Târgoviște, between past and present
The city of Târgoviște, the former capital of Wallachia, welcomes its tourists with an atmosphere full of history and medieval charm
Daniel Onea, 17.04.2025, 12:36
The city of Târgoviște, located in southern Romania, the former capital of Wallachia, welcomes its tourists with an atmosphere full of history and medieval charm. Visitors can step back in time, into an era of brave rulers and proud boyars. The Chindia Tower, the symbol of the city, stands out proudly, guarded by the fortress walls that have withstood centuries. But Târgoviște is also a city of events and late evenings, on the restaurant terraces in the old center.
The city of Târgoviște was documented for the first time on November 12, 1396, when the ruler Mircea the Old mentioned the citadel as a princely residence, which underlined its strategic and political importance since the 14th century. This attestation marks the beginning of a glorious period for Târgoviște. Therefore, our destination is emblematic for the history of Romania and the Romanians, as we learnt from the mayor Daniel Cristian Stan.
“It is the old Seat Fortress of Wallachia, which, for more than three centuries, represented the main social, economic, political and military hub of Wallachia. It is a city where, at the moment, we can find a combination of history and modernism. Boasting this very rich history, tourists will certainly find important vestiges here, because we have, for example, the “Curtea Domneasca” National Museum Complex. In addition to the old Seat Fortress, the Chindia Tower, there are many museums, such as the History Museum, the Art Museum, the Museum of Dâmbovița Writers, the History Museum of the Romanian Police, the Museum of Human Evolution and Technology in the Paleolithic, the I.L. Caragiale Memorial House and so on. So, from this point of view, Târgoviște offers many possibilities to spend quality time. But I was saying that Târgoviște does not only represent history, it also represents a city that attracts with green spaces and generous parks. Lots of investments have been made in this respect, mainly from European funds. Also, for sports lovers, we have a tourist swimming complex with everything necessary, from an Olympic swimming pool to Aqua Land, if it’s summer, fitness rooms and so on. At the same time, we have a very good offer in terms of restaurants. We have the Old Center, where anyone can eat very well.”
The focal point of the Princely Court of Târgoviște is the imposing Chindia Tower, built in the 15th century, probably on the orders of Vlad the Impaler, as part of a defensive and surveillance system. With a height of approximately 27 meters, the tower still offers a panoramic view of the city today. The compound also includes the ruins of the Princely Palace, the Renaissance-style Princely Church, the cellars and defensive walls, as well as gardens arranged in a historical style. The Princely Court is included in the national cultural heritage and annually attracts thousands of tourists passionate about history, architecture and legends.
The cultural calendar of the city of Târgoviște is very rich, so regardless of the time of year we schedule our visit, there is a probability that we will be able to be spectators of an event. Mayor Daniel Cristian Stan told us more:
TRACK “We organize, for example, Tudorita or Horse Easter, an event specific to the ethnic Bulgarian community in Târgoviște. We also have the Path of Light, which is a unique event in the country and takes place on Maundy Thursday. Many candles are lit on a route that starts from Mihai Viteazu Square and ends on King Carol Boulevard. So, there are many interesting things in Târgoviște that a tourist can do. We have the Babel festival – the Festival of Performing Arts, we also have a concert “European Classical Spring”, the “George Enescu” Festival. We also host the Citadel Days, in early September, because September 8 is the Day of the Târgoviște Municipality. “Golden Chrysanthemum”, the longest-running music festival in Romania, is also hosted by Târgoviște.”
For those who want to visit the surroundings, one of the most sought-after destinations is Sinaia. Nicknamed the royal city, Sinaia is one of the most elegant and picturesque mountain resorts in Romania, located at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains.
“One special site is, for instance, the Dealu Monastery. It is known especially for the fact that it is home to the head of one of the most important rulers in Wallachia and in the history of the Romanians: Michael the Brave. And it is very close to Târgoviște. Sinaia is also very close to Târgoviște, a few dozen kilometers away. It can be reached very quickly. The Potlogi Palace is also in the vicinity of the municipality of Târgoviște, as well as the Viforâta monastery. It only takes 50 minutes to get from Bucharest to Târgoviște. The historical area of the municipality of Târgoviște is the most attractive for tourists and, if we also tell them that Vlad Tepeș or Vlad Dracul, as we know him, who also inspired the character Dracula, ruled the area, things become even more interesting for tourists.”
Daniel Cristian Stan, the mayor of Târgoviște, also told us about a project funded from European funds to rehabilitate the moat of the Târgoviște Fortress. According to specialists, it is the only Byzantine-Serbian military construction still existing in southeastern Europe.
“It surrounded the citadel and protected medieval Târgoviște. We have a project to restore this historical monument and highlight it. I think it will have a very big impact from a tourist point of view. We are discussing a fortification of several kilometers, which crosses the city of Târgoviște. The green spaces will be restored, some palisades will also be made in certain areas, there will be video monitoring, there will be bike paths and so on. It will be an investment that will increase the tourist potential of Târgoviște even more. So, if you want to see a beautiful city, a historical city, and at the same time to see a modern, green and very welcoming city, we invite you to Târgoviște.” (MI)
