Drobeta-turnu Severin Sights and Landmarks Guide, Romania

Drobeta-turnu Severin, Sights – Museums and Memorial Houses

If you hapen to be in Arad or Timisoara you must not miss visiting Drobeta-turnu Severin sights. One of the most attractive Drobeta-turnu Severin sights is the Iron Gates Region Museum. The institution is divided in five departments among which we mention the history and archeology one, nature’s sciences, ethnography and popular arts, art and restoring and conservation. The history and archeology department offers visitors nine halls with captivating artifacts, documents and information dating from different historic periods from prehistory to nowadays.

The nature’s sciences department attracts with the presentation of the rich and diverse local flora and fauna and with a beautiful aquarium housing different local and exotic species. The ethnography department is also very special because, besides the traditional interiors and clothing exhibited here, one can also admire the section called “Memories from Ada - Kaleh”, about the former oriental island once surrounded by the waters of the Danube. The Art department houses a permanent exhibition of paintings signed by famous Romanian artists and other pieces of art like tapestries, sculptures, religious paintings, and also contemporary decorative art.

Another important sight here is the Costescu Memorial House, an Ionic building dating from the nineteen sixties which belonged to Teodor Costescu, famous teacher, politician and honorific member of the Romanian Academy. The building also has historic importance because it welcomed Prince Charles of Hohenzolern in 1866 when he first arrived in Romania.

Drobeta-turnu Severin, Sights – Natural Attractions

The inhabitants of the city love nature and this aspect can be seen in the many beautiful parks and public gardens like the Roses Park, “General Dragalina” Garden and the Drobeta Archeological Complex Park. Most of the parks are full of elegant alleys with rows of chestnut trees while the central park is decorated with monuments and fountains. In the northern part of the city the Crihala Natural Park occupies about 13 hectares, and in the western side the city entrance is brightened by a beautiful park with undulating alleys, fountains and small pools.

Drobeta-turnu Severin, Sights – Culture and Arts

Tourists visiting Drobeta-turnu Severin will surely be charmed by the numerous cultural sights found here, like art galleries, the gorgeous Culture Palace, the “I.G. Bibicesu” Public Library, City Culture House and more. The library is a special place in town because it was founded in 1921 by I.G. Bibicesu, a personality of those times who donated over 30.000 volumes among which a very rare numismatics collection. His donation remained in history as the largest library collection ever donated by a Romanian. The library became the first such institution in Romania and still welcomes readers with an even more complete book collection.

Representative for Drobeta-turnu Severin are the ruins of the Roman Camp and Trajan’s Bridge. The Roman Camp was the first stone fortress built in Dacia in the years 103-105 for defense purposes over the nearby bridge. The Trajan’s Bridge over the Danube was built in three ears time by the famous architect Apolodor of Damask.

Drobeta-turnu Severin, Sights – Monasteries and Churches

One of the most important religious edifices in Drobeta-turnu Severin is the Grecescu Church, built in the nineteen century and restored in the twentieth century. The church was built by a local aristocratic family who also built a hospital nearby, all with the help of Prince Charles I. The value and beauty of this religious edifice is given by the neoclassical interior paintings, solid walls and wonderful position on the banks of the Danube offering breathtaking landscapes.

Other beautiful churches in Drobeta-turnu Severin are the Maioreasa Church, dating back to 1842 which was the first Orthodox Church built in Drobeta-turnu Severin.

Drobeta-turnu Severin, Sights – Theatres

The “Severin” City Theatre has a very captivating history. The institution is housed by the “Theodor Costescu” Culture Palace along with a Cultural Centre and the City Culture House. The edifice was built during the First World War and finished in the nineteen twenties by a group of people among which the then mayor C. Gruiescu. After a long break, the Drobeta-turnu Severin Theatre has restarted its artistic activity with the help of a young group of actors and in this way offering locals the possibility to have weekly and not occasional access to Romanian dramaturgy.