Current Time in Craiova, Romania

Craiova lies in southwestern Romania, on the left bank of the River Jiu, in the historical region of Oltenia. The city stands on a plain between the Carpathian foothills to the north and the Danube some sixty kilometres to the south, an area of rich farmland and forests. The climate is continental with hot, dry summers, sometimes touched by warm winds from the Balkans, and cold winters.

With around two hundred and seventy thousand inhabitants, Craiova is one of the largest cities in Romania and the unquestioned capital of Oltenia. It is a centre of industry, education and culture, and its economy is built on car manufacturing, electrical engineering, chemicals, food processing and services.

The site has been settled since antiquity, close to the Roman fort of Pelendava, and by the Middle Ages it had become the seat of the Ban of Craiova, a nobleman whose authority over Oltenia was second only to that of the prince of Wallachia. Powerful boyar families, above all the Craiovești, shaped the city and the region for centuries. Michael the Brave, who briefly united the Romanian principalities around 1600, served as ban here before becoming prince. Craiova suffered repeated destruction, including a devastating raid in 1802, yet it recovered each time, and in the nineteenth century it flourished as merchants built elegant houses and public buildings in French inspired styles.

The finest of these is the Jean Mihail Palace, an opulent late nineteenth century mansion that now houses the Art Museum. Its greatest treasure is a group of sculptures by Constantin Brâncuși, including an early version of The Kiss, displayed in rooms of marble and gilt. Nearby stand the cathedral of Saint Demetrius, rebuilt in the Byzantine revival manner, the Madona Dudu church, the ornate Palace of Justice and the university buildings that line the central boulevards.

Craiova's pride is the Nicolae Romanescu Park, one of the largest urban parks in Europe, laid out at the turn of the twentieth century to a design that won a gold medal at the Paris exposition. Its lakes, suspension bridge, grottoes, hippodrome and mock castle spread over nearly a hundred hectares of woodland. The city also has a strong theatrical tradition, with a national theatre known for adventurous Shakespeare productions that tour internationally, along with a philharmonic orchestra and an ethnographic museum housed in a medieval building.

Football is a passion here, and matches at the modern stadium fill the city with noise and colour. Local cuisine reflects Oltenian traditions, with grilled meats, plum brandy, thick bean stews and pastries.

The University of Craiova, founded in the mid twentieth century, is a major regional institution with faculties ranging from medicine to agriculture. An international airport, main railway lines toward Bucharest and Timișoara, and trams and buses within the city provide good connections.

Craiova rewards visitors with grand architecture, an outstanding park, important art and the distinctive character of southern Romania.