Welcome to County Argeş in the Muntenia region of Romania! Discover historic Curtea de Argeş and surrounding villages, and understand the rich Muntenia culture unfolding in beautiful Arges. Rest Romania will help you find the perfect hotel or B&B in our Argeş Accommodation section, or a guest house or pensiune in a village nestled in the mountains. Explore all of Argeş from Curtea de Argeş to Piteşti, Câmpulung, and Curtea de Argeş and the smaller towns of Mioveni Costeşti Topoloveni and Ştefăneşti!
Travel by rental car or tour bus and train through the Argeş region of Muntenia in Romania. Hotels in Curtea de Argeş are well-priced, and great travel and tourism activities from shopping, to exploring the villages, folk art, castles, mountains and forests. See all of County Argeş, from Curtea de Argeş to Piteşti, Câmpulung, and Curtea de Argeş and the smaller towns of Mioveni Costeşti Topoloveni and Ştefăneşti!
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Throughout the Middle Ages, Argeş was
the cradle of Romanian culture, protecting it's people in the folds of
her mountain river valleys, whilst the Visigoths, Slavs, Bulgars and Ottomans swept
through on the plains below.
Piteşti,
the County seat and home to fabulous markets every weekend has about
180,000 people and a delightful downtown mall area.
Up towards the mountains are the highly historic cities of
Câmpulung-Muscel and
Curtea de Argeş together with
about 60,000 happy inhabitants. These towns were the first
captials of the nascent Wallachia, Romania's first true nation-state.
There are also the four
regional towns of Mioveni, Costeşti,
Topoloveni, and Ştefăneşti, and almost 100
communes (communes usually have post office and police and serve a
handfull of villages in the immediate area).
So
many tourists, Romanian and American alike, make the sad mistake of
just driving through Piteşti on their ways to
Sibiu, Braşov or Bucureşti.
Despite it's past since 1966 as the home of the national car,
you'll find gorgeous pedestrianised malls in downtown Piteşti with delightful squares and great
shopping, and home to the famous Tulip Festival.
Nestled a valley on the right bank of the Argeş
river, the clubs, restaurants, cafes and
hotels of downtown Piteşti make this proud
capital of County Argeşa
great base for exploring the
surrounding area.
Piteşti fulfils it's role as a market
town each weekend, as the surrounding townsfolk and villagers flock
to the regional centre to bring their wares and foodstuffs to
market, with the annual tulip festival
the highlight of the holiday calendar.
Any visitor expecting a grim industrial city will
be surprised to find a large regional centre supporting the
surrounding agricultural towns, complete with a delightful central
pedestrian mall!
Even if you only have a half hour to spare for this cultural and
historical capital of the Argeş
region, a few photos of the precious gift to architecture that is the
Cathedral of Curtea de Argeş
will go a long way to impress your friends and relatives when you return
home.
Looking more like the whim of an overly ambitious
cake decorator, this monument to all that is arabesque is sure to
delight the eye and impress even the most travel-worn soul.
The old princely court and the county museum,
along with some good cafes and some very charming villages to the north,
welcoming to tourists and great for overnight stays, make Curtea de
Argeş a worthwhile stopping point
as part of quite a few itineraries.
Read more about this special town here!
The Făgăraş Mountains
The Transfăgărăşan highway begins it's
breathtaking journey just north of Curtea de Argeş,
after the shimmering waters of Lake Vidraru,
with it's rock faces plunging into the deep waters, it's tributaries
full of trout and lined with holiday cabins and some great fish
restaurants.
The road twists up and up into the Carpathians,
finally emerging above the treeline and plunging into a near
kilometre-long tunnel, bursting out into a truly amazing moonscape,
barren but for a glacial frozen lake and equally amazing, a top-notch
restaurant and lodges. The scenery is stunning! Check for road
conditions at the foot of the dam at Lake Vidraru.
Poienari Castle, Home of the "Real" Dracula
Looming high on the side of a mountain, with strategic views up and
down the Argeş river valley, the castle built and
inhabited by one of the most feared figures of Romania's past is where
the "real" Dracula story can be found.
Vlad the Impaler had the nasty habit of staking his Turkish
opponents as a warning to those who followed, gaining him quite a
reputation as a bloodthirsty warrior. However, this Vlad was
but a successor in a line of regional princes guarding the Carpathian
mountains from interlopers coming from the south.
His mountain fortress here north of Curtea de Argeş,
nestled in the scenic foothills shadowed by the mighty Făgăraş section of the
Carpathians to the north, offers stunning views of the sweeping
Wallachian plains below and some very interesting history of Romania's
real Dracula.
Nestled
under the twin majesties of the Bucegi and
Piatra Craiului mountain groups about 50km
northeast of Piteşti, the Câmpulung area was
long a historically important crossroads between Transilvania and the
lower Wallachian plains.
This north-eastern region of County Argeş is dotted with
charming villages as the main road (see map)
climbs higher to Rucăr and Bran Castle, used for decades by România's
royalty in the last century.
Câmpulung, with a population of over 45,000, is situated among the outlying hills of the
Transylvanian Alps, at the head of a long well-wooded glen traversed by
the river Târgului, a tributary of the Argeş. Its pure air and
fine scenery render Câmpulung a popular summer resort.
Pack a great picnic lunch with meats and cheeses from the local
store, and enjoy in the churchyard or parks by some of the two dozen
old churches, inducing a monastery and a cathedral, both founded by Radu the Black, the legendary first Prince of
Wallachia.
For those with an archeological bent, near Câmpulung are the remains of a Roman camp; and just beyond the
gates, vestiges a Roman colony, variously identified with Romula,
Stepenium and Ulpia Traiana, but now called Grădiştea or Jidovi.
Câmpulung
began a program of industrial diversification in the 1970s, and
is home to a facility which produces the all-terrain vehicle, the "ARO".
Several models of this rugged and large Jeep-cum-Range
Rover 4WD have been produced through the years with varying levels of
success on the domestic market.
If you have a choice of rental for you mountain vehicle,
the ARO is sure to provide a memorable experience for the true driving
enthusiast!
Visit the Manufacturing Facility, Str. Traian nr. 223.
Call first on +40 (248) 812 116
Along the Dâmboviţei river valley,
the Rucăr area is actually
two villages with just over 6,000 inhabitants.
Sătic is up the Dâmboviţei
river a bit, and Rucăr proper is where the
Dâmboviţa and Râuşor rivers meet.
If you enjoy mountains, Rucăr
is a rather good spot to be! Surrounded by five major
mountain groups, Rucăr provides a close-by base
for hiking trips into the Leaota, Piatra Craiului,
Iezer-Păpuşa, and Făgăraş mountains, as well as the Bran to
Rucăr pass, used for centuries as a vital trade
route between Transilvania and Wallachia.
Just to the north of Rucăr, Podu Dâmboviţei
on the high reaches of the Dâmboviţei riverborders the Piatra Craiului National park
Solid as a Rock
Cleverly hewn into the local stone, much of
the monastery is a testament to perseverence and engineering
ingenuity!
Bran pass to the north divides the Leaota
Mountains from the Piatra Craiului mountains to the north.
An area of accessible wilderness, the Leaota
mountains buttress the Bucegi range to the east. Whilst not as well
known as their bigger sister ranges of mountains to the north and east,
the Leaota mountains nonetheless offer some great hiking opportunities.
Read More about trails in our
Hiking/Trekking/Bushwalking Section Here!
In the mid-1500s, someone had the bright idea to put a monastery
into a cave. So, just 12km north of Câmpulung Muscel in the high
foothills of County Argeş, the Nămăeşti
monastery was installed in the cave.
Worth the short trip by mini bus to the site above the Târg
river, this curious mix of the ecclesiastic and the geologic marries the
majesty of nature with the mystery of the afterlife. The
tradition of having a deity live in a cave goes all the way back to the
Zalmoxis, God of the original in habitants of the region, the Dacians.
Zalmoxis was believed to have his cave somewhere in the Carpathian
mountains, possibly as far east as the Piatra Craiului mountains to the
northeast of Nămăeşti. Many villages claim this distinction, but it is here in Argeş a credible cave actually exists for the
purpose!
But, the nuns living at this monastery will have no such nonsense of
Dacian tales, and maintain the church and grounds in perfect order.
The icon here is said to work miracles, painted by St. Luke under
instruction by the St. Mary, according to the lore.
Nămăeşti is a completely charming place to
spend a morning before lunch on your way to Curtea de Argeş
or up to Bran and Braşov. Visit during the springtime when the
flowers are at their best!
High Up the Tower at Nămăiesti
Hewn through the rock of the hillside, this tower
appears above the rock, letting light here into the narthex
of the church
Just a stone's throw away from Piteşti to the
northwest, Mioveni has over 35,000 inhabitants, and it beautifully sited
in the Argeş river valley.
With a surprisingly urban feel for such a small regional centre,
Mioveni's main thoroughfare features the House of Culture and a few
other notable buildings of similar regional architecture. In the
main park you can find a bust of local-born philosopher Petre Tutea, who
was once just an unusually observant country lad from the nearby village
of Boteni.
The low foothills surrounding Moiveni are full of tributaries to the
River Argeş, which flows gently past
Mioveni in the Racoviţa quarter,
also home to a Dacia Renault facility, another proud manufacturing
concern for County Argeş!
Topoloveni's Claims to Fame
Sleepy Topoloveni,
nestled on a meadowland next to the Argeş river,
dates from 1421 under the rule of Radu II Chelul.
The town of about 10,000 Argeşeans is home to the largest museum
of it's kind in the world –
the National Police Museum!
If you've ever
been involved or interested in law enforcement, this is definitely the
place for you. Even if you're not, a half hour walk-through will reveal
some seriously interesting uniforms and methods of crime-fighting from
years past, starting with the medieval protectors of the peace, to the
gendarmerie or the modern day.
Made up of four small villages to the north, along with the old
village of Topoloveni itself, Topoloveni is just a 20km side-trip to the
southwest of Piteşti, and is easily accessible by the main motorway
running between Piteşti and Bucharest.
If you have the extra hour or two to stop, have lunch, and tour the
museum and town, Topoloveni makes a reasonable stopping-off point!
Town after little town will whiz by on the train
as you trundle through the verdant and very productive countryside of
southern County Argeş.
Fields of very gay looking sunflowers meld into
little villages laden with plum trees waiting to be made into brandy,
all hugging the main road with maybe a little store and possibly a
petrol station.
But hidden off the main routes are a few gems worthy of that extra
few hour to explore if you're in no particular rush to make it to
Braşov, Sibiu, or Curtea de Argeş before nightfall.
Ungheni in southwestern County Argeş is a
conglomeration of several charming little villages with names like "New
Village" and "The Corner".
The Commune of Ungheni
Actually a conglomeration of villages of
about 4,000 people, Ungheni includes Ungheni, Colţu, Găujani,
Goia, Humele and Satu Nou, or "new village".
This regional agricultural centre built on a gentle wide meadow of
the Teleorman ("Crazy Woods") river is abuzz with
the typical Romanian countryside lifestyle, centring around crops,
farming, viticulture and of course, small-town gossip!
With just over 12,000 people, Costeşti serves
it's function as a minor regional centre well. The
commune proper is made up of six other villages in addition to the old
village of Costeşti proper, which has transformed
into a proper town with all the basic services.
If you're from Iowa, or Ohio, or anywhere from the plains states of
America, Canada, or Country New South Wales, you will feel very much at
home with the people and pace of life in Costeşti and
throughout County Argeş. Here
you'll find that common language known to agrarian peoples around the
world, where a good jam and a chinwag at the local store have a much
greater value than the latest Hollywood film.
Late in the year, the Trivale Park,
formerly a forested area and now a part of the town, turns
into a colourful wonderland, perfect for a brisk walk on
your way to some shopping or a nice warm café!
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This county has a total area of 6, 862 km˛, and the relief can be
split into 3 distinctive parts. In the north side there are the
mountains, from the Southern Carpathians group - the Făgăraş Mountains
with heights over 2400 m, and in the North-East part the Leaotă
Mountains. Between them there is a pass towards Braşov the Rucăr-Bran
pass. The heights decrease, and in the centre there are the
sub-Carpathian hills, with heights around 800 m, crossed with very deep
valleys. In the south there is the northern part of the Romanian Plain.
Fruit-Growing Museum
A complex of a few dozen buildings and
structures collected at Goleşti make for an
interesting afternoon!
The Argeş River
The main river that crosses the county is the Argeş
River in which almost all the other rivers coming from the mountains
flow. In the south the main rivers are the Vedea River and the Teleorman
River.
Bordering Counties
County Argeş is bordered by Dâmboviţa County in
the east, Vâlcea County and Olt County in the west, and Sibiu County and
Braşov County in the north, with Teleorman County in the south.
Economy
Industrialised
The county is one of the most industrialised counties in Romania.
There is one oil refinery and two automobile plants at Mioveni - the Dacia
Renault car plant, and at Câmpulung the Aro plant. The predominant
industries in the county are both in the automotive and chemical fields,
followed by electrical equipment, home appliances, food, textiles and
construction materials.
A Powerful Centre
Oil is being extracted in the centre and in the south part. Also
there are a few coal mines and close to Mioveni there is a nuclear
research and production facility making nuclear fuels for the Cernavodă
Nuclear Electric Power Plant. On the Argeş River there is a great number
of hydro electrical power plants, the most impressive being the Vidraru
power plant and dam.
The hillsides of the Argeş subcarpathian hills are well suited for
wines and fruit orchards and the southern plains are better suited for
cereal crops.
Population and Demographics
County Argeş has a population density of 95 per
square kilometre, and a total population of 652,625 in an area of 6, 862
km˛. The majority of the population are Romanians - 96%. The biggest
minority are the Rromas (Gypsies).
A Commune is a larger village which usually acts as a regional centre, with a
mayor, postal and police services, and sometimes larger stores. Other
villages may belong to the commune, and the over 2500 communes in Romania vary
widely in size.
Albeştii de Argeş
Albeştii de Muscel
Albota
Aninoasa
Arefu
Băbana
Băiculeşti
Bălileşti
Bârla
Bascov
Beleţi-Negreşti
Berevoeşti
Bogaţi
Boteni
Boţeşti
Bradu
Brăduleţ
Budeasa
Bughea de Jos
Buzoeşti
Căldăraru
Călineşti
Căteasca
Cepari
Cetăţeni
Cicăneşti
Ciofrângeni
Ciomăgeşti
Cocu
Corbeni
Corbi
Coşeşti
Cotmeana
Cuca
Dâmbovicioara
Dârmaneşti
Davideşti
Dobreşti
Domneşti
Drăganu
Dragoslavele
Godeni
Hârseşti
Hârtieşti
Izvoru
Leordeni
Lereşti
Lunca Corbului
Mălureni
Mărăcineni
Merişani
Miceşti
Mihaeşti
Mioarele
Miroşi
Morăreşti
Moşoaia
Mozăceni
Muşăteşti
Negraşi
Nucşoara
Oarja
Pietroşani
Poiana Lacului
Poienarii de Argeş
Poienarii de Muscel
Popeşti
Priboieni
Răteşti
Recea
Rociu
Rucăr
Sălătrucu
Schitu Goleşti
Slobozia
Stâlpeni
Ştefan cel Mare
Stoeneşti
Stolnici
Şuici
Suseni
Teiu
Tigveni
Ţiţeşti
Uda
Ungheni
Valea Danului
Valea Iaşului
Valea Mare-Pravăţ
Vedea
Vlădeşti
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The Elyon from Câmpulung Muscel, placed inside a natural area at the feet of Iezer Mountains, offers you the possibility of spending some great quality time.
Placed in a special area, known for its beauty and yet wildness, the Făgăraş mountains beckon you to the Serbanoiu guesthouse with it's quietness, fresh air, and relaxed atmosphere, it's the perfect place to recharge your batteries!
Placed right next to the main highway, with all the comforts of a modern farmstay, the Posada Guesthouse is truly representative of this great natural area.
The Hotel Podgoria has reasonable pricing with reasonable quality.
248 668165
Car plates sport AG in the beginning, and the telephone number start
with 248 (if dialling from a Romtelecom phone) and 348 from others like
mobile carriers Vodafone, Orange, Connex.
See our Calling
Romania page for more information.
The main football team is FC Argeş Piteşti,
in the UEFA league and actually wins games against it's archrivals in
Bucharest once in a while too!
This website is a
general tourist guide, designed to help English-speaking tourists
understand Romania, and as such, provides historical
information for the interest of our traveller readers. History
can be a contentious issue, and we welcome input where readers think
clarification or correction is advisable. Please
e-mail us here
if you have questions or comments about anything in this history
section.
The 1907 Peasant Uprising
Bloody days indeed, here symbolised by the
blood-red tulips around the monument to the brave villagers who took
part in the revolt.
Câmpulung was one of the earliest urban settlements in Wallachia, the
Transylvanian Saxons contributing to its development by bringing the
German urban culture.
The earliest written evidence of the existence of Câmpulung (as well as the earliest medieval inscription in Wallachia) is
dated 1300, and is to be found in the Câmpulung church.
The inscription is an epitaph of Laurencius de Longo
Campo, the mayor of the German community, the full text being Hic
sepultus est comes Laurencius de Longo-Campo, pie memorie, Anno Domini
MCCC ("Here is buried Laurentius of Longus-Campus, in pious memory, Anno
Domini 1300").
Câmpulung was the first capital of the feudal state of
Wallachia, until succeeded by Curtea de Argeş in the 14th century.
There
was a considerable traffic with Transylvania, over the Bran Pass, 15
miles to the north, and with the south by a branch railway to Ploieşti.
In many ways, this area had survived centuries of interlopers
crossing on the wide Wallachian plains below, from Visigoths and
Ostrogoths, to the Santana de Mureş and Pecheneg
peoples from the east, and for a millenia, Hungarians in bordering
Transilvania.
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Throughout the Middle Ages, 
Where
the Medieval History of Romania Begins!
Câmpulung
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