by Stefan Ditu
Ploiesti ( "ployescht") has 254000 inhabitants and is situated 1 hour north from Bucharest , you can reach here by train or by car easily from the capital. It is a kind of crossroads, you can either go easily to the Prahova valley from here and return to the north,to Brasov , either east as a way to Moldavia .
This is an oil town, unfortunately it doesn't hold much of attraction in itself as it lost great part of its beautiful old arhitecture center. So, one might find here some oil business oportunities, but still there are few things in this town that are worth visiting and also in the region around.
There are some things I think are nice to be discovered even within the town boundaries:
"Bulevardul cu castani" ["The Chestnut Boulevard"]:- it is a straight road from the South Railway Station to the center of the town, it is a nice placefor walks, it holds a lot of green during spring and summer, nice colors autumn; you can see a variety of plants, trees there, not only chestnut trees which provide very nice cooling during summer;
The Watches Museum [on "The Chestnut Boulevard"]:
- something quite unique in this area, it holds
several very interesting pieces of watch craftmenship from all over
time; and the building is also beautiful, with an elegant arhitecture,
like a miniatural palace;
The Palace of Culture [downtown]: - great building in a classic style, built around
1900, holds the town's library "Nicolae Iorga" and some
interesting museal sections, besides popular art school sections and
other cultural activities - it has a very nice Columns hall, with big
columns and a glass ceiling; renovating right now;
Central Market Halls [situated
next to the Cultural Palace] -it is a
"1900" building, with brick face, nice and could easily
be considered a monument; it is worth visiting, it holds a clock tower
at a corner, some four main gates named after some other important
towns towards which those gates are orientated; a big main hall with a
nice big dome; next to it is the smaller one, for the fish market,
where you can find lots of fresh fish mainly, from romania; this
complex building has also shops on the outside laterals and smaller
halls for milk products, meat shops at the balcony in the rounded main
hall etc.
The Heroes Monument in the South Railway Station Place, a nice to see
obelisc with statues and a vulture on top, in bronze and classic style
- this is a rather old monument;
-The Statue of MihaiViteazul, in the Mihai Viteazul Place, it is a new monument in a
classic style, situated in the park on the Republicii boulevard, from
downtown to the north exit to Brasov;
-The Old Merchants House, oldest monument here, you have the chance to admire a good example of the last centuries burg houses here, in the south region;
-The Art Museum, a representative burgeois villa for the 19th century life here, right at
the crossroads of downtown with The Chestnut Boulevard; it has a very
beautiful architecture, mural paintings and decorations and it is
shelter for some good painting examples, Grigoresco and so on;
GOOD RESTAURANTS
London House:- It is a nice, stylish place on The Chestnut Boulevard, the looks and
menus are quite English-old;
2. Vienna Cafe:- a
nice cafe and restaurant in a renovated bourgeois house nearby The
Chestnut Boulevard; nice ambience and interiors, well-made menus;
3. The Old House:
- right near the Old merchants house, it offers a ncie ambience, quite romanian
in an oldish genuine style;
4. The Boulevard Restaurant:
- it is a very nice and fancy location, an old style
building renewed and ready to receive you in a symbol-buildingfor the
old good times of this town, when the architecture was genuine and
fine;
5. Jinx Pizzeria:
- not in an old location, but good pizzas made in a
traditional way and all natural and well made ingredients [beginning
with the real tomato sauce...]; situated in a block near the Nichita
Stanescu central park;
6. Pizzeria Uno Due Tre:
- situated in a renewed bulding right face to face to Vienna
Cafe, a fancy atmosphere...
Hotels Ploiesti:
www.tourneo.ro
1. Hotel Central[***]:
- this is the most serious, as it is all renewed and ready to welcome in very nice conditions its customers; also it is a beautiful building reminding of the old style acrchitecture and it is right in the center as its name says; now it raised to 3 stars category, with the renewal; it has a nice view to the Central Park, Palace of Culture and other central buildings...;
2. Hotel Turist[**]:
- this is a small nice hotel, with comfort conditions to offer, right around the corner of Hotel Central; it has an usual building to fit in; the chambers have big windows ;), but the view is not so spectacular, as it faces a narrow street with a nice old building on the corner and a block continuing to front;
3. Hotel Prahova[*]:
- I wouldn't recommend it, because it is kind of old communist building, on the outside is very dirty and looks unsafe; but probably cheaper than other hotels; also situated in the center, on the place of a lost neighbourhood of very nice small buildings as you could see in Paris, today available only in old photos...
4. Hotel Nord: ***
- new building, but situated on the peripheric, on a quite poluted avenue, "The West Road"; cheaper;
5.HOTEL FORUM ***- cheap and nice close to the weekend bazaar.
AROUND PLOIESTI
1. Zamfira Monastery - Lipanesti year 1743 (Manastirea Zamfira)
- not far from Ploesti [~15km], it is well known because of its unique "a fresco" tehnique paintings by one of the greatest romanian artists: Nicolae Grigorescu; this is his youth masterpiece and unique also because "a fresco" is used here only, other similar works of him are in oil colors; very nice to see byzanthine style combined with classic draw, together with the youthful light and idealism of figures; also paintings by Cheladec; paintings executed 1856-1857; 
2. Slanic - The Salt Mine "Unirea" - "Baia Baciului" Salt Mountain
- one of the most beautiful salt mines in southeastern Europe; it has a high hall where you can anjoy ball sports, a salt sculptures museum and even a sanatorium; let's hope in the future there will be much more investment, but is still worth visiting yet;
- The Salt Mountain can be visited on the other side of the valley, it is a salt hill in fact; back in the past it was a beautiful mountain with a big hole in the middle and you could have there the most astonishing view, with this salt rocks covering a lake which had above this no-ceiling cave... but nowadays youc an only see the part which still stands up, the part on laying on the soil hills sourrounding it and the salty lake nearby this natural monument... it is said that collapsed because of a sweet water spring at the bottom of its inner cave salt lake erroding the roots of those magnificent walls... I would say it is worth visiting though, you can make yourself an idea upon the lost glory and, anyway, still a natural great salt wall standing up above those two lakes - that's something not anywhere possible to see.
3. Valenii de Munte - "Nicolae Iorga" Memorial House Museum
- The Summer University established by one of the greatest minds [in the world] of the 20th century
4. Seciu - restaurant Wine Cellars
- just above the town of Ploesti, on the near hills, beautiful views of the town itself and its surroundings;
-restaurant, wine cellars, rooms;
5. The Wine Road
- this is a turistic road that leads you all around the most important places for wine production here, wellknown worldwide; - most known are Valea Calugareasca, Domeniile Tohani [eng. Tohani Domains]-Dealu Mare;
- this road is throughout the country, si this is just a part in Prahova county
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