Free entryUNESCO
🗿 Monument · UNESCO
The Kissing Gate
- Today
- Open 24 hours
- Ticket
- Free entry
- Area
- Târgu Jiu
- Google rating
- 4.7(11,922)out of 5 on Google
The story
The Gate of the Kiss, cut in 1937–38, is the middle piece of three and the one that connects the monumental Brâncuși to the young one.
The kiss motif is his oldest and most persistent: he first cut it in 1907, in a single stone block, in the piece now four streets from the School of Arts and Crafts where he learned to carve — *The Kiss*, in the Craiova Art Museum. Thirty years later he built it at the scale of a portal, in stone, as the gateway on a war memorial. Seeing the 1907 block and this gate in the same trip is the single best reason to do Craiova and Târgu Jiu as one visit rather than two.
It stands in the park, on the straight axis between the Table of Silence by the Jiu and the Infinite Column 1.3 km east. Walked in Brâncuși's intended order — Table, Gate, Column — the sequence reads as a gathering, a passage and an ascent; walked in reverse it is three sculptures in a town.
Free, outdoors, at any hour. Look at the column capitals rather than the opening: the paired eye forms carved into them are the kiss, abstracted almost past recognition, and they are the thing the postcards crop out. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing since 2024.
Where to stay nearby
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, apartments and hostels, so you can judge the walk from here rather than guess from an address.
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Partner links · GetYourGuide
Tickets & tours
Skip-the-line tickets, tours and experiences bookable ahead — free cancellation on most.
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Partner links
Brâncuși, both ends in one dayThe student work is here; the ensemble he laid out in 1937–38 is 110 km north at Târgu Jiu, UNESCO-listed since 2024. A driver turns two days into one.Compare day trips →Hear the story on the spotA century of Belle Epoque money built the facades along Calea Unirii, and almost none of what happened behind them is written on the outside.See walking tours →Where to sleep nearbyCompare hotels, apartments and guesthouses across the booking sites in one search.Compare stays →
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Frequently asked
What are the opening hours at The Kissing Gate?
The hours published on Google are: Monday: 00:00–23:59; Tuesday: 00:00–23:59; Wednesday: 00:00–23:59; Thursday: 00:00–23:59; Friday: 00:00–23:59; Saturday: 00:00–23:59; Sunday: 00:00–23:59. Check the venue's own site before a special trip — holiday and seasonal hours often differ.
Where is The Kissing Gate?
The address is Calea Eroilor, 210007 Târgu Jiu, in Târgu Jiu — outside Craiova itself, so allow for the drive.
How does The Kissing Gate fit with the rest of the ensemble?
The Gate of the Kiss (1937–38) is the middle of three, on the same straight axis: the Table of Silence by the Jiu, then the Gate, then — 1.3 km east across the town, through the central park and over the main street — the Infinite Column. Brâncuși meant it to be walked in that order, and it takes about twenty-five minutes at an unhurried pace. All of it is free and in the open air.
Is there an entry fee at The Kissing Gate?
No — entry is free. Temporary exhibitions or specific areas may still be charged separately.
Is The Kissing Gate worth visiting?
It holds 4.7 out of 5 from 11,922 Google reviews — a strong score for a attraction around Craiova. Treat the rating as a starting point, not a verdict, and read a few recent reviews too.
