Holiday apartment in Calafat: Churches, Marincu Palace and Danube riverbank

Calafat Between Architecture and the Danube

Calafat combines churches, the Marincu Palace, a monument on the Danube riverbank, a border crossing to Vidin and the EuroVelo 6 route. Church architecture, a museum, riverbank history and cross-border routes each provide different focal points in the town. The themes range from church construction to the connection across the Danube.

Churches in Calafat

The Biserica “Izvorul Tămăduirii” in Calafat is also known as Biserica “Grecească”. It was built between 1864 and 1874.

The church is distinguished by its three-apse design, walls more than one metre thick and three towers. Inside, four genuine Murano crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

The Biserica “Sfântul Nicolae” is an architectural monument in the centre of Calafat. It is located halfway between the town hall and the harbour entrance.

The Biserica “Sfântul Nicolae” was completed and consecrated in 1910 and handed over for use during the tenure of Bishop D. D. Ghenadie.

The Marincu Palace

The Marincu Palace houses the art and ethnography museum in Calafat. It was built between 1905 and 1907 by Ștefan Marincu in memory of his daughter Marioara Marincu, based on plans by the architect Paul Gottereau.

The Marincu Palace, rebuilt between 2001 and 2002, belongs to the French Neoclassical style, with Baroque and Rococo accents as well as influences from Romanian architecture of the early 20th century. In 2003, it was included in Romania’s national heritage and on the list of historic monuments.

Monument on the Danube Riverbank

On the Danube riverbank stands the monument “100 Years of Independence”, on the former positions of the “Stephen the Great” artillery battalion in spring 1877. The monument is 15 metres high in total; its bas-reliefs cover an area of 25 square metres.

The pedestal is made of travertine, has a parallelepiped shape and features extensive bas-reliefs depicting scenes of the Romanian army crossing the Danube in 1877. The combination of the Danube riverbank, former artillery positions and scenes of the crossing of the Danube links the monument to the military history of 1877.

Border Crossing and EuroVelo 6

There is a border crossing from Calafat to Vidin in Bulgaria; the Danube is crossed via the road bridge. The EuroVelo 6 route also leads to Calafat. The connection from Drobeta Turnu Severin to Calafat runs along national road DN 56A.

For route planning, the road bridge provides the Danube crossing to Vidin, the EuroVelo 6 route provides the cycling connection to Calafat, and DN 56A provides the connection from the direction of Drobeta Turnu Severin. Anyone planning a cycling tour has a specific route connection to Calafat via the EuroVelo 6 route; the road bridge, by contrast, is part of the border crossing over the Danube to Vidin in Bulgaria. DN 56A complements this road connection.

Other Destinations

Other destinations: Başcov, Pielești, Coţofenii Din Faţă, Podari, Călăraşi, Craiova, Vârtop, Bechet

To the higher-level travel overview: Dolj.