Tourist guide Targoviste

1. Tourist Info Center

It is open daily from 9-17.

We start our city tour at National Tourist Information and Promotion Centerwhere we find the famous mushroom-building. We move to the center, in the pedestrian area, in Piata Tricolorului nr. 2A. Here you will find printed and verbal information with which to build your plan to visit Targoviste. You should leave with at least a map. In the information center you will find exposed medals, coins, a key to the city. Free parking is available on Stelea street.

Near the Tourist Info Center Statue of Mircea the Elder.

The Dambovita County Council and the Prefecture are also on this plateau.

In the distance, our eyes are drawn by two twin church towers, they belong to the Stelea Monastery. We are heading there but first we see an old church from the 16th century.

2. Museum of Human Evolution and Technology in the Paleolithic

It is located at 4, Stelea Street, open Tuesday - Sunday, summer 9am - 5pm, winter 8am - 4pm

Vis-a-vis is the first museum opened in Central and Southeast Europe with this theme. The Museum of the Evolution of Man and Technology in the Paleolithic is the first of its kind in Romania and in Central and South-Eastern Europe. It focuses on the most important discoveries made in the Upper and Middle Paleolithic in Romania. Museum of Human Evolution and Technology in the Paleolithic features artifacts over 50,000 years old. Highlights include a necklace made from snail shells and the oldest whistle ever found in our own land. It's particularly interesting.

More details on the museum link http://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzeul-evolutiei/.

3. Stelea Monastery

The address is 6 Stelea Street. You can also enter from Calea Domneasca.

We are attracted by the colored glass-like inserts embedded in the masonry of the spires. Inside Stelea Monastery was the first educational institution in Muntenia. The monastery complex is a true architectural ensemble, which includes several monuments built in the 14th - 17th centuries: the monastery of the 16th century, built by the merchant Stelea; the monastery of the 17th century, built by the ruler of Moldavia, Vasile Lupu; the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord; the Nifon House; a museum; the body of the cellars; the enclosure walls; the bell tower and the gate.

More details on the objective link https://www.crestinortodox.ro/biserici-manastiri/manastirea-stelea-67948.html.

4. Some churches

I'll check 4 churches on the way, if you want: St. Nicolae Simuleasa Church on 75 Nicolae Filipescu St., the White Church on Calea Domnească 287, the Stolnicul Church on 4 Stolnicul Cantacuzino St. and the Church of the Cutting of the Head of St. John the Baptist on 6 Justiției St., and we are targeting targets on the right side of Caia Domnesti and the neighboring streets.

5. The Museum of Dâmbovițeni Writers

It can be found at 7 Justice Street, open Tuesday - Sunday, summer 9am - 5pm, winter 8am - 4pm.

The house where the writer Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești lived, dreamed and created is now home to Dâmbovița Writers' Museum.

More details on the museum link http://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzeul-scriitorilor-damboviteni/.

We then pass by the Military Circle and exit into the main artery.

6. History Museum

Calea Domneasca 189 (187 on Google Maps), open Tuesday - Sunday summer 9am - 5pm, winter 8am - 4pm

History Museum operates in the former Palace of Justice built in 1901 - 1902 and extended in 1918. The palace is built in neoclassical style. Since 1986 it has housed the History Museum. The imposing building exhibits in the museum's spaces vast archaeological and historical pieces discovered in the region since ancient times.

More details on the museum link http://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzeul-de-istorie/.

7. Art Museum

Calea Domneasca 185, open Tuesday - Sunday summer 9 am - 5 pm, winter 8 am - 4 pm

The palace where it stands today Art Museum was built between 1892 - 1894 by the Italian entrepreneur Giovanni Baltasare Vignosa as the headquarters of the Prefecture of Dâmbovița County. The building has a classical decoration with Baroque influences and an impressive interior painting. It is a historical monument. The museum presents ancient Romanian decorative art and easel painting. The star of the museum is the Council Hall, located upstairs.

More details on the museum link http://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzeul-de-arta/.

8. National Museum of Romanian Police

Calea Domneasca 187, open Tuesday - Sunday 9 - 17

National Museum of Romanian Police is open in an old building with a rich history. It is a house built in 1701, on the site of an older one, on the initiative of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, which was to become the "Casa coconilor", or "House of the Cocoons", the prince's sons. Between 1867 and 1893, the building was rebuilt in neoclassical style.

The National Museum of Romanian Police is actually located between the 2 museums presented above, behind the courtyard between them. It is the only museum with this profile in Romania and it is particularly interesting. Visiting it is a journey back in time in the history of the Police and Gendarmerie on our territory. You can appreciate uniforms, weapons, equipment and heraldic collections. It fascinated me. Don't miss it!

More details on the museum link https://www.politiaromana.ro/ro/informatii-generale/muzeul-politiei-romane.

9. Ensemble Monumental "Princely Court"

Calea Domneasca 181, open Tuesday - Sunday summer 9 am - 5 pm, winter 8 am - 4 pm

The Princely Court Complex is the number 1 tourist objective in Targoviste and I am glad to see here every time many groups of tourists of all ages. Access is through the Gate Tower with guardhouse.

The Curtea Domneasca is one of the most important architectural ensembles in the Romanian Country, representing for many centuries the residence of many rulers, such as Mircea the Elder, Vlad Tepes, Mihai Viteazul and others. The Romanian Country was administered from here. The complex provided for the construction of royal residences for the prince's family, but also others for courtiers and servants.

The complex includes defense walls, stately houses, Great Dom ChurchTurkish baths and Chindiei Tower.

The complex is also open Museum of Old Romanian Print and Old Romanian Booksvery interestingly presented and rich in information. It is near the large gate used during the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu, on the south-east side of the Domnești Court, near the Church of St. Friday. The building was called Casa Aramă. It once housed the monks of Dealu Monastery. Later, in the 20th century, the house was a boarding school, headquarters of the German command in the First World War. The building was later rebuilt. The museum skillfully recounts the history of printing in these parts since the 15th century. We learn about the monk Macarius, Coresi, the first printing in Slavonic, the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets, religious and didactic books, belles-lettres and regular publications. The 17th-century printing press is the museum's most prized piece. It is a very interesting museum.

More details on the museum link http://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzeul-tiparului-si-al-cartii-vechi-romanesti/.

For more information about the entire Museum Complex of the Princely Court, please visit https://muzee-dambovitene.ro/.

10. Chindiei Tower

Chindiei Tower is part of the monumental ensemble of the Princely Court. It is symbol of Targoviste, which is why I present it, briefly, separately. The Chindiei Tower was built in the 15th century by the ruler Vlad Țepeș for military purposes. The Chindiei Tower is 27 meters high and 9 meters in diameter. In the 19th century it was completely restored by the ruler Gheorghe Bibescu, and its current form is due to him, including its elevation by about 5 meters from the original construction. The Chindiei Tower is the most important tourist attraction in the city. Specific elements of the building are present on the city coat of arms. It is a historical monument. Today in the tower is organized an exhibition of documents, weapons and objects that belonged to Vlad Țepeș and presents the history of Targoviste. Climb on the tower balcony to admire the view!

After visiting this "must see", we continue on the same right side of the main road to recreate ourselves in the

11. Chindia Park

It is still on Calea Domneasca after passing the Chindiei Tower, also on the right. It is located on the land of the former Gradini Domnesti.

Chindia Park is a well-kept park with paths, benches, statues, playground for children. The main alley presents the busts of the rulers of Targoviste and is called Alley of the 33 Voievozi. In the middle of the green space between the 2 parallel alleys with the busts of the rulers is bust of Vlad Tepes. At the end of the alley is Chindia Lakeon which recreational activities are organized.

You can read the full presentation of Chindia Park on the link https://mytravel.express/obiective-mte/parcul-chindia-targoviste-dambovita-2/.

On the left side of the main alley perpendicular to Calea Domneasca there is a beautiful Zoo, on the place where since the sec. XVI Petru Cercel set up the first zoological garden in the country. A few restaurants, terraces and kiosks complete the necessary amenities in a park.

A detailed article about the zoo you can read on linlkul https://mytravel.express/obiective-mte/gradina-zoologica-targoviste-2/.

12. Other churches

We leave the park to make an optional loop, which includes a few other old churches and a memorial house: the Crețulescu Church in Crețulescu Street 2, St. Gheorghe Church in Suseni Street 2, St. Dumitru Buzinca Church in Bărăției Street 22-34, the House - Studio of the painter Gheorghe Petrașcu in Bărăției Street 24, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
from Baratiei Street, the Church of St. Emperors Constantine and Helen (16th century) from Constantin Brancoveanu Street, the Church of "St. Voievozi Mihail and Gavril" (15th-17th century) from Ion Heliade Radulescu Street No. 14 and the Church of "St. Nicholas" - Andronesti (16th century) from Parvan Popescu Street No. 11.

13. Vasile Blendea Museum

We've been on the opposite side of the Domnesti Way for some time. Here you can visit from Tuesday through Sunday between 9 am - 5 pm Vasile Blendea Museum located on Grigore Alexandrescu Street No. 38.

The "Vasile Blendea" Museum in Targoviste is the result of the donation of the family Maria and Constantin Blendea. It presents works of art: sculptures, paintings, drawings, monumental art sketches, pieces of furniture, as well as textiles, working materials, ceramics and personal objects. The main exhibition of the Vasile Blendea Museum is housed in an 18th-century farmhouse.

More details on the museum link http://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzeul-vasile-blendea/.

We admired in the area several houses - palace.

We rest in awe next to

14. Church of the Assumption / of the Fair

Situated in Str. Ion Heliade Radulescu Ion Heliade Radulescu No. 2, it belonged to the merchants and craftsmen of Targoviste, hence its name. It is located in the Old Center of the city. Fair Church is the foundation of the great cartographer Udriste Nasturel. It was built in the 17th century on the site of an even older church, by Radu Logofăt, of which only a few broken walls remain. It was rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is Orthodox.

15. Old Center

31 Alexandru Ioan Cuza str.

A visit to Targoviste is worth a detour through Old Center. Here we meet the old 19th century merchants' houses. A few restaurants with terraces, cafes invite you to take a break in a cozy, special atmosphere. The Old Center is located 0.5 km away from Curtea Domneasca, crossing Calea Domneasca, in the area of Al. I. Cuza. Here is living history!

16. Town hall and another church

At the end of a small park near the Old Center is the high-storey Town Hall city of Targoviste, built in neoclassical style.

The address is 1-3 Revolutiei Street.

A little further away from the area where most of the sights are concentrated is the Wooden Church in Calea Campulung No. 69.

17. Tony Bulandra Theater

Even if we depart from the axis of Caii Domnesti towards the train station, the change of direction is worth it if you want to see where Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were tried and shot. We first pass in front Tony Bulandra Theater, located in Bd. Carol I Nr. 43, near the train station. The theater is named after the actor Tony Bulandra, born in Targoviste.

The theater's website is http://www.tonybulandra.ro/.

18. Execution site of the Ceausescu (Museum of the Revolution)

The address is on Carol I Boulevard, and closer to the train station.

A few steps away is the military unit UM 01417 and the Cavalry School. The trial of the Ceausescu dictators in December 1989 took place in this building. You can visit the ""historical"" rooms and the back courtyard where it is marked place of execution of the Ceausescu family. This objective was not on the maps received at the Info Center.

At the end of Carol I Boulevard is the beautiful building of Railway Station Targoviste.

Back on bd. Carol I towards the center and pass by some nice villas. At the other end of the mentioned artery you should definitely take the time to visit

19. "Casa Romana" Museum

The address is 3 Carol I Boulevard.

The House of Romance Museum is a unique museum, which presents this specific Romanian music genre, its tangents with other musical genres, many personalities of the genre but also some surprises. The history of the Golden Chrysanthemum Festival is linked to Targoviste and this place. I was deeply impressed by the uniqueness of this museum from which I left richer. I learned about many artists of the Romanian who have deduced themselves to this genre, but also about many who have tried this genre in their repertoire. The history of the national anthem is not missing either.

More details on the museum link https://muzee-dambovitene.ro/muzee/casa-romantei/.

20. Metropolitan Park

We cross the intersection ahead and enter the Metropolitan Park, flanked by Bd. Mircea cel Batran and Bd. Libertatii.

At the entrance to the park, in front of the Union House, in Mihai Viteazul Square, it stands on a pedestal Equestrian statue of Michael the Brave.

The park is a pleasant place with lawns, sun and shade, paths and benches and fountains. Many of the city's artistic and cultural events are organized here.

21. Archiepiscopal and Metropolitan Cathedral

In the Metropolitan Park you can find Ascension of the Lord Metropolitan Cathedral. The Old Metropolis was built in the 16th century. The present reconstructed church is a historical monument. In its vicinity are several archaeological discoveries.

We close our rich and very interesting round at Tourist Information Center.