Hey guys,
Last month I was visiting the city of Craiova here in Romania and I want to share with you how the city looks like in December. This specific weekend spent here it was totally unplanned until @pink.wizz called me two days before and said :
We're going to Craiova. Would you guys come too and meet us there? 😍
We were like HELL YESSSSssssss! One weekend away from home in December sounds lovely, cozy and relaxing! I am so blessed to have my parents and my in-laws 💓 as they always help us taking Caleb when we want to go somewhere just the two of us!
Craiova is a lovely city in Romania and it has a bit of everything. Walk around and you'll see old buildings mixing with new ones, creating a really cool vibe. The streets are like a mix of history and today, with cafes and restaurants that smell like yummy Romanian food.
We had to drive six hours to get here, same as our friends from Constanta. It's relatively an easy road to drive, with many villages to pass by, that's why it took us nearly six hours.
I love to be the front passanger in the car becasue I get to see lovely views, sometimes amazing views! Here are just a few photos I took and I think they are just perfect for you too see our lovely Romania.
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| Danube | in Orsova City | |
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Christmas Market in Craiova
This post isn't about Christmas Market in Craiova, but to be honest, the reason we came here was because Craiova has been 4 times awarded among the Best Christmas Markets in Europe.
We visited so many Christmas Markets around Europe (like Prague, Wien, Budapest, Warsaw, Krakow, Ljublijana, Zagreb, Bratislava) but we didnt see much our Romanian Christmas Fairs, so it was just the moment to start our Romanian adventure seeing different Christmas Markets.
When we visit a Christmas market in a new city, thats happening mostly in the nights. By day, we go to visit the town, its main attractions, museums, buildings, etc.
We stayed just one night, so in the first day (it was already 4pm when we got here) we took a walk around the main square where the Christmas Fair was organized. Only the day after we took a long walk around the city, make ourself an idea about it.
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You must admit it though!
Isn't this beautiful?💛
The History of the City Name
Craiova is the largest city in southwestern Romania and capital of Dolj County, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia region.
Craiova is the chief commercial city west of Bucharest and the most important city of Oltenia. The city prospered as a regional trading centre despite an earthquake in 1790, a plague in 1795, and a Turkish assault in 1802 during which it was burned.
(Source Wikipedia)
The origin of the current name of the city is the subject of many controversies and floats in legend; the only thing that can be said with certainty is that the name comes from the Slavonic "krall" (king, cray). At the end of the 15th century, more precisely in 1475, on June 17, it was documented played a very important role, because in turn they the town called Craiova. The name of the city comes from the estate of the Craiovesti Boyars, which they raised prominent rulers of the Romanian Country and they also made Mihai Viteazu, the symbol of Oltenia, the ruler of the Romanian, whose imposing we can admire the statue in the center of the city.
Apart from the ancient names, Pelendava and the current name (Craiovo), the locality also bore the Latin name Ponsiona (bridge over Jiu) the name found on an inscription found on a fragment of a stela near the Pelendava castle dated from the 6th century, received a confirmation of the extreme importance in recent years, in a map made around the Nicopole winery (1396), included in a manuscript that preserved at the National Library in Paris. This document. revealed to Romanian historiography, through the goodwill of the French Ministry of Religions, prove the continuity of the settlement of Craiova.
Source here
Today, Craiova is a modern city where locals enjoy a land full of natural blessings like rivers, forests, gardens, and parks. There are also lots of old and cool buildings. The city has great places for culture, science, and learning. It's a friendly and welcoming place for everyone – both locals and tourists.
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This is me and @pink.wizz having a mulled wine in this cold evening, in the city of Craiova.
Strolling around the city of Craiova
Indeed, the city is quite BIG, we only saw the central area with large boulevards, buildings on the side and green spaces in between.
The old part of the city is like a special place with really cool buildings and things to see. You can walk around and check out old buildings, fancy fountains, and big groups of monuments. The most important building in this area is the Administrative Palace, and it's like the superstar of the city.
There are a lot of museums in town you can visit, a Botanical Garden, a lot of outdoor parks, cathedrals, squares, a water park and many more. I'm sure you can have a lovely day in the city, have a tea or a coffee in a cozy place and try Romanian Food.
I actually wrote about two places where you can have a good meal or a breakfast in my previous post about Craiova. You can read this in case you're around and don't know where to eat.
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We were passing by the Main Square again, where the Christmas Fair was located
It was lovely to see it in the day light too, I really like the colors of this decorated Chirstmas Tree.
The imposing building you see in this first image down below is the Town Hall Building.
The fair was named Snow Queen.
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Shopping and having drinks at ElectroPutere Mall
After about two or three hours walking around the city, we ended to a shopping center, called ElectroPutere Mall.
Craiova's largest shopping spot, Electroputere Mall, is right by the city center, on the main road called Calea Bucuresti. When you step into EP Mall, you'll find a bunch of different brands, places to eat, and fun things to do, making it a great place for visitors.
We did some shopping, bought some gifts for the ones at home, ate something and then we had a relaxing time at one of the Cafe found in the mall.
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| Cappuccino | Mint Lemonade | Orange, Carrot and Apple |
Well, I don't really know what to say about this town, other than I would enjoy coming again and see some more. This trip was way too short for all this town can offer.
For the Romanians who visited this city, what was your personal opinion about it? Would you enjoy spend another day someday in here? Did you like it or not?
I hope you enjoyed reading my post about Craiova, ROmania
Keep safe,
Missdeli 💗
