Măgurele

Măgurele is a small town south of Bucharest in Muntenia.

Măgurele in 2007.

Understand

A small town with 9 institutes and the Măgurele Science Park, Măgurele isn't known for anything, and altough it is mentioned more compared to other small towns, it has no big reputation.

Măgurele gained town status in the early 2000s when it hit around 10,000 inhabitants. Now it has around 14,000. The town is both deteriorating and rising at the same time. Some roads and locations have been in construction for years. In the plains outside the villages and near the rivers, you might find old, small houses or random concrete constructions which make for a good urbex. The campus of the university of Bucharest in Măgurele is abandoned (supposedly).

Get in

By bus

You can take bus line 428 or 427 STV and drop off at Facultatea de Fizica.

Get around

By bus

It is largely walkable but STV and STB bus systems offer lines that can reach as south as Dărăști-Ilfov

By bike

Bike lanes are only in the center. If you want to bike in the nearby villages, do it on the sidewalk (if there is one). If not, on the edge of the street then.

By taxi

Taxis from Bucharest do every now and then enter but you shouldn't expect to see one.

See

You can see the monument for the heroes in the central sqaure, the big market near the central sqaure and also take a walk in the parks. During the summertime (and occasionally in the winter when they're accidentally on), fountains near the market are on.

Just near the townhall is a church that is quite underrated, with great architecture. Most of the time you can just look at the nearby plains.

Do

There are some fitness machines in the park in front of the Penny Store

Buy

In the market there is a store operated by Chinese immigrants, called "La Chinezi" (At the Chinese or China Magazin simply "China Store") You can buy Rubik Cubes and some flags there.

Eat

There are multiple pastries, diners and fast food locations across the city center.

You can eat at the "La Crama" restaurant just around the hotel. Also near the China Store is a pastry location. They have lemonade and pretzels.

Drink

Măgurele has no nightclubs. There is one bar in the back of the hotel.

Sleep

Hotel Măgurele near the parking lot area offers sleeping. It is directed at both locals and tourists, and there are some locals who live there. You can ask locals whether you can sleep in their homes — and there is a 50/50 chance they will say yes.

Connect

The internet is fairly good, but it occasionally shuts down, and the signal is weaker in the villages. You will be fine, though, if you need to make emergency calls.

Stay safe

The emergency number in Romania is 112.

There are drug addicts and dealers across the area, petty theft is common, and bribes happen often. There are kids throwing firecrackers across the year, so pay attention if you wander off in the nearby fields. Ticks and mosquitoes are a big problem also. Summer is very hot and the winter is cold. Pack clothing for 35°C+ and if you overwinter, take the cold weather seriously, because it can get as low as -19°.

Stray dogs are a large problem across the entire region, but don't threaten them and you'll be fine. The younger people (majority) speak at least basic english. If you're Romanian, then your problem will be with the dialects since in Măgurele you can hear Maramureș, Crișana and Moldovan dialects or a combination of all three, but standard Romanian gets you out of any trouble. Don't go into the forests, because they're full of foxes and dogs.

Stay healthy

In the summer, heatstrokes and sunburns are to be considered. In the winter, beware of extreme cold since sometimes, people die in their own houses. If you suffer a serious injury, you will be driven to Bucharest, and wait times are very long.

The air is safe for a large majority of people but a grass locally known as "ambrozia" "ragweed", is dangerous and can cause some problems for those allergic. If you, for example are in Aluniș (a nearby village administered by Măgurele, southeast of it), to go to the clinic, will have to wait at a bus station (for usually long times), get off at a station in the center, and walk to the clinic, which can be exhausting. Doctors can accidentally or intentionally kill you, and there are multiple cases of this happening. Tap water will not kill you (although the taste is unpleasant), but, it is recommended to buy bottled water.

Connect

The internet is fairly good, but it occasionally shuts down, and the signal is weaker in the villages. You will be fine, though, if you need to make emergency calls.

Go next

Măgurele is not remote, but rail lines can be late (or nonexistent, since railroads are becoming a more rarer in the 2020s). On the way (if you're traveling by car), most of the time, the windows will show just plains, sometimes steppe and sometimes forest.

• Turnu Măgurele, the two towns are commonly confused. It's near the Danube.
• Oltenița, town also near the Danube
• Bragadiru, more of a small city. Has a McDonald's and is a lot larger than Măgurele
• Slatina, adminstrative center of Olt County.
• Vaslui, further north. Commonly called the "Florida of Romania" by Romanians.