Dolj County

[ Short History | Geographical Outline | Touristic Information | Economy Profile ]

In the course of time, the rich and complex spiritual life of the inhabitants in this area has been illustrated, concisely and expressively, in the forms of material and spiritual values they have created. From the vases and ornaments belonging to the Cucuteni culture that developed in the Paleolithic, and the Thracian-Getic “princely hoard” discovered at Craiova, to the numerous Dacian-Roman archaeological finds, the impressive churches and mansions built during the Middle Ages and the achievements of modern times, the inhabitants of Dolj county have made their contribution to the advancement of world civilisation. Vestiges of a dramatic history attest to human evolution for two millennia in this hearth.

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Geographical Outline

Lying in the south-southwest of Romania, Dolj county is crossed by the river Jiu, wherefrom it takes its name - Doljiu, that is the Lower Jiu. To the south, along 150 km, it borders on the Danube, which also forms Romania’s natural border with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. The relief appears like flat steps rising pyramid-like from the Danube meadow to the Amaradiei hills, 30 to 350 m above sea level. Worth mentioning is the existence in the south of the county of the largest sandy area in the country, in parallel with an impressive number of lakes formed either by the overflows of the Danube or the accumulation of rainfalls. The mild weather conditions (an annual average of 10-11.5°C) as well as the fertile soil have offered propitious human conditions since the dawns of history. Local administration at the level of each administrative-territorial unit is ensured by a local council. The county is located in the south-southwest of Romania, 229 km far from Bucharest, 492 km from Constanta, 444 km from Oradea, 346 km from Targu Mures, 333 km from Timisoara. Its area is of 7,413 sqkm. The county seat is Craiova. Other important towns: Bailesti, Calafat, Segarcea, Filiasi. Population: 749,311 inhabitants, representing 3.3 per cent of the country’s population. Active population, as employed in economic branches: 147,000 in agriculture, 1,400 in forestry, forest management and game, 65,200 in industry.

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Touristic Information

A part of the old Oltenia, the Dolj county has 3, l percent of Romania's surface and is on the fourth place concerning the population. Craiova is the capital city. Most of its territory is a plain crosses by seven rivers and the Danube River with Bistret Lake to the South (1,867 ha). The name of this county is given by the Jiu River which crosses it from North to South, Dolj meaning "the Lower Jiu Land". Its first documentary attestation as a county dates back in 1444 when its name was the Balta county situated in the Danube Plain. In the Dolj county a lot of Romanian political, scientific and cultural personalities were born or lived:Voivode Mihai the Brave who united the three Romanian Lands for the first time; great revolutionists Tudor Vladimirescu and Nicolae Balcescu; painters Theodor Aman, Constantin Lecca and Ion Tuculescu and sculptor Gheorghe Anghel; Constantin Brancusi stated his fly to infinite here too; mathematicians Gheorghe Titeica, inventor Gogu Constantinescu; writers Traian Demetrescu, Alexandru Macedonski and Elena Farago and world famous diplomat Nicolae Titulescu. The tourist potential of this county consists in the value and variety of its traditional and modern historic, cultural and art monuments, the numberless nature monuments, reservations, hunting grounds and picturesque landscapes, and rich flora and fauna. This county is also the crossroad of some important national and international tourist routes. Also many motorways and railways make possible the access to some picturesque zones as Portile de Fier or to the counties of Valcea and Gorj as well as to the Parang Mountain, to the North and the Danube, to the South. By the railway Bucharest - Craiova - Timisoara - Jimbolia the connection with Serbia is done through the frontier points of Portile de Fier, and Stamora-Moravila and from Calafat and Bechet the connection with Bulgaria is done too. Near by towns there are picturesque and interesting zones. Near by Craiova there are the Bucoval, Ciutura and Bratovoesti forests. Near by Filiasi there are the Negaia and Burgetelu forests; near by Plenita - the Bujor Forest; in Bailesti - the Cilieni zone and Calafat is the gate to Danube area which is rich in fish. An important attraction is the Romanescu Park (People's Park) in Craiova - one of the valuable monuments of landscape architecture in Romania. It consists in 96 ha of forests, 4 ha of lakes, a zoo, landing place, two restaurants, and over 250 species of trees and busches.

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Economy Profile

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