The MUNICIPALITY of RAMNICU VALCEA, VALCEA County, ROMANIA

Due to its geographic position, Ramnic was on the access route of Roman armies led by Traian in the second war between the Roman Empire and Dacia (105-106 AD). Providing a true panorama of the Walachia religious architecture, with isolated hermitages and impressive churches with architectonic styles from all ages, Ramnic is the place where on July 29, 1848, the people of the town, gathered on the site of the present Zavoi Park (one of the oldest parks in the country, dating back from 1850), played in, for the first time in official circumstances, the song “Awaken thee, Romanian!”, the current national anthem of Romania.

Sports plays an important role for the young people of the city, the performances achieved by “Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea” (15 Romanian national titles, 13 Romanian Cups, a Romanian Super Cup in 2007, two IHF Cups in 1984 and 1989, the Winners' Cup in 2007, the European Super Cup in 1984 and the European Champions Trophy in 2007) made of Ramnicu Valcea the Romanian capital of the women’s handball clubs and an important member in the European handball family.

Ramnicu Valcea has been permanently open to cooperation at international level. In 1999, the European Commission renowned Ramnicu Valcea, as the only town in Romania on the road towards the integration into the EU. In July 2003, the General Directorate for Environment of the European Union has given to the City Hall of Ramnicu Valcea the "2003 European Sustainable City” Diploma in recognition of the remarkable progress achieved in the field of sustainable development. Some other credits have been granted to the municipality in various other international competitions such as those related to urban management, sustainable development, examples of good practice etc. In this context, there have been various financing projects implemented in Ramnicu Valcea, most of them with the European Union participation, the most important of which being the projects of rehabilitation and waste management and water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment plant.

Nowadays, the Municipality of Ramnicu Valcea is continually preoccupied with improving conditions and quality of life in the city, the main measures envisaged in this regard referring to the developing and implementing the city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. The City Development Strategy 2014-2020 also provides several actions related to the development of technical infrastructure (setting up central pedestrian areas, developing a unique documentation in order to optimize circulation by diverting traffic routes to the adjacent surrounding areas, the construction of intermodal hubs, including for the entertainment areas identified at the local level). The urban sustainability and mobility are set as ones of the city’s major priorities stated in all strategic documents.

Since 2008, Ramnicu Valcea is a Covenant of Mayors’ signatory. In 2014, Ramnicu Valcea became part of the Romanian Traffic Snake Game, the mobility project co-financed by the European Union’s Intelligent Energy Europe programme. For the first edition, the primary schools of Ramnicu Valcea participated with 264 children betwenn 7 and 10 years old, the Municipality expecting, for the 2015 edition, more than 600 children to be part of the project.