Tourist guide Târgu Jiu

1. Tourist Info Center

The right place to start a visit in Targu Jiu is National Tourist Information and Promotion Center. Here you can park near the Prefecture.

Address: 3 Crisan Street

I invite you to explore the city's sights on 2 axes: west - east and north - south.

2. Constantin Brâncuși Central Park

Across the road is Constantin Brâncuși Central Park. It is located on the banks of the Indigo river. It is a green space, with paths, benches, playgrounds, but also with a promenade on the embankment and the river bank - Digului Alley. Right next to it is

3. Table of Silence

Address: Calea Eroilor

Table of Silence is the work of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi and it represents one of the ends of the route arranged by the City Hall, named and highlighted by signs as Heroes' Road Monumental Complex. The street is partially being rehabilitated, and certain segments of the street are for pedestrian and bicycle access only.

Table of Silence It is made of travertine stone and shows a low table surrounded by 12 chairs of the same type of stone, also low, placed equidistantly, symbolizing family reunion. The work was made in 1937-38. It can also be likened to a clock.

4. Kissing Gate

Address: Calea Eroilor

Kissing Gate is unmistakable and is part of the ensemble mentioned above. Between the Table of Silence and the Kissing Gate lies Alley of Chairs.

Kissing Gate was realized by Brancusi in the same years as the Table of Silence, also in travertine. The main access road to the park runs under it. It looks like a triumphal arch and signifies the triumph of life over death or the passage to another life. The sculpture rests on a steel structure set in concrete. It is 5.13 meters high and 6.45 meters long. It's a classic place for insuratei photos.

The Heroes' Road Monumental Complex continues straight ahead on Heroes' Way to the Infinity Column. The distance between the ends is 1,5 km. This is the shortest tourist route per pedes that I recommend, along which there are several other sights worth seeing. Here I would like to see many Romanian and foreign tourists to admire the masterpieces of Brancus.

5. Drama Theater "Elvira Godeanu"

Address: 36 Victoriei Street

We cross Constantin Brancusi Boulevard (DN66) back and follow Calea Eroilor until we reach the Dramatic Theater, located at the intersection with the beautiful pedestrian plateau arranged here. Elvira Godeanu is the name of an actress who grew up and studied in Targu Jiu.

6. Statue of Tudor Vladimirescu

We cross the pedestrian area and follow Calea Eroilor to General Gheorghe Magheru Street. Here is General Gheorghe Magheru monument. The monument depicts the bust of General Gheorghe Magheru and is the work of sculptor Nastasescu. Gheorghe Magheru played an important role in the 1848 Revolution.

Now I propose a short detour parallel to the right of Calea Eroilor on Unirii Street (DN67) in the direction of Bucharest until a complicated intersection with a roundabout. On the left we admire Tudor Vladimirescu High School.

Diagonal to the college is Tudor Vladimirescu Park where it is located Statue of Tudor Vladimirescu. It is the oldest statue in the city, erected in 1898 by the sculptor Constantin Balacescu in memory of the leader of the Panduri revolution of 1821. I liked it very much.

Address: 1 Republicii Street

7. "Alexandru Ștefulescu" County Museum

We're back on the Heroes' Way. On the left is County Librarynamed after General Christian Tell. His nephew, Alexandru, donated to the City a collection of 3,000 volumes of books belonging to the family. The library is located in the former Săvescu House, which after nationalization returned to the state, once hosting the City Hall.

Address: Calea Eroilor 23

We follow the same Calea Eroilor until we intersect Geneva Street, where a little to the left is located County Museum. The museum was inaugurated in 1894, one of its initiators being Alexandru Ștefulescu, then a pupil, later becoming headmaster of the Boys' School. He initiated the opening of a history and archaeology museum. Later it was completed with ethnography, numismatics, natural sciences. The construction of the museum represents the eclectic architectural style. Since 1996 the history and archaeology section was named after Stefulescu, as the father of Gorj's history. The museum exhibits over 24,000 exhibits evoking the history of the place from the 16th century until today.

Address: 8 Geneva Street

Visiting hours: Tuesday - Friday 9 - 17

8. Church of Saints Peter and Paul

The Heroes' Way continues towards the major objective opposite a superb church. It is Church of Saints Peter and Paulof Orthodox rite. It was built between the two world wars on the footprint of an 18th century place of worship. It was inaugurated in 1938 together with the works of Brancusi and is an integral part of the Road of Heroes, which surrounds it.

9. Infinity Column

Address: Calea Eroilor

The Endless or Infinity Column marks the eastern end of the Monumental Ensemble of the Heroes' Road and is situated in the center of a triangular-shaped park, flanked by DN 67, which we reach after carefully crossing the railway. It is called Endless Column Park.

The Infinity Column can also be seen from the speed of your car, but even if you are in transit it's worth stopping for a few minutes, you have somewhere to park. The Infinity Column is undoubtedly the most famous tourist attraction in Targu Jiu and one of the most famous in Romania.

The work inaugurated in 1938 symbolizes the Way to Heaven and is a stylization of the funeral columns typical of Southern Romania. It is 29.35 m high and consists of 15 octahedral modules (I had never heard the word!). Initially it was called Boundless gratitude and considered a homage to the Romanian heroes who fell in World War I in the Defile of Jiului.

Infinity Column weighs 29.2 tons. The modules carved by Brancusi in lime wood were assembled by engineer Georgescu-Gorjan. Finally they were spray-coated with brass, a technology first in Romania, brought from Switzerland.

10. Polish Solar Clock

Address: rue Narciselor

It doesn't happen to me often, but this time I have to warn you that it is not worth traveling to this tourist target - Polish Solar Solar Clock. Not because it is located eccentrically, somewhere behind the Municipal Cemetery that you have to bypass because the shortcut indicated on Google Maps is not practicable, but because you have no access to the objective, it is surrounded on a large area with a barbed wire fence, making it impossible to get close to it. And getting from this tourist attraction to the next is another adventure through a horrible neighborhood inhabited by gypsies.

The site was a base for Polish refugees from World War II. The clock was built in 1940 by Poles from this camp.

11. Ecaterina Teodoroiu Memorial House

Address: 270 Ecaterina Teodoroiu Boulevard

Ecaterina Teodoroiu Memorial House is on the right side of DN66 at the exit to Petrosani. Ecaterina Teodoroiu, her name was Catalina Vasile Toderoiu, was born near Targu Jiu and, although a woman, participated as a host with great courage in the battles of World War I, becoming a heroine in 1917 after the Battle of Marasesti (VN), where she fought at the head of a Romanian infantry platoon. The museum is open in Ecaterina's small and cozy two-room parental home. After restoration the house became a museum. On display are photographs of the heroine and documents and objects that belonged to her.

12. Water Castle and Sâmboteteanu Fountain

Water Castle

Address: DN66

From the previous objective we turn on DN 66 towards the center and on the right we find this former Water Castle, on the basis of which a commercial fuel business is being conducted today.

Sâmboteteanu Fountain

Address: Fântânii alley

Guided by Google Maps behind the Water Castle we arrive in 2 minutes on a neighborhood street where we find something spectacular. Sâmboteteanu Fountain is located between the blocks and was built in the 18th century by Ianache Samboteanu, sub-prefect of Gorj County. The fountain supplied the town with water. The water was transported to the citizens in 200 liter desages mounted on donkeys. Very interesting this fountain is still functional today.

13. Art Museum

From the fountain we exit into Constantin Brancusi Boulevard. We pass through the modern stadion yes town hall and we identify on one side of the stadium Art Museum.

Address: 2 Traian Street

Visiting hours: Tuesday - Friday 9 - 17

Art Museum shows visitors a collection of paintings and other artworks by local artists, totaling over 1,400 exhibits. It is open in Ceausescu's former protocol house, which he never lived in.

In the opposite direction the same road will lead us to Revolution Square.

The Revolution Square is at the other end of the pedestrianized square I mentioned earlier. Here you can notice Administrative Palace (County Council) and Church of Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

14. Ecaterina Teodoroiu Mausoleum

In the wide space between them is placed and illuminated in the evening Ecaterina Teodoroiu MausoleumIt is built in the shape of a sarcophagus and carved in stone.It is the work of Milita Petrascu, a student of Brancusi. It was erected in 1935. It honors the memory of the Heroine of Jiu, who sacrificed herself for the country. On the 4 sides of the funerary monument are depicted scenes from the life and military activity of Ecaterina Teodoroiu.

The parking lot next to the Tourist Info Center is nearby.