DanRM's VirtualTourist Home Page

- I will try in this introduction page to show you few places of my country where you can see what romains can do, what nice places we have everywhere, what traditions and more, more things we offer you.

- Is strongly recomended to beghin your trip in ROMANIA with BRASOV city. First of all, BRASOV is located in the heart of my country and from this point you can go in every corner of ROMANIA. The origins of Brasov as a medieval town are lost in the dark times. Archaeological discoveries mention life on this land since the Bronze Age, 60,000 years ago. The most impressive monument of the Antiquity is the Dacian Sanctuary of Racos, though, hardly accessible to tourists. Another testimony of life on this land is the Roman camp discovered in Rasnov, the former Northeastern border of the Roman empire. An inscription in stone reveals the ancient Dacian name of the land: Cumidava. The Dacian-Roman settlements (Brasov, Harman, Cristian, Feldioara) in this area stand proof that after the Romans retreat (the year 271) the inhabitants (Daco-Roman population) remained on this land. Brasov was first mentioned as "Corona" ( which means, crown, hence the coat of arms of the city which is a crown with oak roots) in 1235, when the Saxon population settled here. Later on the town was known as Brasco, Brasso, Kronstadt, Brassovia Citadel and Stalin.

For centuries, the city was (and still is) Transylvania's gateway towards the South and East. As the renowned Harvard professor Samuel Huntington shows in his work "The Clash of Civilizations", this is where (ideologically) Europe ends. The fault line between the western and the eastern civilization runs indeed through Brasov, separating Transylvania from the rest of Romania.
Due to its geographical position, at the crossroads of Moldavia and Wallachia, Brasov has had a fast economic growth, becoming one of the most important markets in Transylvania. On the 14th century Brasov became one of the most economical and political strongholds in the Southeast of Europe and on the 16th century also a cultural center. Johannes Honterus, a great German humanist, worked most of the time in Brasov and Deaconu Coresi printed the first Romanian book also in Brasov.

As one might expect, the city had a troubled history. The Brasov defense fortifications were built between the 15th and the 17th centuries, as a consequence of the repeated invaders coming from the east and south. A significant part of the citadel walls are still standing.
On March, 1600, Mihai Viteazu visited Brasov and summoned "The Diet of Transylvania" recognizing the rights of Tara Birsei's inhabitants.
In 1688 when the Austrian army conquered Transylvania, Brasov was the last Bastion standing. 1689 was a one of the toughest years in the history of Brasov. On April, 21, a big fire destroyed most of the town and killed 3,000 people. Most of the houses were destroyed and Saint Maria Church, smoked by the fire, would become "The Black Church". The citizens rapidly rebuild the city.
In 1838 George Baritiu edited the first Romanian publications in Brasov: "Gazeta de Transilvania" and the "Paper for Mind, Heart and Literature". It was also issued a literary review that was promoting the Romanian writers and poets in Transylvania.
In the period following the 1st World War, Brasov became a strong economical center in Europe, but the town was partly destroyed during the 2nd World War. It was rebuilt and the historical buildings were restored. During the second half of the 20th century, the communist administration forcefully industrialized the city, bringing here workers from the rest of Romania, and determining population of German or Jewish origin to leave the city in droves.

- CRAIOVA is located in the south-west of ROMANIA. Is one big centre for students...The natural conditions of Craiova offered people possibilities of settlement and favorable lives in these areas in the following succession of civilizations: Pretracic, Traco-Dacian, Geto-Dacian, Dacian-Roman, Dacian-Roman-Byzantinne and, later, Romanian.
     According to the archaeological discoveries at the beginning at the second century a.d., the Romans built here a castrum, first of earth (during the reign of the emperor Traian, 98-117), then of rock and brick (during the reign of Hadrian, 117 -138). Due to the favorable geographical position, to the protection of the Roman castrum and of the military garrison, this settlement has had a blooming development.
     The first documentary certification of Craiova and its surroundings is represented by the map of the Roman emperor Severus Alexander in 225 a.d. where the area is mentioned as Pelendava.
     At the end of the fifteenth century, Craiova was a fair on the lands of the Craiova boyars. The economic power of this important family contained over 100 villages, having an autonomous political status so powerful that the rulers of those periods had to become allied with this boyar dynasty in order to keep their thrones.
     Among the Craioveni family, over the years, several have become renowned rulers, such as: Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521), Radu de la Afumati (1522-1529), Radu Serban (1602-1611), Matei Basarab (1632-1654), Constantin Serban (1654-1658), Serban Cantacuzino (1678-1688), Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714).
     After the first half of the sixteenth century, in the documents of that period, Craiova is frequently called town.
     During the reign of Mihai Viteazul, the Great Banie of Oltenia becomes an institution of first rank when the title of Great Ban was given to Preda Buzescu.
     During the Ottoman rule, Craiova’s boyars raise against the rulers imposed by the Ottoman Empire.
     Between 1718-1739, the Austrian rule in Oltenia has considerably roughened the economical and fiscal obligations for the urban and rural producers, causing powerful movements of the outlaws and even of the boyars against the Hapsburg administration.
     Craiova, the Bans’ Citadel, fulfilled also the role of capital of Tara Romaneasca (Romanian Country – region of Romania) between 1770-1771.
     The last two rulers of Tara Romaneasca - Grigorie Dimitrie Bibescu and Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei belonged to the great boyars families of Craiova - Bibescu family.
     The inhabitants of these parts, along the years, were tolerant towards other people and faithful to God, thus, the centre of Craiova Orthodox Church by Craiova’s Archiepiscopy and Oltenia’s Metropolitan Church are in Craiova Municipality. The latest is a monumental palace built according to the plans of architect D. Maimarolu in late French Renaissance style, characterized by mansard roofs, many ornaments and rich decorated interiors.

- We have hundreds of villages in our country where people have a simple and pure life. In this pictures i will present my village who is located in the south of CRAIOVA, at 15 milles...