Olt County
Medieval trading post transformed into Southeastern Europe's largest aluminum producer
When Brasov merchants crossed Wallachia in 1368, Prince Vladislav I granted them customs exemption at Slatina—a name meaning 'salted land' in Slavic, hinting at the mineral wealth beneath. Two millennia earlier, the Romans placed their Dacia Malvensis capital at Romula near Caracal, while Celtic weapons in archaeological digs prove even older trade links with Transylvania. The Communist regime industrialized this heritage: Alro Slatina became Southeastern Europe's largest aluminum producer, joined by Pirelli tires and Benteler automotive components. Over 60% of Olt County residents still live in villages across the flat Romanian Plain, but the aluminum industry anchors an economy transitioning from feudal Wallachia—where Caracal briefly hosted the royal court in the 17th century—to modern manufacturing.