianu Street takes us immediately into the main road that cuts the center, somewhere very slightly west of where we started our walk.