Brăila Tourism

Braila is one of the oldest cities in Romania, with a long and important history for the Romanian people.

ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT

Localization

The city is situated at 46°16'17" north latitude and 27°58'33'' east longitude. Braila has as neighbors the Galati district at north, the Vrancea district at north-west, the Tulcea district at east, the Ialomita district at south and the Buzau district at west.

Braila district is situated in the south-east region, in the Romanian Plain. The district spreads on a surface of 4765.8 km2 – representing 2% of the total surface of Romania -, having 4 towns: Braila, Faurei, Ianca, Insuratei – the largest being Braila -, 140 villages and 40 communes: Baraganul, Bertestii de Jos, Bordei Verde, Chiscani, Ciocile, Ciresu, Cazasu, Dudesti, Frecatei, Galbenu, Gemenele, Gradistea, Gropeni, Jirlau, Marasu, Maxineni, Mircea Voda, Movila Miresii, Racovita, Rimnicelu, Romanu, Rosiori, Salcia Tudor, Scortaru Nou, Silistea, Surdila-Gaiseanca, Surdila-Greci, Şutesti, Tichilesti, Traian, Tudor Vladimirescu, Tufesti, Ulmu, Unirea, Vadeni, Victoria, Visani, Viziru, Zavoaia. The district’s residence is the Braila town, once one the biggest and most important harbors in Romania.

History

“The knowing of the realities from a communities life was and it will be fro the modern civilization a major preoccupation, with multiple implications both scientifically and civic. The monograph is a bow over time, an act of the birth of a town, from which the generations will be able to know their past and present, to build their future.” Gheorghe Serafimescu

The town started it’s life around 1350, when it started to appear in the ancient chronicles; though the evidence of the first person living in the area of Braila was dated 5000 bc, in the area of Brailita. It was certificated as an important residence of the “Tara Romaneasca” by Vladislav Vlaicu at 20 ianuarie 1368.

In an ancient Spanish geographical description and travel document - Libro Del Conoscimiento - it first appears under the name of "Drinago". It is mentioned as „Brayla” in 1368 in a privilege document given to the Brasov people traders. Braila was occupied by Turks between 1538 and 1540, and become a „raia” from 1554 to 1829, while it was called „Ibrail”. In the XV century it is mentioned as “Breil” in a document found in Transylvania.

The period of maximum prosperity was at the beginning of the XX century, when it become an important harbor, available for all kinds of ships.

The population from Braila though certified in the IV century didn’t disappear, it kept growing and it was found in the region between Chiscani and Baldovinesti. They did commerce with fish, which they sold to the Byzantines for gold; their good living was also due to the fact that the harbor was big and many ships came here.

Braila was first surely mentioned in 1481 by Stefan cel Mare, in a letter addressed to the aristocrats of Braila. The town had a major importance for all the traders, so the Turks didn’t change the name as they did to another town they conquered; but they built a fortress – fortress that didn’t last because was destroyed in the Russian – Turk war- which was composed by exterior walls – only a piece of it still exists high above the Danube platform – and by underground tunnels that are found across the city.

Only after 289 years and a tough war with the Turks, Braila managed to become again free and part of the Romanian territory. The city started growing bigger and bigger since then, due to the ships that come to the harbor and the agricultural possibilities.

Before Braila regained freedom, it had to face a lot of difficulties: the Turkish occupation, the wars the Turks gave to keep the fortress, the facts that it was burnt and rebuilt; so Braila was always an adaptable city, which managed to make all the peoples living there feel comfortable.

Transportation & ways of access

At 31 December 2006, Braila had 1186 public roads, out of which: 280 modernized; 264 national roads out of which 233 modernized; 923 district and communal roads out of which 74 modernized; the density of the public roads on 100 km2 was of 24.9.

The length of the public roads is of 1187 km and 280 modernized; the length of the railways is of 158 km; the length of the tram roads is of 53 km, the length of the gas pipe is of 233 km.

National roads:

- DN 21 Brăila (DN 2B) – Bărăganul – Slobozia – Călăraşi

- DN 2B Buzău – Surdila Greci – Ianca – Brăila – Baldovineşti – Galaţi

- DN 21A Slobozia – Bărăganul – Brăila

- DN 22 Buzău – Gradiştea – Brăila – (traversarea Dunării) Tulcea

District roads:

- DJ 221A Brăila – Galaţi