# Nistor Kula

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Mehedinți County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/mehedinti) › [Cerneți](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/cerneti)

> A fortified manor house in Cerneți, near Drobeta Turnu Severin, built around 1812 and rebuilt after 1821 by the pandur captain Nistor, with a veranda on carved posts.

**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Cerneți, Mehedinți County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 13 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** No visiting hours have been published by an official source; check with the Iron Gates Region Museum or Șimian town hall before travelling.
- **Visit duration:** 30 min — exterior only, estimate
- **Address:** Strada Tudor Vladimirescu no. 343, Cerneți, Mehedinți County
- **Coordinates:** 44.66324, 22.72114
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cula_Nistor_din_Cerne%C8%9Bi
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43017333
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Nistor Kula

Nistor Kula stands in the village of Cerneți, in Șimian commune, on Gârdanului Hill, a few kilometres from Drobeta Turnu Severin. Like all the kulas of Oltenia, it is a fortified dwelling: a tall stone house with a massive ground floor and a living storey above, designed to withstand a passing raid rather than a siege.

Tradition says it was raised around 1810 by Colonel Istrate Sălișteanu. The Ottomans burned it in 1815, and after 1821 it was rebuilt by the pandur captain Nistor, who gave it its name. The monument is entered in the List of Historic Monuments (MH-II-m-B-10288) with the year 1812. A restoration project of 1974 envisaged a museum of peasant houses from Mehedinți, but it was never carried out; in 2009 the Iron Gates Region Museum carried out repairs and the kula operated as an ethnographic branch of the museum.

### What you can see

The building has two levels. The tall ground floor, with loopholes and a massive wooden door, hides a cellar. An inner staircase leads up to the veranda that runs along the whole main façade, with carved posts, and to the three living rooms that open onto it. The ceilings and floors are of wooden beams, and the roof is shingled.

### Good to know

The state of conservation is medium, and from the outside the building looks aged, with plaster missing in places. Șimian town hall has announced restoration works, but at the time of checking no official sources about visiting hours were found. Tudor Vladimirescu Kula is also nearby.

## Don't miss

- The upper-floor veranda, running along the whole façade on carved wooden posts.
- The massive stone ground floor with loopholes and a heavy wooden door.
- The shingled hipped roof, typical of Oltenian kulas.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Cerneți lies in the Topolnița valley, a few kilometres from Drobeta Turnu Severin. The kula is on Gârdanului Hill, in the part of the village called Piatra Albă, a short distance from Tudor Vladimirescu Kula.

**Public transport:** no verified connections to the kula were found; the simplest way is by car or taxi from Drobeta Turnu Severin.

### Rules

A historic monument in medium condition: do not climb on the walls, the veranda or the stairs without permission, and do not take anything from the grounds. Photographing the exterior is generally free.

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1810–1821
- **Founder:** Colonel Istrate Sălișteanu
- **State of preservation:** medium
- **Historical period:** 19th century

## Frequently asked questions about Nistor Kula

**How long does a visit to Nistor Kula take?**

A visit to Nistor Kula takes about 30 min (exterior only, estimate).

**How do I get to Nistor Kula?**

Nistor Kula is located at Strada Tudor Vladimirescu no. 343, Cerneți, Mehedinți County. By car: Cerneți lies in the Topolnița valley, a few kilometres from Drobeta Turnu Severin. The kula is on Gârdanului Hill, in the part of the village called Piatra Albă, a short distance from Tudor Vladimirescu Kula. Public transport: no verified connections to the kula were found; the simplest way is by car or taxi from Drobeta Turnu Severin.

## Nearby attractions

- [Tudor Vladimirescu Cula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-tudor-vladimirescu) — Fortresses and fortifications · Cerneți, MH · 30 min · 0 km
  The cula on Gârdanul Hill near Drobeta-Turnu Severin, linked to the name of Tudor Vladimirescu: a fortified boyar house with a brick-columned gallery and a watchtower, currently being restored.
- [Roman Fort of Drobeta](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-drobeta) — Monuments and historic sites · Drobeta-Turnu Severin, MH · 45 min · 8 km
  The fort that guarded the northern end of Trajan's Bridge over the Danube: restored walls and foundations in the courtyard of the Iron Gates Region Museum in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
- [Severin Medieval Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-severinului) — Fortresses and fortifications · Drobeta-Turnu Severin, MH · 45 min · 9 km
  The ruins of the fortress on the Danube bank, centre of the Banate of Severin in the 13th century: consolidated walls and moat, the surviving north-east tower and a medieval festival each autumn.
- [Roman Fort of Hinova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-hinova) — Monuments and historic sites · Hinova, MH · 30 min · 18 km
  A late Roman fort on the first terrace of the Danube, north of Hinova village, with low stone walls and seven towers; the largest prehistoric gold hoard in Romania was found here.
- [Glogoveanu Kula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-glogovenilor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Glogova, GJ · 45 min · 44 km
  A fortified manor house in Glogova (Gorj), with a massive 17th-century cellar and an upper floor with a wooden veranda built after 1764, in the middle of a park beside St Nicholas church.
- [Danube Gorge Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/drumul-clisurii-dunarii) — Scenic roads · Mehedinți County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 44 km
  The DN57 runs about 100 km along the Danube from Orșova to Moldova Nouă, through the Great and Small Cauldrons, past the rock face of Decebalus, with Serbia on the far bank.

---

Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-nistor
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/cula-nistor.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/cula-nistor.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/cula-nistor.md
Last updated: 13 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania