Drobeta Turnu-Severin, capital ofMehedintiCounty, is situated in the most western point of Oltenia on the left side of the Danube and in the sub Carpathian depression of Topolnita, on the Europen road 70, at a distance of 220 km from
Timisoara, 113 Km from
Craiova and 335 km from
Bucharest.
The storage lake of the Iron Gates I hydro-electric power station, flooded 3262 ha of land on the left shore of the
Danube and 6569 ha on the right shore; a total of 32000 ha of land and a volume of 2550 million cubic meters of water.
Severin is a warm town with sub Mediterranean climate, with sunny summers and gentle winter, which offer the possibility for specific vegetation to develop. Severin is the country of almonds, figs, chestnuts and lime tree.
The history of Drobeta Turnu Severin:
Turnu Severin was set up on the 23rd of April 1833 and it was initially called the New Town of Severin after the Adrianopol Peace treaty signed in 1829. Among others, this treaty approved the navigation freedom on the
Danube and the commercial relations. Thus, Severin become a bridge between Central Europe and Low Danube and between Europe and the
Near East.
Before this important event in the history of Mehedinti, the county did not have a town by the
Danube, and the old fortresses of Drobeta and Severin were long gone. Thus, the wish of the local people was to build a new town on the territory of the old fortresses. The place was marked by the traces of the Roman camps, the
bridge of
Traian and the
Tower of
Sever, which can still be seen today.
Drobeta was the first stone fortress built by the Dacians (103 – 105), a defence roman camp which ensured the security of the bridge. To the west of the camp, along the
Danube, one can notice the ruins of the roman medicinal baths; inside the walls there were found brick with the stamp of the fifth Macedonian legion, thus a sign that the bathrooms were built in the same period as the camp and the bridge.
Traian’s bridge was built in only 3 years (103-105) and designed by the famous architect, Apolodor of Damasc. The bridge was the boldest engineering work of the roman antiquity.
The modern history of the town is related to the year 1866, when Carol the 1st landed at Severin to rule the country. Carol supports the initiative of the locals to build up a new European Romanian town.
In 1914, the
WaterCastle was inaugurated, a monument which gives identity to the citizens of Severin.
Tourist attractions:
The National Park “Portile de Fier” is listed as protected area and was created inorder to protect and to preserve the biodiversity and the elements of the existing landscape. The National park “Portile de Fier” is situated in the South-western part of
Romania,at the frontier with
Serbia and Muntenegru, having a surface of 115.655 ha.
The traces of the Roman Camp from Dobreta
The Fortress of Severin
Traian’s bridge built by Apolodor of Damask between 103-105A.C and the
Tower of
Sever
TheIronGates Museumwith its scientifically exhibits, aquarium, folklore and ethnographic exhibits, history sections;
Art Museum
ThePalace of
Culture „Theodor Costescu”, opened in 1924, located in the centre of the town close to Continental Hotel
The Kinetics Fountain
TurnuSeverinHarbourand the
Danube sea -wall– starting point for a 30 km cruise up the river
Among the inter-war important buildings we mention: Parc hotel, SHN Residence „Iron Gates”, the
Administrative Palace, the House of the Youth, The union House and the Kinetics Fountain.
Other tourist attractions close to town: the Danube’s strait, The Big and Small Boilers to which you can get by boat from Turnu Severin or Orsova harbors, the "Tabula Traiana": inscription on the Serbian shore and the sculpture representing the face of Decebal, the king of the Dacians, The Vodita Monastery, the St. Ana Monastery, Baia de Arama (The town below the mountain),
the Iron Gates I hydro-electric power stationinaugurated in 1972.
