Dâmbovița: Târgoviște Princely Court and the Bucegi Mountains
Travel guide · editorialDâmbovița lies northwest of Bucharest and was the center of power in Wallachia for more than two centuries. A trip to Dâmbovița takes you to the Princely Court of Târgoviște, where Vlad the Impaler ruled, and up into the high valleys of the Bucegi Mountains.
Târgoviște: The Old Princely Capital
From around 1400 until the 17th century, the princes of Wallachia resided in Târgoviște. Today the Princely Court is a museum complex with the ruins of the palace, the Great Court Church with its frescoes, and the Chindia Tower, which is considered the city's landmark and is associated with Vlad Țepeș. In December 1989, Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were tried and executed in a barracks in Târgoviște; the site is now a memorial. The nearby Dealu Monastery holds the tomb of the head of Michael the Brave, who briefly united the three principalities in 1600.
Sights in Dâmbovița
The north of the county extends into the Bucegi Mountains. In the Ialomița Valley you'll find the Padina and Peștera plateaus, from which hiking trails lead to the Babele and Sphinx rock formations. The Peștera Ialomiței cave monastery is built into a stalactite cave. Below lies Pucioasa, a spa town with sulfurous springs, along with the Zănoaga and Orzei gorges. In the hills around Moreni, oil has been extracted since the 19th century. A charming detour leads to Potlogi, where Constantin Brâncoveanu had a palace built around 1698, an early example of the style named after him, with a loggia, stonework, and a church. In fall, the forests of the Leaota Mountains change color, and farmers sell apples and plums from their own harvest along the roads.
Cuisine, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit
The cuisine is Wallachian: ciorbă with sour cream, grilled mici, stuffed cabbage rolls, and plum brandy from the orchards in the hills. Târgoviște is about 50 miles (80 km) from Bucharest and its Otopeni Airport and can be reached by train. The best time to visit is May to October, and July to September is especially good for the high valleys of the Bucegi. If you only have one day, combine the Târgoviște Princely Court with Dealu Monastery and head back to Bucharest in the evening.