Practical Information

The University of Craiova is a prestigious Romanian institution of higher education and research. Founded in 1947, the University of Craiova has achieved an outstanding position in the national higher education system and has established long-term cooperation relationships with other universities across Europe and the wider world.

The University of Craiova has made a substantial contribution to the promotion of Romanian culture and state-of-the-art international research, enhancing, therefore, the integration of the young generation to the advanced structures of the global world.

As the most important city in Oltenia and the sixth most populous city in the country, Craiova is an enriching cultural experience.

The University of Craiova is the most important higher education institution in the historical region of Oltenia, located in the South West of Romania.

The University of Craiova lends special attention to meeting the market demands, contributing to the enhancement of social cohesion and employability of graduates on an extremely dynamic labour market and in the context of the economic and financial crisis. The University of Craiova has a comprehensive structure, including 12 faculties, one autonomous academic department, 45 research centres and a Doctoral School. Its qualified human resource, consisting of around 900 teaching staff members and 1,000 non-teaching staff members, assures the quality of the services provided to almost 20,000 students each year. The University of Craiova takes pride in its infrastructure which comprises one main building, five university campuses, eleven student halls of residence, approximately 300 lecture theatres and seminar rooms, 255 laboratories, one central library and fourteen branch libraries, four research and development units, one university club, etc. 

All the students are granted access to up-to-date library and on-line facilities. Internet connection is available in all the buildings, establishments and campuses of the University of Craiova. All the programmes provided by the University of Craiova are based on ECTS, which is valid in more than 45 countries.

A number of the study programmes provided by the faculties are taught in English, and the foreign language programmes of the Faculty of Letters are taught in the foreign language concerned. For further information, foreign students should contact the departmental International Relations coordinator of the Faculty they are interested in attending. The curricula of the faculties of the University of Craiova can be consulted online at the following address: https://www.ucv.ro/pdf/international/informatii_generale/2019/UCV_Booklet_2018_2019.pdf.

Travel by plane

The easiest way to reach Romania from most European countries is by plane. There are flights from all over the world to Bucharest. To reach Craiova you can take an intercity train. The nearest international airports in Romania are:

• “Henri Coanda” International Airport, Bucharest, Otopeni;

The “Henri Coanda” International Airport is the biggest and most important airport in Romania, so if your flight lands in Otopeni, it is advisable to take an airport bus (780) or train to Bucharest (the trip can last from 30 minutes up to 1 hour, depending on the means of transportation chosen), then take an intercity train from Bucharest “Gara de Nord” station to Craiova. For further details and reservations, please visit www.cfrcalatori.ro/en/.

• Craiova International Airport

The other possibility is to fly to the International Airport of Craiova, which provides direct flights to many cities across Europe. For further information, please visit https://www.aeroportcraiova.ro/.

Travel by train

Craiova is a major railway centre, connected to all the other major cities in Romania. The city is located on the main railway crossing Romania from East to West and linking Timisoara to Bucharest. You can easily reach Craiova by train from Paris, Munich, Budapest, Thessaloniki, etc. The railway station is located in the northern area of the city, from where you can take a bus or a taxi to the university. Students travel for free if they are in possession of a valid student ID card (issued by the faculty that accepts the Erasmus+ mobility, after concluding all of the enrolment formalities).

Travel by car

Craiova is situated at the junction of the E70, E79 and E574 European routes. The customs offices are located in Bechet, Calafat, Giurgiu and Turnu Măgurele at the Bulgarian border, in Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Jimbolia at the Serbian border, and in Nădlac, Borș and Cenad at the Hungarian border. Foreigners driving a car to Romania are required to hold a valid international driving licence. Car registration and insurance papers are also compulsory. Driving is on the right-hand side and seat belts are compulsory. The speed limit within residential areas is 50 km/h, 90 km/h on national routes, 130 km/h on motorways.

Local public transport an taxi

Public transport in Craiova consists of 3 tram lines (100,101 and 102) and 17 bus lines (E1R, E1T, 1, 2B, 3B, 4, 5B, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17b, 20, 23b, 24, 25 and 29b). One ticket costs around € 0.5. Students benefit from reduced fares for monthly passes on trams or buses. Most buses run until 22.00 and trams until 23.30. For further details on the routes and timetables, please visit www.rat-craiova.ro. Taxi services are relatively cheap and comfortable, amounting around € 0.4/km)

The official Romanian currency is LEU (singular form), LEI (plural form) (LEU/LEI, RON).

Coins: BANI 5, 10, 50;1 LEU = 100 BANI;

Bank notes: LEI 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500.

Exchange rate: 1 EUR = approx. 4.7 LEI.

You can exchange money at the bank or at exchange offices. Credit/ debit cards are also accepted. 

GMT + 2h

Emergency call centre: 112

International dial code of Romania: +40. Area code of Craiova: (0)251/ (0)351

The University Campus

UCv offers accommodation in ten student hostels situated on four university campuses. Our campuses provide a supportive and friendly place to live and to study for all students. Five out of the ten hostels are now completely renovated, offering, at affordable prices, double rooms equipped with refrigerator, TV set and individual bathroom. Students have access to equipped kitchens and laundries, a reading room and a social hall for social activities. All student hostels allow free internet access and cable TV 

Canteens

Students also have access to the university canteens situated in the Campus of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – Hall of Residence no. 14 – and in the University Main Building, which are state-of-the-art canteens that provide students with excellent meals at discounted prices. 

The Library of the University of Craiova

The University of Craiova Library is well equipped with modern facilities and resources. It houses about 1,000,000 volumes, out of which 27,999 volumes are in special collections, and more than 3,000 periodicals are available. The library cooperates with more than 85 foreign partners and 45 national partners in interlibrary loan schemes. 

Shopping Centres and Hypermarkets

Electroputere Park: 80 Calea Bucuresti Boulevard is a shopping center with various famous brand boutiques and Auchan Hypermarket. The shopping galleries are open between 10:00 and 22:00 and the hypermarket between 08:00 and 22:00.

Mercur Shopping center: Mihai Viteazul Square, 14 Calea Unirii Street is a complex of department stores specializing in articles of clothing, footwear, home appliances, hygienic products, cosmetics, decorative items, bookstore etc.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 09:00-21:00, Sundays: 09:00-14:30.

Auchan Hypermarket Craiovita: 5 Calea Severinului Boulevard is a large shopping center housing a commercial gallery that offers articles of clothing and footwear, home appliances, telephone services, pharmacy, pet shop, laundry and cafes.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday - 08:00-23:00; Sundays: 08:00-22:00.

Hypermarket Kaufland: 142 Calea Bucuresti Street and 6-6a Tineretului Boulevard is an Hypermarket includes a commercial gallery offering mobile telephone services and a pharmacy. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday - 8:00-22:00; Sundays: 08:00-20:00.

Other supermarkets/ hypermarkets in Craiova: METRO, Selgros, Carrefour Market.

Population: 20,121,641

Location: Romania is situated in the south-eastern part of Central Europe, bordering Hungary to the northwest, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, the Black Sea to the southeast, Ukraine to the east and to the north, and the Republic of Moldova to the east. Romania is the 12^thlargest country in Europe and the 2^nd in the region, after Poland.

Capital: Bucharest - the capital city of Romania – is located at the same latitude as the cities of Portland – Oregon, Montreal – Canada, Venice - Italy and Bordeaux - France. Known for its wide, tree-lined avenues, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a highlife style (which in the 1900's earned it the label of "Little Paris"), Bucharest, Romania's largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis. The Parliament Palace is the world's second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon, with an area of 3.76 million square feet.

Geography: Romania’s territory features splendid mountains, beautiful rolling hills, fertile plains and numerous rivers and lakes. The Carpathians cross the centre of the country, bordered on both sides by foot hills and finally the great plains of the outer edge. Forests cover over one quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe, including bears, deer, lynx, chamois and wolves. The Danube River ends its eight-country journey at the Black Sea, after forming one of the largest and most bio-diverse wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta.

Climate: Romania has a temperate climate, with four distinct seasons and significant regional differences of climate.

Population

Craiova is the 6^th largest city in Romania, with a population of about 270,000.

Location

Craiova, one of the largest and most important cities in south-western Romania, is situated on the left bank of the Jiu River, in the center of the Oltenia region, 227 km away from Bucharest and 68 km from the Danube. As capital of the historical province of Oltenia, Craiova is a time-honoured, commercial and cultural center. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at fairly equal distances from the Southern Carpathians (to the north) and the Danube (to the south). Craiova is the main commercial city west of Bucharest and the most important city of Oltenia.

Geography

The landscape of Craiova is represented by flat plainsand the maximum altitude is somewhere around 116 metres. Hills are to bin the northern part and the DanubeValley in the southern area.

Climate

Romania has a temperate climate, very similar to therest of the countries situated in the continental zone. Situated in the southern part of Romania, Craiova has a very pleasant, sub-editerranean climate.Winters are sometimes cold (-10 °C to +5 °C); in winter time you can rent skates and enjoy the ice rink in the city center. In spring and autumn the warm and sunny weather is ideal for outdoor activities. Summers tend to be quite hot (25 °C to 35°C), but you can have a good time as there are plenty of swimming pools and outdoor bars serving cold drinks and ice-cream.

Sports and entertainment 

Craiova allows for a wide range of leisure activities as you can discover during your stay here. Generally, the inhabitants enjoy both their work time and their free time: the parks, the entertainment areas, the outdoor bars and restaurants and the old city center are crowded with people of all ages making the city alive.

The most popular activities are:

• fitness, aerobics, body building – in centers across the city, with state-of-the-art facilities;
• sports grounds – you can play tennis, football, basketball outdoors and indoors alike – at night the sports grounds are illuminated;
• jogging, roller-skating, biking or simply walking in the city parks or in the walking area in the center of the town;
• swimming in different swimming pools across the city during summer time and skating on the skating rink in the city main square in winter time;

Statues, Architectural Monuments and Museums

The city of Craiova harmoniously combines the new and the ancient, history, culture, industry, economy and agriculture, and has become a representative landmark, especially in the last 20 years following the revolution of 1989, when the process of modernization started bringing about changes in all domains of society.

In the late 17^th century and the early 18^th century, Craiova’s architecture underwent a change with the emergence of the Brâncoveneşti style, acombination of Romanian traditional art, Byzantine and Venetian elements.

Churches still displaying elements of the Brâncoveneşti style include: Biserica Sfântu Ilie (Saint Ilie Church), built in 1720 by Ilie Otetele?eanu and the rich tradesmen in town, Biserica Tuturor

Sfinţilor (All Saints Church) (1700), Biserica Sfântu Gheorghe Vechi (Old Saint Gheorghe Church) (1730), Manastirea Obedeanu (The Obedeanu Monastery) (1747), Biserica Mântuleasa (The MântuleasaChurch) (1786), Biserica Sfântul Nicolae (The Saint Nicholas Church) (1794).

City highlights

An important touristic attraction of our city is the Musical Fountain located in the center of Craiova. Our city also takes pride in its rich historical heritage that includes anumber of statues representing important personalities whose heroic deeds marked the history of Craiova and of the country: the statues of Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, A.I. Cuza, King Carol I, Prince Barbu Stirbei; architectural monuments such as: The Administrative Palace, The City Hall of Craiova, The County Library,“Marin Sorescu” National Theatre, The University, the County Justice Court, The Vorvoreanu Palace or museums: The Art Museum and Museum of Oltenia and churches: The Madonna Dudu Church, St. Dumitru Cathedral etc.

Mihai Viteazul Square & The Musical Fountain

An entire ensemble of fountains, lined with garden beds and ornamental plants, there stored small park and the relocation of the statue of Mihai Viteazu to a monumental ensemble are just a few examples. The musical fountain stands out though, being a unique piece of architecture in the country, attracting about 2,000 visitors from Craiova and neighboring towns every night.

The city hosts a large number of religious buildings, many of them dating back to medieval times.

The Coşuna Monastery, for instance, is the oldest building preserved in Craiova, dating back to the 15^th century.You can spend a most relaxing afternoon visiting the monastery, located only 2.1 miles away from the city center. Another religious site, The Madona Dudu Church, is well-known for its mural paintings, the work of the famous Romanian painter Gheorghe Tattarescu (1818 – 1894).

The Metropolitan Bishopric of Oltenia -The first MetropolitanChurch in the region of Oltenia was built in 1370, at the time, being named The Metropolitan Church of Severin, founded during the reign of Voivode Vladislav I (1364 - 1377). The Metropolitan Bishopric of Oltenia, the canonical and administrative unit of the Romanian Orthodox Church was founded in 1939.

The County Library

Craiova can offer an impressive county library bequeathed to the city by Alexandru Aman, magistrate (the older brother of the famous Romanian painter Theodor Aman), and from his wife, Aristia Aman. The cultural legacy of the library has been progressively enhanced through aquisitions and donations occasioned by numerous collaborations with a series of cultural and scientific institutions or with various literature-loving people. Anybody in possession of an individual permit can borrow books and has access to the reading room and to the audio-video hall. For further informationon the library and the social, cultural and educational activities it organises you can visit the following webpage: www.aman.ro.

The Museum of Oltenia

44 Madona Dudu Street (History and Archaeology Section);

14 Matei Basarab Street (Ethnographic Section);

4 Popa Sapca Street (Natural Sciences Section)

Telephone: (251) 411.906

Website: www.muzeulolteniei.ro

For those interested in further discovering the history and the traditions of this region, we recommend a visit to the Oltenia Museum, housed in three different locations, including Baniei House (1699), the oldest non-religious building in Craiova and one of the oldest lay buildings in the country.

At the Ethnographic Section you can learn almost everything about the history of the region, starting with the prehistoric times. Great care has been taken in presenting, in full detail, the traditional trades and occupations of the peasants in Oltenia, ranging from hunting, fishing to cattle raising, tilling the fields, harvesting the crops, thus, emphasizing the timeless existence of the inhabitants. The museum exhibits wooden carvings and ceramics, a large collection of jars, bowls of all kinds, plates, carpets in the oltenian style as well as fascinating folk costumes from the same region.

The Museum hosts other two sections dedicated to History and Archaeology and Natural Sciences alongside a Laboratory of Restoration.

The Art Museum

Address: 15 Calea Unirii Street (located in the Dinu Mihail Palace)

Telephone: (251) 412.342

Website: www.muzeuldeartacraiova.ro

Art lovers should definitely not miss the Art Museum in Craiova, hosted in the sumptuous neo-baroque Dinu Mihail Palace, built in the early 1900s by the French architect Paul Gotereau. The Museum exhibits valuable masterpieces belonging to famousRomanian painters, among which painters including the Craiova-born Theodor Aman (1831- 1891), Nicolae Grigorescu (1838- 1907), Vasile Popescu, Stefan Luchian and Theodor Pallady, and Romanian religious icons.

One of its main attractions is represented by the section dedicated to Constantin Brâncuşi, displaying six of his early sculptures, including copies of his best-known works: The Kiss (1907), Vitellius (1898), WomanTorso (1909), The Vainglory (1905), Boy's Head (1906), Miss Pogany

(1902). Moreover, Brancusi’s ‘studio’ has been recreated in the museum.

The Marin Sorescu National Theatre 

The theatre ccupies a special place in the history of the Romanian theatre. Founded in 1850, it has never ceased to function, in spite of all the turmoil which characterizes the history of our nation. During the first decades of its existence, and according to the taste of the age, mostly musical shows and vaudevilles were staged. In the years after 1900, there was a stress on dramatic performances, of the universal classics, particularly Shakespeare and Molière, but also of national drama. The National Theatre of Craiova was the first theatre in south-eastern Europe to become a member of the European Theatre Convention. Every two years, in May, the Marin Sorescu National Theatre in Craiova organises The Shakespeare International Drama Festival.

Philharmonic orchestra fans can enjoy performances of The Philharmonic Orchestra of Craiova and of The "Elena Teodorini" Opera and Ballet House.

The Nicolae Romanescu Park 

For those interested in enjoying a relaxing afternoon outdoors, the Nicolae Romanescu Park is a veritable green oasis. The park is one of the jewels of landscape architecture in Romania. The plans for the park, designed by French architect Emile Rendont, were awarded the gold medal at the 1900 World Fair. Through the initiative of Nicolae P. Romanescu, then mayor of Craiova, work on the park began in 1901 and was completed in 1903. The total surface area of the park amounts to more than 96 acres of plantations (shrubberies, grassy areas and lawns, trees and woodlands), 4 acres of lakes and water features, 20 acres of hippodrome and a velodrome. A Zoo is located in the park.

The Youth Park 

The Youth Park was open in 2009, after a process of rehabilitation of a chestnut tree forest covering an area of about 220 acres.

The YouthPark address: Ştirbei Voda Boulevard, Craiova.

The park has become an important space of outdoor recreation destined for various sports activities and including playground areas, fountains and high quality sports grounds (4 green-setcourts, 4 artificial grass mini-football fields, basketball and volleyball multifunctional courts, 2 artificial turf basketball courts, 10 concrete tennis tables, 10 chess tables, one rollerskate and skateboard track for beginners and experienced skaters, one outdoor performance stage with seating for 200 audience members, minigolf courses, 18 concrete tracks for obstacle racing, 12 km of paved alleys).

The English Park 

The English Park is the ideal place to spend a few hours. It is located in the center of Craiova, next to the City Hall. Although laid out on a small area, it is a wonderful piece of landscape architecture.

The Botanical Garden 

For those wanting to experience nature in a more scientific way, a stop at the Botanical Garden would be the best choice. The Botanical Garden is the fourth largest university botanical garden in the country and was designed by the French landscape architect E. Redont on an area of about 17 acres in 1952.

Three lakes of about 0.3 acres are seen across the garden, where the flora gives a naturalistic shaping. The Botanical Garden also houses a Herbarium of about 400,000 pages of preserved plants, and as mall-scaleMuseum.