Govora Spa "Baile Govora" is a Romanian spa town in Valcea County, about 21 km south-west from Ramnicu Valcea and west of the river Olt. It is situated at 360m altitude and has a moderate continental hillside climate with slight Mediterranean influences, moderate rainfalls and rare winds.

The Govora Spa is famous for the therapeutical properties of its chlorided-sodic, iodinated, brominated and sulfurous waters. These mineral waters were discovered in 1874 and were first therapeutically used in 1879. They are recommended for the treatment of respiratory diseases like bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung emphysema, microbial or viral pneumopathies, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, etc., as well as degenerative (spondylosis, arthrosis, polyarthrosis) and rheumatic diseases like tendonitis, tendomyositis, periarthritis. These spring waters are also good for the treatment of peripheral and central neurological disorders like light pareses, sequels after poliomyelitis, etc. and of certain post-traumatic disorders and certain associated diseases like gynecological, endocrinological, cardiovascular, digestive, urinary, etc.

There are several types of treatment you can choose from: warm baths with mineral waters containing iodine, bromine and sulphur, warm mud packing, mineral waters internal cure, electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, pneumonia-therapy, aerosols, Kinetic-therapy, rehabilitation gymnastics, fir essence baths, massages.

Recreation opportunities

The Govora Spa has as sports facilities, such as tennis court-yard, with 4 courts and a public swimming pool with 3 separate pools; one of them contains iodinated water, which helps in healing respiratory diseases.

The surroundings of Govora offer a lot of opportunities for walking or hiking in pure nature:

• two-hours-walk to the Curaturi Village and further on to the peak Baba Floarea
• half-day or all-day mountain hiking to the Govora, Surupate and Dintr-un lemn monasteries

Touristic attractions in the region

Baile Govora is part of Oltenia, a historical Romanian province, situated between the Danube, the Transylvanian Alps branch of the Carpathian Mountains and the Olt river. This province is next to Moldova one of the most famous regions in Romania for its monasteries. Not far away from Govora you can visit some of the most famous monasteries in Northern Oltenia: Govora, Surupate, Dintr-un lemn and Patrunsa. Above that you can make one-day-trips to visit other old monasteries in the region: Hurez, Bistrita, Arnota, Polovragi, Tismana, Iezer, Frasinet, Ostrov, Cozia, Turnu, Cornetu and Pahomie.

Every one of these monasteries has its own history. The most interesting might probably be the one of the Dintr-un Lemn Abbey. This monastery was founded in the 16th century after a little church was built there of only one oak tree. This was meant to be a tribute to the Holy Mother Mary icon, that was found by a monk in the hollow of the oak tree.

In this region you can also visit a lot of caves. The most famous are: Polovragi and Muierii.

As city trips we recommend Ramnicu Valcea, the spas Caciulata, Calimanesti and Olanesti.

The town Targu Jiu is also worth seeing, mostly because of the works of the famous Romanian sculptor, Constantin Brancusi, for example: The Silence Table, The Kiss, The Infinite Column.

Here you have some information about the distances (go and return) and the access from Govora to these touristic points:

• Ramnicu Valcea and the spas Olanesti, Calimanesti, Caciulata - 100 km
• Horezu city, where you can visit ethnographical exhibitions and traditional fairs as the Cocosul de Hurez fair, annualy organized (3-5 June) and admire works of folkloric pottery from all over Romania - 60 km
• The "Surupate" and "Dintr-un Lemn" Monasteries (from Govora city exit direction north) - 30 km
• The Hurez Monastery (from Govora city exit direction north), Bistrita, Arnota, Polovragi, the caves Polovragi and Muierii (in Baia de Fier), the town Targu Jiu and the Tismana Monastery - 250 km
• The Iezer and Pahomie Monasteries - built in a rock wall - (via Ramnicu Valcea, direction Olanesti, via the village Cheia) - 100 km. Note: You can also go on a ramble from Pahomie to the Patrunsa Monastery for 1-2 hours, footpath indicator: red cross
• The Govora and Patrunsa Monasteries (via Pietrari, Barbatesti) - 40 km.
• The Frasinet Monastery (direction Calimanesti, via Muiereasca), Ostrov Monastery (from Calimanesti cross the river Olt), Cozia Monastery (in Caciulata), Turnu Monastery (near Cozia, on the other side of the river Olt), Cornetu Monastery (direction Sibiu, in the village Calinesti) - 150 km
• The Curtea de Arges Monastery - 100 km

Folkloric festivals and fairs in the region

• The ceramics fair "The Horezu Rooster" - it takes place in June every year; The Vicsoreanu Memorial takes place here in the same period.
• The national song contest "The golden guitar" - it takes place in May every year in Ramnicu Valcea
• The pastoral festival "The love twist" - it takes place in June every year in the village Vaideeni
• The folkloric festival "Govora's flowers" - it takes place in July every year in Baile Govora
• The folkloric festival "Olt's songs" - it takes place in August every year in Calimanesti-Caciulata
• The folkloric festival "The round dance of the costumes" - it takes place in April every year in the village Pietrari
• The folkloric dance festival "The golden farmer's belt" - it takes place in September every year in the village Barbatesti

Handcraft in the region

• Pottery in the workshops from Horezu (for example ivory enamelled ceramics)
• White pottery made of burnt clay, colourful enamelled with zoomorph patterns
• The ethnographic collection of Valcea County in Maldaresti
• Yellow copper flutes and pipes sculptured by the famous craftsmen in Vaideeni