Giurgiua town in Romania

Cristina Anghel

The municipality of Giurgiu, located 65 km south of Bucharest, on the left bank of the Danube, has always been one of the most important international Danubian ports.

Together with its neighbouring city, Ruse, Giurgiu forms a Euroregion that places itself on the 9 Pan – European transport route( the Danube and the Rhine-Main-Danube), being connected to other neighbouring country the Nord Sea and the Black Sea.

Town Hall

Town Hall – raised in 1936 which initially functioned as a school and boarding school for pupils of the Fishing and Navy School.

Today its rehabilitation and modernization.

The Tower

Was part of the last fortification system of the city of Giurgiu, raised by the Ottoman garrison after the peach from

Kuciuck –Kainargi ( 1774)

DowntownDestroyed by the Communist regime, the old architecture of the city’s centre has been rebuilt as much as possible, today’s visitors having the possibility to admire at the least a few of the radial structure of the area around the clock Tower.

Giurgiu harbourIs on of the main Danube harbour , the Danube giving it a natural navigational connection to all Danube ports up to its flow into the Black Sea.

The Danube River, one of the most important in Europe, ensures connections to all the eight neighbouring Danube River countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Friendship BridgeOn 30 juin 1952, the works for a mixed bridge – railway and road- begin on the route Giurgiu( RO)- Ruse( BG).

The bridge has a total length of 2224 m and the central, mobile opening of 86 m for passing of large ships.

The bridge was inaugurated on 20 Juin 1954, at that time being the largest mixed bridge ( railway and road ) in Europe.

Bisetz BridgeThe unique character of this construction is given by the fact that it is considered the first curved bridge in Europe.

Cultural CentreIs the oldest public building inn Giurgiu, raised between 1868 – 1869.

The city’s history tell us that the first secondary school, as well as other school units and the first branch of Romanian Athenaeum carried out their activities here.

The CathedralThe church has the plan of a basilica made of burnt brick with lime mortar on a stone foundation.

The works in the field record that the church dedicated to the “Assumption of the Virgin” was raised between 1840 and 1852.

“Saint Nicholas” HermitageThis place a worship has been until in 1830, a Turkish mosque, the date of this construction and the names of its authors being unknown.

In 1830, the mosque was transformed into a orthodox church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, named after the tsar Nicolai I of Russia, after the citadel of Giurgiu had been released from the Ottoman domination.

Giurgiu CitadelThe first certain documents which mention the existence of Giurgiu Citadel are the 23 September 1403.

She was built by Mircea the Oldest. She was a junction point for the great medieval commercial route.

Monuments in Alley ParkThe alley Park is the first green space organized in the modern city, after the liberation of Giurgiu from under Ottoman domination.

In the south-eastern part of the park there rises a monument in the memory of French Army of the Danube, who liberated the city on 10 November 1918. The French Monument was inaugurated in October 1922, when an Official delegation led by the Marshal Foch gave the “War Cross s ” to Giurgiu Town Hall and the title of heroic –city.

In 1938, a committee formed by local intellectuals managed to build a beautiful bronze bust in memory of Mihai Eminescu. The statue is one of the most successful plastic representation of the face of our national poet.

In 1977, the celebration of the Centennial of Independence also included the inauguration of an alley with 23 bust of Romanian heroes fallen in battles in Bulgaria.