Drobeta-Turnu Severin

On our recent Danube cruise almost all the ports of call on our itinerary where thrown out due to the low water levels.  We could only be in dock in a port where the water was deep enough to accommodate the ship.  Viking did its best to find interesting sites along the way.

One of these ports was Turnu Severin, Romania and the ancient Dacian and Roman settlement of Drobeta.

Construction on the first phase of the Roman fort began in 101 AD.  The fort was built to protect the northern side of Trajan's Bridge across the Danube.

By the 3rd century the settlement had grown to 40,000 inhabitants and covered 60 hectares (about 148 acres).

I can't tell you what all these ruins were, but the fort consisted of barracks, baths, a church, hospital, amphitheater, and more.  

The amphitheater was discovered in 2010 when the adjacent Museum of the Iron Gates Region was expanding.

We were able to walk through the Museum.

There's Irv reading the informational brochure on the museum, or maybe he's looking for a geocache.  Who knows?

The museum was nicely done and had many artifacts.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to enjoy the exhibits in depth.  It was 100 degrees that day and the museum had limited AC so it was hot and stuffy in there.  We followed along with the tour guide as long as we could, but then we decided to head outside where there might be some shade and a breeze.

A replica of what the fortress may have looked like.

What I found most interesting about our visit here was learning about Trajan's Bridge.  It is considered one of the greatest achievements of Roman Architecture.  It was 1,135 feet long, 49 feet wide, and 62 feet high.  It was comprised of wooden arches set on 20 masonry pillars.  It was built in only three years between 103 and 105.  A Roman fort was at each end of the bride, Drobeta on the North and Kladovo, Serbia on the South.

The museum had this mockup of what the bridge would have looked like.  

Sadly, the bridge was dismantled and burned by Trajan's successor, Hadrian, to protect the Empire from Barbarian invasion.  The only pillars now visible are the entrance pillars on either side of the river.

It's so surreal to me to see these old ruins and remains of a bridge that were built 100 years after the death of Christ.  I love the history!