The city is situated in the North-West of Targu-Jiu, at 30 km.
The name comes from the wood “tisa”. There was one church built by that wood and it was called “tisa”+”meana”.
It was first mentioned in 1364 as Tismana.
It has always been one of the biggest community in the Gorj county and it was declared as city the 5th of April  2004.
There have been a lot of writers, scientists, actors, musicians and sculptors because they knew about the beauty of that community as an attractive point.

Furthermore it’s well known for its history and as important center for the Romanian and Balkan orthodoxies, but also for its geography, the hospitality of the people and its customs and traditions. These facts promote the cultural-religious tourism and agro-tourism.
Consists of 11 villages: Celei, Costeni, Gornovita, Izvarna, Pocruia, Racoti, Sohodol, Topesti, Valcele, Vanata and Tismana as center.
It has good connection to other towns: Baia de Arama, 15 km, Baile Herculane, 75 km and Drobeta Turnu Severin, 90 km.

About the population

7578 inhabitants (Tismana center 1780)
Working group: 4472: almost 50% in industrial sector or other fields of activity, 25% in agriculture, 5% in service sector and less than 1% in public administrations, rest in health care, financials and banks, post and telecommunication, public alimentation, tourism and education (teachers).
And a lot of people work also in the traditional field: work with woodà “butoi”=> for tuica
About 1000 inhabitants are linked to cable TV (20 channels) with continuous growing of that number.
Only 350 people have canalization system, but it’s also extending.

Education

There are all kind of schools: kinder gardens (11), primary schools (4), secondary schools(5), one high school and professional schools.
Kinder garden: 14 classrooms, 300 children
Primary school: 22 classrooms, almost 400 children
Secondary school: 23 classrooms, almost 400 pupils
High school: “Grupul Scolar Industrial Tismana”, 13 classrooms, almost 200 students
Professional school: 6 classrooms, 150 students

About health

There are 8 doctors and 10 assistants in 4 cabinets, 4 family doctors, one center of health (2 doctors, 2 assistants and other helpers) and a hospital.
Also one veterinary doctor and one pharmacy in the center of Tismana.

About culture

The first Christian wooden churches were built in the valley of Tismana.
In this region, people even had contact to the old Egyptian society through expeditions of the pharaohs in Istru.
There were built 6 “camine culturale”: Tismana, Topesti, Pocruia, Costeni, Sohodol and Izvarna that are used for diversal cultural activities.
The public library in the center of Tismana has about 10.180 books with 700 readers every year.
There are 5 more libraries in the schools with about 27.450 books.
Dancing group (Topesti) and choir and soloists (Tismana)

Attractive points

The holy monastery of Tismana
15 churches and 2 “schite”, where religious women live.
Heroic monumental in the center of Tismana “ridicat” to the fallen heroes of the two World Wars and the War of Independence
“pastravarie”à where a special type of fish is cultivated
Beautiful landscape close to the mountains with a forest

About sports

There is one stadium (1050 m2) and a new built gym next to the high school of Tismana.
Football team “Energetica Tismana” (regional division)

About distraction

There is 1 discotheque close to the village, in Pestisiani, at 7km.

About the civil society

There are different NGO’s that deal in the: cultural, touristic, religious and sportive field, but also with poor, homeless and handicapped people.
About 2 NGO’s:
 ELVEROM (Switzerland and Belgium) […]
 FUNDATIA TISMANA (relation to other NGO’s, creator of the site for Tismana, built “caminul cultural”, promotes rural tourism…)
Tourists find place in 17 rural pensions.

The holy monastery of Tismana

It is the oldest one from whole Romania, people from all over the world come there.
It is also built by the wood “tisa” that you can find in the forests around there.
In the past, people came here (even from long distances; on foot) to the service “Sfintire a apei” to take back home some of the saint water.

15. August
Every year it takes place a big feast for the Saint Maria. It symbolizes the non-corrupt keeping of the old traditions, the eternal, pastoral holiday and the memory of the phenomenal history.
The idea has changed: more commercial with a lot of mici, beer, sweets, clothes, some carousels and traditional music or manele

Topesti
Sat european” = European village
Only 2 villages with that title in whole Gorj and 20 in total in Romania.
Have built a new “camin cultural” and done a lot for the school in Topesti.

The Pictures