Tourist Attractions in Arges County

Today's destination is the county of Arges

Daniel Onea, 23.07.2020, 13:50

Todays destination is the county of Arges, which lies in the south central part of Romania. Our trip starts with the Museum of Vine and Orchard in Golesti, a place full of history, where you find an open air ethnography museum. Our guide today is museographer Dan Arsene:

“The museum, which last year turned 80 years of age, is erected on the foundation of a 17th century ensemble. This ensemble was what was known as a fortified mansion, used by noble families as country residence. Next to this is an open air ethnography exhibition , with over 30 households transported here from all over the country. They are brought from areas where wine growing and fruit orchards are the main activity. Each household has a home, utilities, and tools that recall the livelihood of the people who used to inhabit them. The mansion itself recalls the Golescu family, a family of renown in the medieval and modern history of Romania. These boyars had an important role to play, especially in the 19th century, when the Romanian Principalities united, and a new kind of Romanian village emerged.”

The Golesti boyar residence blends the Romanian architectural tradition with Oriental elements, and with features drawn from the Western tradition. The house has a big cellar, with massive arcades and walls, with living quarters on the ground floor. The first floor, a light wooden structure, is accessible by an elegant massive oak wood staircase, starting in the middle of the central hallway. Here is museographer Dan Arsene again:

“In addition to the exhibition dedicated to the Golescu family, we also have an exhibition dedicated to the Romanian Royal House. On the night of May 19, 1866, Prince Carol I of Romania signed his first official act right here, in the Golesti mansion. The visiting public can see the original throne, used by all the kings of Romania between 1885 and 1947, but also a desk that belonged to King Carol I. These are powerful artifacts, of great historic interest.”

The Museum of Vine and Orchard in Golesti organizes all kinds of activities for the visiting public. Next to the mansion there is a park that is part of the medieval ensemble. The visiting public can get an idea of how time was spent by the elites of the 19th century. Children are delighted by the pony rides and the zipline there. The museum is also populated by traditional craftsmen, according to museographer Dan Arsene:

“They put up for sale artifacts that the traditional craftsmen make, with a guarantee of quality. In addition to the craftsmen we promote, we also have a collaboration with the local maker of the famous Topoloveni fruit jam. We are trying to maintain strong relationships with the local producers.”

Arges County has a few very interesting objectives, which should not be missed, says museographer Dan Arsene:

“Some are from the ancient period, close to the town of Campulung, others are from the medieval period, such as the fortification of Poenari, built by Vlad the Impaler, north of Curtea de Arges. Also here we have some of the oldest religious buildings south of the Carpathians, such as the Corbii de Piatra Monastery, and the Curtea de Arges Monastery. Of course, we also have a number of modern objectives, such as the Mausoleum of Mateias, raised in honor of the Romanian soldiers who fought in this area in WWI. There is also the Florica Villa, home to some of the most important families in Romanian political life, such as the Bratianus and the Rosettis, as well as to the first female law PhD in the world. Considering we are at the foot of the Fagaras Mountains, we have lots of tourism trails. Following the road to the old capital of Wallachia, Curtea de Arges, we climb the Tranfagarasan, and from there, following forest roads, we can easily reach, with our mountain guide, four very clearly marked trails that get you to the peak of the mountain. Each trail is marked with a color code. At the peak you can admire a breathtaking view of the beautiful wild landscape.”

In Arges County you can find all sorts of interesting annual events. You can use your visit to these tourist objectives with some of the cultural events here. Here is museographer Dan Arsene once again:

“The Symphony of Tulips is an exhibition dedicated to the beauty of flowers and spring, it is held in the city of Pitesti in April. Also in April you have the Ordessos Festival, a re-enactment festival held in Mioveni. It shows the public scenes from the life of the Romanian people in ancient times, and access is free. You can find details on the page of the association that holds this festival, and on the Mioveni City Hall page, which supports the event. We also have a lot of famous traditional music festivals, such as the Budeasa Folk Music Festival, held in late June. Then we have the Posada Rock Festival in Campulung Muscel, in late August, and the new Stonebird Festival in the Corbii de Piatra village. The latter is about to gain international renown, and is happening in late August.”

Here you have a very rich tourist objective. Also here, you can taste a dessert that has been granted many international awards for quality, a protected variety at the European level, the Topoloveni jam.