Snagov

Snagov (population: 6,041) is a commune, located 40 km north of Bucharest in Ilfov County, Romania. According to the 2002 census, 99.2% of the population is ethnic Romanian and 0.4% are Roma. Snagov is the locality where action took place in French movie based on real events involving the murder of Romanians and French by teenagers of Snagov Them (2006 film).

History

Snagov village was built around the Snagov monastery. Archeologists confirmed human presence of inhabitants since 400 BC. The first written record of it is found in a document from the court of Mircea cel Bătrân and dated 1408. Vlad Tepes is believed to be killed here by the Janissaries during a battle between Wallachian & Ottoman forces.

Nowadays, it is a popular holiday resort, and many villas have lately been built on the shores of Snagov lake.

In 2002 the Romanian government decided to build in Snagov a Disneyland-style theme park, "Dracula Park", but the project's future has been uncertain as of 2005, and in 2006 the government canceled the project. Vlad Ţepeş, the historical figure on whom Bram Stoker's book Dracula is based, is said to be buried there at the Snagov monastery.

Name

The name is of South Slavic origin (probably Serbian or Bulgarian), from the word sneg (meaning "snow"). "Snagov" has a Serbian (probably) or Bulgarian "snaga" - meaning: human body.

Tourist sites

Lake Snagov, a lake with a surface of 5.75 km².
Snagov monastery, located on an islet on Snagov lake. The grave of Vlad Ţepeş is said to be there.
Siliştea Snagovului, a church built in 1664.
Snagov forest, the last remnant of the Codrii Vlăsiei a large forest that once surrounded the town of Bucharest.
The Imre Nagy monument. The prime minister of Hungary was kept for a few months in Snagov before being sent to trial and executed in Budapest.
Snagov area is a natural reservation, with two natural protected areas - for fauna and flora : "Snagov Lake" (150 hectares) www.snagov.ro/ANPLS and "Snagov Forest" (10 hectares) www.snagov.ro/ANPPS
Nicolae Ceauşescu and his entourage used Snagov as a vacation retreat.