Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE NICOLAE GRIGORESCU MUSEUM, CÂMPINA
If you've visited the art museums in Bucharest, Constanţa or Ploieşti, you've likely developed a taste for the talen-
ted and underrated (at least outside of Romania) 19th- century painter Nicolae Grigorescu (1838-1907). Best known
locally for his starkly beautiful landscapes, his work ranges from portraiture to reportage (he was a war painter in
the Romanian War of Independence). Grigorescu studied in Paris with Pierre Auguste Renoir and his later works
were highly innovative, anticipating more modern styles, such as Impressionism, that were well in vogue by the end
of his life.
The
Nicolae Grigorescu Museum
(Muzeul Nicolae Grigorescu; 0244-335 598; B-dul Carol I 166, Câmp-
ina; adult/child 8/2 lei; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun)
is a modest tribute to the painter's life, with collections on two
floors in a traditional wooden village house where he lived during the last seven years of his life.
From Ploieşti's southern bus station there are several daily buses to Câmpina, 32km north of Ploieşti. There are
also daily trains from Ploieşti's western station to Câmpina.
Târgovişte
POP 73,964
The small city of Târgovişte, 50km northwest of Bucharest, has played an outsized role in
Romanian history. It served as the royal capital of Wallachia from 1418 until 1659, when
the capital was moved to Bucharest. The ruins of the former royal court remain the town's
leading attraction. During the 15th century, Vlad Ţepeş, of impaler fame, held princely
court here. In more recent times, in 1989, the city made international headlines as the site
where dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife, Elena, were executed. The choice of Târ-
govişte was coincidental. The Ceauşescus, fleeing arrest, were apprehended not far from
here and brought to Târgovişte because the barracks were well fortified.
Sights
The town's main sights, including the Princely Court, are clustered along Calea Dom-
nească, about 500m north of the centre and about 1.5km north of the train station. The
barracks
(contact@jandarmeriadambovita.ro; B-dul Carol I)
where the Ceauşescus were
executed on 25 December 1989 are closed to the public, but you can glimpse the premises
from the road outside. The location is immediately to the right as you leave the train sta-
tion along B-dul Carol I. It's strictly forbidden to take photographs. Visits are sometimes
granted if requested in advance by email.
