HOW TO SPEND A DAY IN TARGOVISTE, JUST AN HOUR AWAY FROM BUCHAREST
Targoviste is one of the cities in Romania that is not very foreign to me. Being born in Dambovita County, I had the opportunity to come to this place countless times. However, from a tourist point of view, I managed to discover it in 2023 and returning here after many years, I was pleasantly surprised by the changes that have occurred.
The location of Targoviste has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. The city experienced prosperity in the medieval period, when it became an important European city, and during the reign of Mircea the Elder, the city became the royal residence and capital of Wallachia.
Without boring you with too much history and things you probably already know, let's move on to the more interesting part, which is how you can spend a day in this wonderful city.
PLACES TO VISIT IN TARGOVISTE:
The Royal Court and the Chindia Tower are the most famous tourist attractions in Targoviste and are not to be missed if you come to this city. I recommend, if you arrive in Targoviste by car, to park near the stadium and walk to explore. There are not big distances between the tourist attractions and you can cover the distances very easily. Start your exploration with these two tourist attractions which are in the same location.
Although Mircea the Elder was the first ruler to live at the Royal Court, evidence has been found following archaeological excavations, which attests that a large part of the complex near the Chindia Tower was built long before.
The Royal Court can be visited as part of a guided tour departing from Bucharest, details here.
This museum complex includes the Royal Church, the ruins of the royal residence, the Chindia Tower and the Dionisie Lupu House, which houses a small museum of old Romanian typography.
The Royal Church was built in 1585 and underwent minor changes during the restoration works during the time of Constantin Brancoveanu, in 1698. The paintings from 1702, made by the painter Constantinos, are still preserved.
Nowadays, the location is considered a historical monument and I recommend you to visit, it is very interesting, breathes history in every corner and does not at all resemble the opulence typical of Orthodox churches, on the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised that the paintings were not restored.
The Royal Court was built and modified over the centuries, according to the wishes of the rulers who lived in this location, each leaving their mark on its appearance. However, the major works were carried out during the time of Vlad Dracul, and later during the time of Vlad Tepes. Matei Basarab also left his mark on the princely court, bringing changes related to military protection, doubling the thickness of the protective walls and restoring the ditches.
The Russo-Turkish War of 1736 and subsequently, a fire and an earthquake in 1803 led to the ruin of the entire Royal Court.
The Chindia Tower was built during the reign of Vlad Tepes, for military purposes. It was restored in 1847, given a new shape and being raised by 5 meters.
The Dionisie Lupu House was built between 2008-2010 and follows the exact plans of a former building built in the same place in 1803. Targoviste is the place where printing appeared in Wallachia, in 1508. Within the museum housed in this building you can see various very old books and manuscripts.
Once you finish visiting these tourist attractions, you can purchase souvenirs either from the souvenir shop on site or from one of the stands outside the museum complex.
Right next to the entrance to the Royal Court is a pastry shop where you can enjoy a cake. It's called Gusto Giusto and it has delicious cakes at much lower prices compared to those in Bucharest. After enjoying the cake, or visiting the Royal Court, we come across the Art Museum, which I reccomment to not miss visiting.
The construction of the building that houses this museum began in 1892 and took two years to complete. Although it initially housed the Dambovita County Prefecture, it was later concluded that it would be more suitable for an art museum due to the impressive paintings on the walls. In this museum you can admire old Romanian paintings that are permanently exhibited, but also temporary exhibitions of painters from Dambovita.
The History Museum, located near the Art Museum, is a place you shouldn't miss if you want to learn more about the history of Dambovita County. Here you can admire ancient objects that take us back in time, from the First World War to the Paleolithic.
The place where the Ceausescu couple died is another place of historical importance that you can access and visit. I chose not to visit it, I didn't necessarily feel like it was a place I had to see, but I wanted to mention it in case you want to delve deeper into Romania's more recent history. If you're interested in visiting the location where the dictator and his wife breathed their last, you can book a guided tour. Details here.
The Metropolitan Park is one of the green areas in Targoviste, being very clean, quiet and well-kept. Here you can visit the Metropolitan Church, which unlike the Royal Church did not escape the desire of the church representatives to restore it. Personally, I cannot say that it delighted me as much as the simplicity of the Royal Church did, both being built in the same century. Although it is such an old church, it is completely restored and unfortunately it preserves nothing of the original paintings.
In front of the Metropolitan Cathedral, there are the ruins of a tunnel that is believed to have connected to the Chindia Tower.
The Old Town is the place where you can relax at a terrace, have a meal or take a short walk. Although it is not as big as the one in Bucharest or Brasov, you will definitely like the quiet atmosphere and the smell of vacation and relaxation😁. It is clear that the authorities have done their job regarding the general appearance of the streets, but less so regarding the appearance of the buildings, many of them look worryingly bad.
The exception to walking around the city is Dealu Monastery, located a little outside the city, on top of a hill overlooking the city. To get there, I recommend using a car. There are free parking spaces right next to the monastery.
It is one of the locations that I really liked in Targoviste. Although it was quite crowded, there was a quiet atmosphere, everything was very clean and organized, as we find in most churches and monasteries. This location also has a long history, starting in 1431, when a monastery was first built here by Mircea the Elder. In 1499, a new monastery was rebuilt, and the entire complex was completed in 1512.
The body of Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul) is buried at Dealu Monastery.
WHERE TO STAY IN TARGOVISTE:
If you plan to spend several days in Targoviste, you may want to consider booking an accommodation. Among the options available on Booking, the ones that caught my attention are:
Hotel Del Ponte - 3-star accommodation unit, which has double rooms. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and parking;
Appartment Chindia Lake - apartment-type accommodation unit, with a bedroom with a double bed and a living room with a sofa bed. It has a terrace and parking;
Apartament Centrul Vechi - apartment-type accommodation unit, with one bedroom and a living room, ideal for a family with children.
CONCLUSION ABOUT TARGOVISTE:
If for me, a person who already knows this place well and has visited it several times, it still managed to pleasantly surprise me with its beauty and special charm, surely someone who arrives here for the first time will be much more impressed and will have a memorable experience. In addition, if you come from Bucharest, the advantage is even more obvious, because the distance to this destination is about an hour by car, which makes the trip extremely accessible and convenient. Also, for those who prefer public transport, the prices of train or bus tickets are very affordable, starting from just 13 lei, which makes this trip an excellent option for a quick and relaxing getaway.
After visiting Targoviste, seeing so many churches, a somewhat rhetorical question arose in my mind, which I would like to pass it on: couldn't we, Romanians, as a nation, mobilize ourselves and make the whole of Romania look as neat, clean and harmonious as these places of worship? To have cities and villages with renovated buildings, without peeling facades or broken fences, with carefully tended green spaces, mowed grass and flowers always blooming? To transform every corner of the country into a place where order, beauty and respect for the environment are basic rules, not exceptions, so that Romania shines not only through its natural landscapes, but also through the care we show towards our communities.
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