Giurgiu is a small town in the south-west of Romania. It’s a border town, cut off from the much larger Bulgarian city of Ruse by the Danube river. You can walk from the center of Giurgiu to the Danube via a straight road that goes to the river and then just stops. Here it is:

This road used to be a vital industrial artery, running from the port to the town, allowing access to naval shipyards, quarries and working facilities near the river. With the fall of Communism in Romania, however, the artery suddenly became much less vital. It was quickly clogged with collapsing naval shipyards, old rusting fences and various other symbols of ex-activities. Recently, however, the road was spruced up with EU money. So now it is much easier to see all the cranes and factories as they rust and collapse into the bright green folliage that has sprung up all around them. The road has become surreal. Almost a work of art. Very similar, in fact, to the post-industrial landscapes of Andrei Tarkovsky.

Tarkovsky’s film “Stalker” concerns a mysterious ‘zone’ set in a post-industrial landscape, that causes space and time to bend out of kilter. The old Giurgiu road also passes a free-trade ‘zone’ which does much the same thing. In both cases it is possible to go near the zone, but difficult to enter it.

Here’s the naval shipyards viewed from the outside and the inside:

Some scenes from the more verdant area near the town:

A few shots of the wild dogs that roam the area:

Old boats:

Strange conjunctions of living conditions:

As you can see, the ‘zone’ is alive and well, and it’s a nice place for a walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon, especially after a plate full of mici and friptura.