Crobeta-Turnu Severin

Crobeta-Turnu Severin, also known as Drobeta-turnu Severin, is an antique Romanian city located on the bank of the Danube, in Oltenia, and more exactly in the Mehedinti County. From the point of view of history, this is one of the most interesting cities tourists could visit during a vacation in Romania, and therefore it is very recommendable that all those who are fond of disciplines such as history, architecture, or anthropology do not miss this destination.

The origins of Crobeta-Turnu Severin can be traced back to the Roman times. During that époque, this city was inhabited by the Romans and was known as Drobetae. After that, this city became inhabited by the Byzantines, who built a tower on the bank of the Danube in honor to the Emperor Septimus Severus. This tower became known as the Northern Tower or Turnu Severin, giving birth to the actual complete name of the city: Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Near Crobeta-Turnu Severin visitors could find one of the most interesting ruins of Wallachia: the ruins of the Trajan’s Bridge. The Trajan’s Bridge was constructed by Apollodorus Damascus around the year 104, and its structure of twenty arches which would allow people to cross the Danube was supported by a large number of stone pillars. Nowadays, tourists could still see a couple of those pillars at water level.

During the 5th century, Crobeta-Turnu Severin was almost completely destroyed by the Huns, a group of Eurasian tribes from a variety of different origins. After this, and towards middles of the 6th century, the city was re-constructed by Justinian I, also known as Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Lustinianus, an Eastern Roman Emperor and one of the most renowned ones of the Late Antiquity period.

Between the 12th and 16th century, this city went through many changes and was controlled by several different rulers, among which we can name, for example, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Wallachian Voivides, and the Ottoman Empire. This city, along with the entire Danube, was not completely released from the Ottoman control until around the year 1830, when the Treaty of Adrianople was signed. Since then, Crobeta-turnu Severin has shown a very rapid and important development, and some of the main factories of the region are located in it.