Did you come to the Christmas Fair? A short guide to visiting Craiova and Dolj

Right next to the Christmas fair, you have the Craiova Art Museum, housed in a magnificent building that belonged to the boyar Jean Mihail, one of the richest Romanians in the interwar period. The Jean Mihail Palace is an imposing building, dating from the period 1898-1907, framed in the style of European eclectic architecture and French academism. The Art Museum is the one that houses six of the works of the great sculptor Constantin Brâncuși, as well as other works by famous Romanian artists, such as Nicolae Grigorescu, Theodor Aman, Ștefan Luchian, Ion Țuculescu or Nicolae Tonitza. The Art Museum also has a European Art Collection, where you can find works from the Italian, French, Flemish or Dutch schools. And, once you’re here, you must visit the visionary and superb „Constantin Brâncuși” Center, built to honor the great sculptor’s heritage and memory. This Center is located exactly in the Art Museum’s courtyard. 

Also in the central area, you can find the three sections of the Oltenia Museum – Ethnography (Casa Băniei), Natural Sciences and History-Archaeology. These three key points for our culture and civilization reveal exhibits curated by museum specialists and are contained in various collections, presented in permanent exhibitions. You can also visit temporary exhibitions. All the details can be found on the museum pages.

The Museum of the Romanian Book and Exile is also located in the center of Craiova, and it is a unique project in the world! Housed in Dianu House, an old boyar house in Craiova, with impressive architectural details – you will find out with your visit – the museum brings together dozens of collections of Romanian artists who created in exile. They embraced the project and the idea that came from here, from Craiova, and donated their collections – not only of books, but also of personal objects – for the creation of this museum. Thus, we give you just a few examples of collections that you can study here: Mircea Eliade, Emil Cioran, Andrei Șerban, Ileana and Romulus Vulpescu, George Banu and many others.

Add to your list, for Craiova, sights such as the Botanical Garden, the “Nicolae Romanescu” Park, but don’t forget the “Ion Oblemenco” Stadium or the restored heritage buildings that you can easily find in the city. In addition, for those who visit us, take advantage of the days spent in Craiova and check out the cultural offer at the “Marin Sorescu” National Theater, the “Oltenia” Philharmonic, the “Colibri” Theater or the Romanian Opera Craiova. It would be a shame to be here and not get to know our local artists!

If you decide to spend a day outside Craiova, the Izvoranu-Geblescu Tower in Brabova commune and the Cernăteștilor Tower in Cernătești commune are waiting for you to visit and learn about the way our ancestors lived. The "Amza Pellea" Memorial House in Băilești is also open to the public for visits. All three objectives are also sections of the Oltenia Museum, and information about the program and visits can be found on the social media pages.

Have we made you curious? That's not all! Visit www.discoverdolj.ro, as well as the Discover Dolj&Craiova app, available on Google Play and the App Store, and discover everything Craiova and Dolj have to offer!

Photo: Muzeul Cărții și Exilului Românesc | Facebook, Muzeul de Artă Craiova | Facebook, Casa Memorială Amza Pellea  (Muzeul Olteniei Craiova) | Facebook, Primaria Municipiului Craiova | Facebook, Discover Dolj&Craiova, Teatrul Național Marin Sorescu din Craiova