vineri, 2 noiembrie 2012

Ploiesti, the Romanian Dallas

There are good chances to miss Ploiesti if you go from Bucharest to Brasov or the rest of Transilvania and are in a hurry. It would be such a pitty, although the city of Ploiesti is not charming from the first sight and does nothing special to attract the visitors. You can miss the city of Ploiesti, but you can't miss its smell and the ever burning fires from its refineries.
The Culture Palace in Ploiesti holds more museums.

Ploiesti was found in the late XVIth century and within short time became a prosperous and animated trade and craftsmen city. In the XIXth century due to the oil reserves and massive investments from America mainly, the city had a rush development (but let to the Capital Bucharest the honor to be the first city worldwide using public gas light!). Anyway, the city proudly counted in 1914 already 10 refineries. These refineries showed also their bad sites during the WWI and WWII: the city of Ploiesti had a strategic importance and thus was one of the main targets of the aircraft bombings.
The unique Museum of the Clock in Ploiesti

Due to the huge oil discoveries from the Middle East lost something from its importance, but is still a quick developing city. Its position, 60 km away from Bucharest and 40 km away from the country's main airport confers so many logistic advantages. There are still a few refineries in the city, using mainly imported crude oil, an Oil University and even an Oil Museum ( a must see in Ploiesti). In the Oil Museum you will be able to observe the natural pride of the locals in this field, where they think to be ( almost) unbeatable.
Downtown Ploiesti with its old architecture style

Another interesting asset in Ploiesti is the Clock Museum. A watch, or a clock, measures something untouchable. The time does not exist for real, was the discovery of the notorious teacher Nicolae Simache, who started collecting watches. The Museum is unique in Romania, maybe also in the all world, and you can see simple cheap watches, or sophisticated watches and clocks, watches who belonged to prominent personalities etc.
This part of Ploiesti is not so nice anymore, very similar with other industrial  cities all over Romania

If you are tired, take a walk in the center or to the animated market. You can have your simply unexpansive lunch in a popular restaurant, asking about Meniul zilei, but you can also go in upscaled restaurant like Forum, where the prices are still to accept in this dear city!

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