Romania (Mehiditi County)

1. MEHEDINTI COUNTY
A JOURNEY DOWN THE
DANUBE

2. Mehedinti County
A journey down the Danube, an emblematic axis of the
region we live in, is a genuine journey in time.
The Danube, flowing the past through the present into
the future, carries on its waters a flux of cultures and
civilizations from nine European countries.
Those who have ever sailed or will be inspired to voyage
on the Danube and pass through the unique area of the
Hollows, will bear in mind lasting memories of this
magnificent scenery. In an almost symmetrical
concatenation, on both banks of the Danube, natural and
historical sites, relics of the Roman and Medieval past
pass before the insatiable eyes of travelers yearning for
beauty.
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3. Drobeta Turnu Severin – the overtime town
It is the capital of Mehedinti County.
A town and a harbor since 1833, now it is considered
one of the most beautiful Romanian towns on the Danube.
Known since ancient times under the name of Drobeta,
the town has become an important place that links Central Europe
to the Middle East.
Population – 118,000 inhabitants.
Climate – temperate continental with Mediterranean influences; it is
the gentlest climate in Romania
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4. Drobeta Turnu Severin
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5. Drobeta Turnu Severin – The Iron Gates Museum
Its historical and archaeological collection contains relics of the old
culture in this area.
The Natural Sciences section contains exhibits telling about the
geological structure of the region, its fauna and flora.
The museum has also a valuable section of ethnography.
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6. The ruins of the camp Drobeta
The camp was built in 103 – 105 AD by emperor
Trajan and rebuilt under Justinian the Great.
Here many military units of the Roman empire
camped out, the most important one being the
5th legion “Macedonica”.
Trajan was an emperor of the Roman Empire
between 98 – 117 AD. He conquered the Dacian
Kingdom in 106 AD, and captured 165 tones of
gold and 331 tons of silver.
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7. The ruins of Trajan’s bridge
The bridge was built by the architect Apollodor of Damascus,
between the two wars against the Dacians, under the rule of
Trajan. It was the most daring work of engineering in the whole
Roman antiquity. The technical secrets used in building have
remained unknown to this day. Apollodor of Damascus was a
Roman architect, one of the favorite architects of the emperor
Trajan. To build the bridge over the Danube, he
used oak wood from over 200 hectares.
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8. The ruins of the medieval fortress Severin
Situated on top a hill, the fortress was
built around 1230. Its position in the
Iron Gates region, midway between
Central Europe and the Middle Danube
basin, gave it strategic importance. The
check point of the whole Danubian
navigation was there.
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9. Orsova – the town where the sun never sets
Situated at the confluence of the river Cerna and the Danube, the
harbor town Orsova, named Dierna in Roman times, is an altogether
a new town now. The old town disappeared under the Danube waters
when the Iron Gates dam was built, in 1964. The new town lies on the
shore of a small gulf.
The town faces the sun all day long, and that is why people who live
there can never see the sunset. The phenomenon is special: the
town seems to be from another world, with only two cardinal points
to see: North and South, the East being in the water and the West
being hidden by a hill.
Population – 17,000 inhabitants.
Average temperature – 11 C.
Climate – temperate continental, the exception being made by the
Northern sector of the area, the mountains Godeanu and Cerna
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10. Orsova - attractions
The Roman Catholic cathedral is a modern construction, built between
1972 – 1977, unique by its architecture, considered the most beautiful
building in Orsova.
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11. Mehedinti County
The Iron Gates Natural Park is the second largest environmentally
protected area, the first being the Danube Delta. The park is situated on
the Romanian bank of the Danube, between Bazias and Drobeta Turnu
Severin. It got the status of procetion in 1998 and it contains 14 scientific
reservations. The fauna and flora in the area include several rare species:
Herman’s turtle, the horned viper and the hollows tulip.
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12. The Danube Hallows
The Danube Hallows are situated in Ieselnita area. They represent the
most spectacular part of the iron gates Natural park. Before building the
Iron Gates Dam, the place was very dangerous for navigation because of
the rocks hidden close to the water surface. Here, passing through a
narrow corridor, the Danube seemed to boil as in a cauldron, with dark
and foamy bubbling.
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13. Decebal’s Statue
King Decebal’s Statue is situated in
the middle of the Little Hallows,
being the biggest monument of this
type in Europe, being only 6 meters
shorter than the Statue of Liberty
and 10 meters higher than the
Colossus of Rhodos.
Decebal, the Dacians’ king, was
well known for his honesty and
bravery.
Decebal ruled the Dacian kingdom
between 87 and 106 AD. His defeat
was such an important event, that
the citizens of Rome were spared
taxes for a whole year.
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14. Mehedinti County
A PowerPoint presentation made by students and
coordinator teacher in
“Lorin Salagean” Technical College,
Drobeta-Turnu-Severin
ROMANIA
September 2010
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