Giurgiu County reveals remarkable contrasts in its historical layers and landscapes: an L-shaped palace built of dressed stone stands beside wetlands with areas of open water year-round, while its historic sites range from a Geto-Dacian fortress to 18th-century buildings. This gives you different ways to discover Giurgiu through culture, nature and history.
Architecture and history across different eras
The archaeological site of Curtea familiei Năsturel Herescu de la Herăşti includes a palace commissioned by Udrişte Năsturel between 1640 and 1644. Dressed stone and its L-shaped ground plan give the building a distinctive material and form. By contrast, Argedava near Popești in Mihăilești takes you much further back in time: the Geto-Dacian fortress is dated to the La Tène period.
The historic monuments also tell of different periods of construction. Conacul Drugănescu in Florești-Stoenești dates from 1731 to 1735; it was restored in 1940–1941. It was restored and set up as a museum of ethnography and folk art. In Giurgiu, the 22-metre-high Clock Tower is another notable building; it was built in 1734. Fragments of the walls of Giurgiu Fortress remain. They recall the fortress built by Mircea the Elder on the banks of the Danube in the 14th century.
Other historic sites include Comana Monastery, which is listed in Romania’s register of historic monuments, and the Sfinții Voievozi Church in Mihăilești. It dates from 1714 and is a monument of religious architecture. In Călugăreni, the Crucea lui Mihai was erected in 1993 to mark the 400th anniversary of Mihai Viteazul’s accession to the throne of Wallachia. The Muzeul școlar Dacia in Frătești has several departments, with archaeology and history predominating; its collections include significant material remains attributed to the Geto-Dacians. The Gellu-Naum Memorial House preserves the surrealist poet’s summer home as it was during the summers he spent there. Check current access arrangements before visiting.
Wetlands, islands and protected nature
Comana Natural Park is a protected area. It is recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention; it also includes Natura 2000 sites designated as SPAs and SCIs. Balta Comana is a defining feature of the water landscape: it covers 1,206.4 hectares, of which around 400 hectares are permanently covered by open water. Padina Tătarului Reserve protects the Romanian forest peony, Paeonia peregrina, ssp. romanica.
The vegetation and wildlife on Mocanu Island are similar to those of the Danube Delta. The island also has beaches and inland waters, where fishing trips can be arranged. These different features offer distinct ways to experience nature: protected plants, wetlands and an island with inland waters each form their own landscape.
Activities and getting around
In Comana Natural Park, you may ride conventional and electric bicycles only on marked tourist routes, public roads, and forest and agricultural roads open to public traffic. The protected area remains open to visitors throughout public holidays. Check the park’s current rules before your visit. Comana Adventure Park has six courses for children and three for adults, with increasing levels of difficulty: easy, moderate and difficult. There is also a zipline over the lake and a cascade of ziplines. Check current operating conditions before planning your visit.
Comana Craftsmen’s Village offers a different experience, with a traditional workshop for processing fruit and vegetables. Via Danubiana is another useful point of reference for finding your way along the Danube. It connects embankments, forests, villages, towns and fields along a continuous route in Giurgiu County. The Friendship Bridge, in turn, links Giurgiu in Romania with Ruse in Bulgaria and carries road, rail and pedestrian traffic. Check current traffic conditions before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Banesti, Giurgiu, Potlogi, Izvoarele, Greaca, Comana, Călugăreni, Malu, Roata De Jos, Mihailesti, Daia, Varlaam.
For the full travel overview: Romania.
