Lugoj

LugojBridge spanning the Timiș River at Lugoj, Romania.

Lugoj, city, Timiș județ (county), western Romania, on the banks of the Timiș River, 33 miles (53 km) east-southeast of Timișoara and almost 220 miles (350 km) northwest of Bucharest. The town grew up on the site of a Roman fortified camp, which in turn was built near a Dacian fortress of the 1st century bc. German influence on the settlement was strong during the Middle Ages, with a German town developing on the north bank of the river and a Romanian town on the south. The town played a significant role in the nationalist movement. Lugoj is the seat of an Orthodox bishopric and has several old churches. The modern city is a centre for the textile and wood-processing industries. Silk is the specialty of the textile works. Other industries include leatherworking, food processing, wine making, and the manufacture of agricultural machinery. Pop. (2007 est.) 45,217.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.