Prahova
Home of the world's first refinery where Hitler's fuel came from and Allied bombers died trying to stop it.
Prahova County exists because the world's first refinery opened here and Hitler needed the oil. In 1857, the Mehedinteanu brothers commissioned what became the planet's first petroleum refinery at Ploiesti - their lamp oil lit Bucharest, making it the first city illuminated by industrially-produced kerosene. Romania became a leading oil producer; during WWII it was Europe's largest after the USSR. The 1943 Allied raid on Ploiesti's refineries cost 53 aircraft and 660 airmen but barely dented production; by 1944-45 the Allies destroyed most installations. After the war, production expanded until 1970s wells began running dry - today Romania imports most oil consumed. Yet three large refineries still operate in Ploiesti, "Capital of Black Gold," and the county produced Romania's petroleum industry. The Prahova Valley connects Bucharest to Transylvania through Carpathian ski resorts reachable in an hour. The National Museum of the Oil Industry documents the heritage. Campina and Ploiesti remain "two beating hearts" of Romanian petroleum. Romania's refining capacity (504,000 barrels/day) leads Eastern Europe. By 2026, legacy refining will persist while Prahova Valley tourism and transit importance grow.