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Travel by rental car or tour bus and train through the Constanţa region of Dobrogea in Romania. Hotels in Constanţa are well-priced, and great travel and tourism activities from shopping, to exploring the villages, folk art, castles, mountains and forests. See all of County Constanţa, from Constanţa to Mangalia and Medgidia, and the smaller towns in Dobrogea like Basarabi, Cernavodă, Eforie Nord, Hârşova, Năvodari, Negru Vodă, Ovidiu, and black mud bath town of Techirghiol. Communes include Adamclisi and Mihail Kogălniceanu!
 
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REGIONS

County Constanţa

 
 The Roman fortifications at Adamclisi protected
 Rome's largest town in today's Dobrogea. 
 

 

County Constanţa
In Dobrogea

Below:  1940 photo of the statue of the
Roman poet Ovidius, exiled to Constanţa

Ancient Constanţa

The entire county of Constanţa was under Ottoman Rule since the 15th century, until the Romanians moved in in 1878 after fighting back the Turks one last time with Russian help. 

Prior to Romanian rule, about 30% of the County were ethnic Romanians, with the majority being mostly Tatars and Bulgars, with a handful of Turks remaining. 

Modern Constanţa

County Constanţa has three main cities, the seaport of Constanţa, towards the Bulgarian border, Mangalia, and inland towards the Danube, Medgidia.  

There are also the eight other major towns of Basarabi, Băneasa, nuclear Cernavodă, sunny Eforie Nord and sister town Eforie Sud, Hârşova, Năvodari, Negru Vodă, Ovidiu and muddy little Techirghiol, along with a half dozen seaside resorts north and south of the city of Constanţa
For a cultural change, visit the Roman Empire's largest city in all of Dobrogea (Dobruja)at Adamclisi, home of the Traian Column, Roman War Memorial and the Roman fortifications!
 
 
The Romanian Beach Umbrella.  Click here to see more of beach life!

Need more info?  Click here to contact us about choosing the right beach holiday vacation spot for you and your family!

Sulina Sfântu Gheorghe Gura Portiţei Mamaia Constanţa Eforie Nord Techirghiol Eforie Sud Costineşti Olimp Neptun Jupiter Saturn Mangalia Doi Mai Vama Veche
 
 
Solitary Columns at Lake Sinoe
The old agrarian and port town of Histria in northern County Constanţa was an active border town with temples, fortifications and garrisons.

Photo:  Govt of Romania
The Casino of Constanţa
European royalty flocked to this fin de siecle monument to luxury at the tip of the old quarter in Constanţa originally built as a pavilion for Carmen Sylva, Romania's Queen Elizabeth.  Here in 1963, and below today.
 
Tomis Harbour
The main tourist port for Constanţa offers some great views back towards the city!

Constanţa Seafront
Even the communist years did little to spoil the quintessentially charming seafront.

 

The Sunny Black Sea Coast is the preferred destination for the summer holidays in Romania. 

Resort to a Resort!

Some may think them hackneyed throwbacks to 1950s beach life, but in Romania they work particularly well, especially in the more village-like communities of Gura Portiţei, Eforie Nord, and Vama Veche.

In these smaller and very charming resort communities (Gura is tiny, Eforie is almost as big as Olimp-Neptun to the south), you get a very pleasing mix of village life melded with reasonable quality restaurants, hotels, minor attractions, and of course, miles and miles of the great golden sands of the Black Sea. 

The Romania Riviera's crown jewel and former choice of Romania's Royal family for their seaside palace, is Mamaia, the mega-resort and about as big as the hotel game gets on the Black Sea coast of Romania. 

For Things to Do for the beach strips, check out the options here!

 

Historical Sites

The City of Constanţa is itself a treasure trove of historical digs, artefacts, museums and parks dedicated to the centuries of history just under the surface.

As so often happens anywhere in Dobrogea, it was a public excavation for a new bus terminal which uncovered some of the more interesting Roman finds, now safely at home in the National History Museum at Constanţa, which, for those in the know, has an even better collection of local Greek and Roman piece than it's big sister museum in the capital Bucharest. 

The mausoleum at Adamclisi and the nearby ruins really make for a historic afternoon, especially if you actually take the time to read about it first!

All through County Constanţa are some rather interesting old Greek and Roman ruins, with the Histria excavations and associated museum being probably the most developed anywhere in the Dobrogea Region.   See too our special Ancient Dobrogea section for an overview of digs and sites throughout County Constanta.

 

Riviera

Even Nicolae Loved the Black Sea Coast!
Not exactly a paragon of either taste or sincerity, Ceaşescu managed to wrangle a holiday home in most of the best spots, whether high atop the Făgăraş chain in the Carpathian mountains, or here in a vaguely Italianate villa on the Black Sea coast.
Photo:  Government of România

 

 

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

Constanţa

Constanţa in County Constanţa
 

 

Ancient Greek and Roman Constanţa

Don't bother travelling to Athens or Rome if you want to marvel in some amazing European history, because the stunning archaeological finds from Greek and Roman days in Constanţa rivals them all!

As the largest Romanian seaport on the Black Sea, the de facto capital of Dobrogea, and third-largest city in România, Constanţa is a vibrant seaport and regional centre since Greek and Roman times!

 Marseilles on the Black Sea

European royalty have flocked to the fine sands of the Black Sea coast since the early 1900s, when a rail line was built from the Paris of the East, Bucharest to this sunny seaside resort port.

Constanţa has the air of a French seaside town in the 1950s in many ways.  Even at the height of summer, when alot of the residents go to the mountains for a cool break or flock north or south to the adjacent resort towns of Mamaia, Eforie Nord and the resorts further south

You'll enjoy strolling through the old port part of town, complete with a wild mix of mosques, Orthodox churches, a fine old Catholic church, museums, and some attractive ornate architecture. 

The feel of the exotic pull of the Black Sea is strong in Constanţa. In what was once an Ottoman city of mostly ethnic Tatars and Greek citizens, barely 1 in 20 Constanţa residents were Romanian in the mid 1800s (now well over 90% today). 
But because of this culturally rich history, Constanţa offers some architectural and culinary delights to the traveller, from old mosques and some super Turkish, Greek and ethnic Romanian restaurants, to just having an authentic shaorma in the park under a cool shade tree.
Although the Turkish population has always been very low in the city -- never more than 3%, despite the bevy of Turkish restaurants now found in the old port town -- Constanţa has benefitted greatly from it's long history as an Ottoman protectorate.

All this will surely settle the charm of Constanţa in your hearts!

 
 
The Romanian Beach Umbrella.  Click here to see more of beach life!

Need more info?  Click here to contact us about choosing the right beach holiday vacation spot for you and your family!

Sulina Sfântu Gheorghe Gura Portiţei Mamaia Constanţa Eforie Nord Techirghiol Eforie Sud Costineşti Olimp Neptun Jupiter Saturn Mangalia Doi Mai Vama Veche
 
From the Rest Romania Website at

Mamaia

Mamaia in County Constanţa
 

The Hotel Rex
Built just after the Royal Palace of Mamaia, and Italian masterpiece of elegance.

The Sun and Fun of Mamaia

You can confidently compare Mamaia to the beaches of Cannes or Saint Tropez.  Fringed by wild pear trees, and renowned for its fine, soft sand, Mamaia is Romania's oldest resort.

Mamaia was thoughtfully designed from the ground up since 1906 when the first wooden pier went in, to cater to all whims and desires with the long strip of sand dotted with luxury hotels, fun parks, shops, restaurants, and a promenade running the entire length of the resort with annual summer events for all ages. 
Mamaia concentrates it's fun because of the 300 metre width of the amazing sand bar which separates the large inland Lake Siutghiol from the sea, going north from Constanţa 8km until it meets the mainland again at Năvodari.

The Complete Range

Through major developments throughout the past couple of years, Mamaia has transformed itself into one of the great summer destinations of Europe, with world-class five-star hotels resting comfortably with a dozen 3-star hotels, over 25 two-star properties, and even some great camping on the north end.  There's a reason Romania's royal family chose Mamaia for their seaside summer palace!

Family Friendly Surf

In addition to beautifully low salinity and no strong currents, the Black Sea is free of dangerous species of plants or fish, with a gently sloping shallow coastal shelf, with waters only 1 metre deep at points up to 100 metres out.  This makes Mamaia particularly suitable and safe for families, with beach patrols and fully staffed aqua parks too.
Mamaia

Fun Activities, Maps, seaside Accommodation, Helpful Agents,
    and History from Ottoman to Royal Romanian times!

Mamaia Viewed from the Cable Car

 
Wild Ride!
The Hammer ride at Mamaia's amusement park

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

The Sizzling Strip of Mamaia

By far the most popular and well-known of Romania's beach hot-spots, Mamaia is the Black Sea Coast's "Little Miami", dotted with multi-story resorts, big-name hotels, and a very long strip of seemingly endless white sand.

A very long boardwalk runs 2 km up and down the coast right along the beach, with the sands on one side and the hotels on the other.   The walk is dotted with little kiosks or restaurants, and in some sections, almost open-air malls with shops, bakeries and more restaurants. 
General beach cleanliness increases towards the northern end of the Mamaia strip where you can find fewer hotels and a camping area; as infrequent as they may be, the southern end in does indeed suffer from slightly whiffy algal blooms due to less than optimal discharges into the water.   Mamaia does benefit from having a regularised lifeguard service on duty. 

The Fun Park and South End

Wild little carnival style rides, a bowling alley, little cafes and restaurants and stalls make the fun park at the southern end of the Mamaia strip Romania's answer to Coney Island or Brighton.   The sky gondolas going north take off from here, not far from the southern entrance to the Mamaia strip, soaring over the water park (a colourful and large waterslide and pool complex) and ending about three-quarters of the way up the strip. 

 

The Classic Mamaia Beach
One massively long strip of sand, here towards the southern end of the resort complex, with the wide road running the length, separating the beach from the hotels. 

The Aqua Magic Park at Mamaia
The admission is a bit pricey for some Romanians, but Americans and Australians will find it cheap.  With specials for half-price admission after 4pm (open until 8pm), a family of four can have fun for under $14USD.
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
Families relax at the southern end of Eforie Nords beach

 

Eforie Nord in County Constanţa
 
County Constanţa is in the Dobrogea region

==> Maramureş ==> Bucovina ==> Moldova ==> Dobrogea ==> Banat ==> Crişana ==> Oltenia ==> Muntenia ==> Transilvania ==> Click on any region!

Localities in this area:
Eforie Nord  Techirghiol -  Moviliţa  Biruinţa  Topraisar  Mereni  23 August  Schitu -  Costineşti  Tuzla  Eforie Sud  Eforie  Agigea  Potârnichea  Cumpăna  Straja  Bărăganu  Lanurile  Mereni  Lazu 

 Relax, It's Eforie Nord!

Quiet little back streets meld effortlessly with a charming promenade and beautiful sea views from the hotels and restaurants along the low cliff which protects the golden sands of Eforie Nord.

Indeed there are quite a few reasons that relaxing little Eforie Nord made our number one pick for your beach holiday.  The sea and beaches are cleaner than at Mamaia, it's close to the shopping centres on the south side of Contanţa, and close enough to rail, air and bus services.
The one possibly saving grace of the Communist era was the lack of heavy tourist development which ravaged many a quite seaside town in other spots throughout Europe during the 1960s and 1970s.  As we all know, some development is a good thing, too much an eyesore.  Eforie successfully maintains it's village feel.

A gorgeous little shopping alley going down to the beach in Eforie Nord

 A Seaside Holiday Village

Although Eforie Nord is number two after Mamaia in terms of popularity, the little town offers a real Romanian seaside village feel, with year-round residents adding to the town's amenities like easy-to-access grocery stores, chemists and other services not as available in Mamaia's hyper-commercial atmosphere.

The bulk of the holiday accommodation at Eforie (Eforie Nord is often "the" Eforie, with it's southern cousin a smaller centre) is made up of the guesthouses (pensions or "pensiune"), smaller bed and breakfast type accommodation in people's homes, and smaller hotels with less than 20 rooms.  See our Romanian Accommodation section for explanations of these types of properties).
Yes, there are a few of the lower 3 and 4 storey blocks intended for working class holiday-makers on a budget, but equally there are some four-star hotels and truly world-class restaurants.  
The Northern End at Eforie Nord
Great golden sands and beach boy service for a lazy afternoon with a great view
Eforie Charm
This hotel with a great position and good food on Str Republicii is open late.  Try the pizzas or pastas for lunch, all very well done!
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

Eforie Nord Main Street

The Charming main shopping street, here with Mimosa trees in bloom

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

There are a few hotel towers here, on the fringes, and they really haven't robbed the main cliffside walk or the beach areas of their smaller feel.  Finding things to do and things to buy is easy in Eforie, as the main shopping streets are all connected to the beach areas.  

Eforie's beaches run for 3 kilometres along the coast, with nine breakwalls going out into the water with the signature Y-shaped ends which so ably protect the golden sands and encourage routine deposits as well. 
Eating out is a joy in Eforie, with options for all ages and wallets.   Any traveller will delight in a lunchtime bottle of wine, a linen table cloth, good table service, great food, and a stunning view out over the cliff to the golden sands below and the vibrant deep aqua of the Black Sea to the horizon.  What's better, is that you can enjoy liveried wait staff and get out without tipping for about $10 per head!
Despite all the good offerings from the various pensions, it's hard for a Westerner to miss the towering ANA Hotel Europa in the town centre, with a roomy reception area, ample pool and spa facilities and surrounding green lawns.

The Bridge over the Danube-Black Sea Canal at Agigea

 Agigea

Just to the north of Eforie Nord, and situated on the main road going south from Constanţa about 10km from the Constanţa city centre, Agigea is about 3km inland from the seashore. 

Known through it's Bone and Joint hospital functioning in the years between the great wars, Agigea is likewise known for it's unique reservations of marine dunes, the largest in România.  With the  Danube-Black Sea canal opening at last in 1984, Agigea is the commercial gateway to the sea with the canarrl opening to the Port of South Constanţa, making up 2,500 hectares with over 10,000 metres of breakwalls and wing structures.   Agigea offers a great place for viewing the sea traffic through the canal and into the port area as well. 

 

 Eforie Sud

Eforie Sud is about 2km to the south of the main Eforie Nord township, and offers a bit more quiet, although certainly fewer facilities.  A recent injection of cash from EU funding has seen things change a bit, with building underway and a few new accommodation blocks now finished.

Eforie Sud is a great place to avoid the crowds and yet still be close-in enough to Mamaia and Constanţa if the need for shopping, malls, or some fun rides happens to strike you.   You'll find the same leafy streets, the great little quiet squares, and some seriously cheap eats throughout Eforie Sud.  Enjoy the wonderful views from the steep hills and cliff tops down to the beaches too, it's really quite lovely.

If you're beach-walking, you can still make your way around the headlands and cliffs to the Eforie Sud beaches from the south end of the Eforie Nord strip, and you'll find a quieter, more working-class sort of feel at Eforie Sud, well away from the throbbing pulse of the summer time crowd at Eforie Nord.   

Ten years ago you'd be hard-pressed to hear anything but Romanian and a bit of English spoken at Eforie Sud, but now German, Russian, and French is heard more often.  Economy discount charter flights from Dortmund and Hamburg during the summer months to the airport near Constanţa have meant a bit of overflow from the other resorts, and word-of-mouth has Eforie Sud on the rise.  
But, despite the slight increase in foreigners, Eforie Sud is still a great little getaway place, especially if you have transportation like a hire car or don't mind the Personal trains.   Few know today that between the great wars of last century, Eforie Sud (or Carmen Sylva as it was known then) was the top luxury resort on the whole Black Sea coast!

 

 
Mamaia

Fun Activities, Maps, seaside Accommodation, Helpful Agents,
    and History from Ottoman to Royal Romanian times!

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

Năvodari

Navodări in County Constanţa

 

Localities in The Mid Black Sea Coast area:
Năvodari  Lumina  Sibioara  Mihail Kogălniceanu  Piatra  Nicolae Bălcescu  Oituz  Luminiţa  Corbu  Vadu  Nuntaşi  Săcele  Traian  Gura Dobrogei 

Despite having a bit of an industrial heritage, Năvodari nonetheless makes a worthy home base if you're making day trips up to Histria, down to Mamaia and Constanţa, and even up to the southern Danube Delta communities, all within easy reach of Năvodari.

Whilst it might be a bit silly to try to make Năvodari into some sort of tourist Mecca, it does have a few advantages of beng of the beaten tourist track, and yet still tantalizingly close to great archaeological digs (see more in our Ancient Dobrogea guide), as well as the modern day holiday wonderland at Mamaia. 

 

 
From the Rest Romania Website at

Mangalia

Mangalia in County Constanţa
 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Mighty Mangalia!

Mangalia has all of the features you want to find in a seaside city -- and a few more too!  A naval yard and some great beaches make this the mini San Diego of Romania!

South of Constanţa, Mangalia is on the same latitude as the French resort of Nice. Mangalia also is the southernmost city on the Romanian Riviera, and from it's beginnings as the early Greek port city of Callatis, Mangalia is also the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania!
Mangalia's sister city is Greenport, also a coastal village on Long Island in New York

The Pearls of the Romanian Riviera

Gracefully marching south from the trendy and first-class resort of Neptun in the north, down to value-based Saturn on the northern suburbs of Mangalia, the long scenic strip of resorts here make up the "Mangalia Nord" section of the Romanian Riviera.

Mangalia and Resorts

North from Mangalia and Saturn to Olimp, Jupiter and Neptun just below the horizon
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
Mangalia Region Coastal Towns:
Mangalia  Jupiter -  Vâlcelele  Darabani  Albeşti  Vârtop  Hagieni  Arsa  Vama Veche -  Limanu  Doi Mai -  Saturn  Venus  Aurora -  Neptun -  Olimp -  Vânători  Pecineaga  Dulceşti  Moşneni  Comana  General Scărişoreanu  Amzacea  Pelinu 

For other towns in OTHERREGION, please see our OTHERPAGENAME section!

Foreign tourists flock to the spas and resorts just north of Mangalia year-round, and the resort areas feature large, fine-sand beaches.   The microclimates which form at the ends of these beaches are full of adherents who breath in the sea breezes, laden with aerosolised sea water charged by the sun, said to be beneficial for a range of conditions. 

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

Good for What Ails You!

Mangalia is a natural choice for those looking for the curative powers of good hot mineral springs, good hot mud and a great ocean too!

As the third- largest and second-deepest European sea, the Black Sea offers the near perfect combiation of low salinity, a gentle slope of 17-18 degrees along the coastline, and a summer water temperature of 20-25C. There are no dangerous currents, plants or fish in the Black Sea!

The main reason for so much repeat business from European tourists are the great quality of the mineral waters which bubble up from deep below the Black Sea shelf. 

The sulphurous sparkling water, rich in calcium and chlorides are plentiful from northern Mangalia through the beaches of Saturn and Venus.   This treatment is available at the Mangalia Spa, Hotel Mangalia, the hotels Hora and Balada in Saturn, and the Hotel Doina in Neptun.
Have more info? Please Let us know!
The total number of available hotel rooms during the summer season is around 100.000, spread evenly between the resort towns.  The mineral waters are also used in a therapeutic setting at the Hydrotherapy Treatment centre near the Mangalia Municipal Hospital.

Also very popular is the sulphurous peat mud, rich in minerals, which is extracted from the peat bog north of the city (expected to last another 250 years). 

 
Mangalia Shopping Street, 1925
A typical interbelllum shopping street in downtown Mangalia

Photo:  Govt of Romania
 
 

Central Constanţa

The middle of County Constanţa is a landscape of dryer, gently rolling hills, across some steppe-like country in the north, yielding to more low plateaux in the south.

The Ottoman Empire traded through this region heavily, with the regional centres like Medigidia serving the main north-south trade routes going up to the provincial capital at Babadag, a route today plied by the iron horse more than the mounted cavalry of the Pasha.
From the Rest Romania Website at

  Medgidia

Medgidia in County Constanţa

 

In the 1893 Jules Verne novel "The Stubborn Keraban", the hero of the book spent a night in Medgidia during his time in the Dobrogea region. 

A central hub for transportation and commerce in County Constanţa, Medgidia has rail and road lines running to Bucureşti, Constanţa, Tulcea and the Bulgarian border.
Localities in The Danube Canal Zone area:
Medgidia   Rasova  Cochirleni  Ivrinezu Mic  Ivrinezu Mare  Saligny  Făclia  Ştefan cel Mare  Seimenii Mici  Seimeni  Ţibrinu  Dunărea  Siliştea  Tortoman  Ţepeş Vodă  Gherghina  Mircea Vodă  Satu Nou  Cuza Vodă  Remus Opreanu  Valea Dacilor  Castelu  Peştera  Izvoru Mare  Veteranu  Siminoc  Poarta Albă  Basarabi  Valu lui Traian  Ciocârlia  Ciocârlia de Sus 
Few Romanians realise the bounty of this de facto capital of hilly central Dobrogea, most just rushing through to get to the coast or home again. 
But Medgidia styles itself as Dobrogea's heart, and from here the "Dobrogean Accent" newspaper debuted in 1936 (now with a website), giving a regional pride to the sunbaked river and sea "island".

 The Sultan Medgid Mosque

The great mosqueof Sultan Abdul Medgid was erected in 1860 and is a fantastic example to this day of the architectural styles of the northern Ottoman empire towards the end of the 19th Century. 

 The grand mosque, complete with it's own Imam (like a bishop), was constructed in honour of Sultan Abdul Medgid, who functioned as the Sunni Caliph and ruled Ottoman empire between 1839 and 1861, succeeded by his brother.   Each day, the calls to prayer would float over little Medgidia, calling the faithful to the mosque.   Rich Arabic inscriptions and arabesque panels line the interior of the old mosque, open daily for all to enjoy. 

 

 Ottoman Medgidia

The mostly Turk and Bulgar inhabitants of the area in 1865 petitioned their local governor to name the place after their lord and protector of the faith, the Sultan Abdul Medgid.

Once duly commissioned, around 1800 townspeople were recorded in the new community of Medgidia, with half as many houses being constructed.    The Ottoman government built barracks and shops on a nearby hill where the locals had held fairs for the preceding century.
Medgidia came into it's own as goods from far and wide across Dobrogea were brought to the markets, the biggest being each spring and autumn.   A commercial tribunal was set up to control disputes and general trade, which attracted more business from Tulcea and Constanţa.

 

 Romanian Rule

After Romania and Russia were victorious over their war against the Ottomans, the Medgidia Markets were reborn and organised according to Romanian norms. 

Local government too was similarly reorganised with the post of mayor and council instituted, and the registration of houses and residents.   A hospital and pharmacy soon followed and by the turn of the century, Medgidia neared 3000 townsfolk, sporting 3 elementary schools (one for the poor and orphans), a boys' and a girls' highschool.  From just a few dozen streets and 10 pubs in 1907, Medgidia boomed between the world wars, but lost heavily in the second world war. 

Medgidia was set up by the communists as a regional services centre, which saw a new health complex open in 1965, and public baths and new hotel in 1970. 

Have more info? Please Let us know!
The December 1989 revolution saw the new National Salvation Front distributing copies of "Our Dawn" throughout Medgidia, spreading the news of the day to astonished citizens.  The next month the first Medgidian literary publication called "Metamorphoses" appeared, and the next year the first post-communist mayor was named, proudly proclaiming that his leadership would be "for social justice, the good and the progress of the town"

 

The Danube-Black Sea Canal
The main control tower in charge of martialling approaching ships on the Danube river entrance to the Black Sea canal, linking Europe with the east.

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

 

 
From the Rest Romania Website at

Cernavodă

Cernavodă in County Constanţa

 

The most important town on Constanţa's Danube shores, Cernavodă is a river town, with a relaxed pace and good industry to provide employment.

The second reactor came online in August 2007, the two reactors now giving Romania up to 18% of it's daily energy needs.

Have more info? Please Let us know!
Localities in The Dobrogean Danube area:
Cernavoda  Mireasa  Grădina  Vulturu  Dorobanţu  Capidava  Seimeni  Siliştea  Crucea  Stupina  Runcu 
The Bridge to Cernavodă

 
 

Listed below are some local agents who can help you with bookings and organize local tours in the Constanţa area.

Agentia de Voiaj Medgidia, Str. Republicii, bloc G2 in Medgidia
Informations,tickets
 +40 (241) 814380  
Gamma Touristic (Navodari), Sos. Constantei, bl.E1, parter in Năvodari
+40 (241) 760575  FAX: +40 (241) 760575 
 

 

  See More About the Dobrogea (Dobruja)Region Here

Click on the map for details of each location shown,
==> Constanţa ==> Călăraşi ==> Ialomiţa ==> Ialomiţa ==> Tulcea ==> Slobozia ==> Călăraşi ==> Adamclisi ==> Feteşti ==> Medgidia ==> Cernavodă ==> Mangalia ==> Eforie Nord ==> Constanţa ==> Mamaia ==> Năvodari ==> Constanţa

 

  Transportation

From the Rest Romania Website at
 
Start your Romanian Riviera vacation on the new A2 "Freeway of the Sun", linking Constanţa to Bucharest with 4-lanes to the Black Sea!
 
 
From the Rest Romania Website at

 Drive the Sun Freeway!

Flyover overpass at MedgidiaWith fully controlled access, overpasses and well graded exit ramps, the freeway is almost 100% completed through to Constanţa.

You'd almost think you're cruising along an interstate freeway in America, so good is the standard of building along this section of road.  Indeed, much cheaper than flying and half the time of taking the train, getting your own rental car makes alot of sense if you're in Bucharest and want to spend some days on the Romanian Riviera.

You can also fly into Constanţa airport on several major carriers, and pick up a car from EuropCar or others, and drop off your rental car there and fly out of Constanţa on your way back.

Have more info? Please Let us know!
Busses, maxi-taxis and cars ply this route day and night, piercing through some relatively boring alluvial plains before crossing the Danube river and then twisting it's way through low hills to the port city.

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Rental Cars in Constanţa City

Click here for car rental companies with service at the Constanţa airport

Listed below are car rental locations in the Constanţa area.

Constanţa Downtown, Tarom Agency B-dul. Ştefan cel Mare, nr.15 in Constanţa
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  +1(800) 331 1212   +44 (844) 581 0147    +40 (241) 616733  
Constanţa Downtown, Str. Ferdinand, nr.70 in Constanţa
to or Weekly
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  +1(800) 527 0700   +44 (8445) 81 22 01    +40 (241) 639713  
Constanţa Downtown, Hotel Dobrogea, B-dul Lapuşneanu 194, Birou 18 in Constanţa
to or Weekly
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  +1(877) 940 6900   +44 (845) 758 5375    +40 (241) 543 311  FAX: +40 (241) 513 933 
Tomis Boulevard, B-dul. Tomis, nr.65 in Constanţa
to or Weekly
to or Weekly
to or Weekly
        
  +1(800) 654 3131   +44 (8708) 44 88 44    +40 (241) 661100  FAX: +40 (241) 661100 
 

See our driving section for tips on Driving in Romania! 

If you're renting in Bucharest, See Here and if you are arriving at Constanţa Aiport, see here

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Trains

The 258km rail line from Bucharest to Constanţa continues south down the coast from Constanţa to the southern resort towns ending in Mangalia.   Another north-south line runs from Tulcea in the Danube Delta, down to the Bulgarian border, crossing at Medgidia.

The Constanţa Train Station

See More about Train
Travel in Romania Here
There is a left luggage service at the train station in Constanţa if you need to stow your main gear for a while, as the station is about 2km southwest of the city centre. 
In addition to the copious maxi-taxis waiting all hours outside the station, you can take a trolley-bus into town from there along the main arterial road, Ferdinand Boulevard.

Constanta-train station

Gara Constanta

Constanţa Train Station, Strada Victoriei 1   +40 (241) 617 930
A first class ticket on the excellent Blue Arrow service from Bucharest to Constanţa city is about 25RON, and well worth the extra 10RON or so over second class.  The 120 minute ride from Bucharest's Obor train station runs three times daily; you can get slower trains during other times of the day if needed, or if you want to stop along the way (little need however). 
The Rapid and Accelerat services take just over 4 hours and make 5 stops on the way to Constanţa from Obor station in eastern Bucharest. 

Down the Coast

A couple of these services continue south along the sea coast, offering first-class service to the southern Black Sea city of Mangalia, stopping at Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud Hm, Costinesti, Costineşti Tabăra hc, and finally Neptun hc before terminating at Mangalia.

Get Personal!

If you are going down the Romanian Riviera by train, there are 10 stops going down to Mangalia, so if the Rapid doesn't stop at your station, simply take the daily Personal class train, which in addition to the above stations, stops at Agigea Nord, Agigea Ecluza, Tuzla hc, Pescarus h and the other Neptun stop (there are two). 
Taking only an extra five or ten minutes to make the hour and fifteen minute trip down the coast, the Personal trains have second class carriages, which have the benefit of having a bit more room for larger suitcases. 

Other Services

Of course, in addition to the passenger traffic, the important freight services to Bucharest carry the goods from the main seaport at Constanţa from the Black Sea container ships to cities throughout Romania and Europe.   The train station closer in to the port doesn't have passenger services. 
Have more info? Please Let us know!
In addition to the coastal rail line between Constanţa and Medgidia, another north-south line runs slightly more inland at Medgidia, going north to the Danube Delta town of Tulcea, and south to Bulgaria.
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 Maxi-Taxis and Busses

Maxi-taxis arrive and depart from several locations throughout Constanţa, from the train and bus stations, to the main downtown shopping streets, the malls and the beach areas. 

Most busses coming in from Bucharest or the resorts stop and depart in at the south (main) bus station, although some services north to Tulcea depart from the North Bus Station.  You can catch a bus between these two bus stations if you need to transfer from the train or southern bus station to the northern one. 
The New Pink MAB busses
The 44 Bus.  Take the 41 in from the train station to Mamaia or the 40 around Constanta's north side too.

The Constanţa Airport
The Mihail Kogălniceanu airport is about a half hour north-west of Constanţa and serves all of County Constanţa

 

 
Carpatair to Constanţa
Early morning flights to Bucharest and on to Timişoara about 3 or 4 times weekly.  Check out the Carpatair website for more details.

Click for larger version

Photo:  C. Hollywood
 
At the main southern bus station, adjacent to the main train station, taxis and maxi-taxis are easy to find in the lot just south of the main train station.
Both have services locally and to all major near destinations such as Bucureşti, Mangalia, Tulcea and all stops along the way.
    
See More about Taxis, Busses
and Driving Here
HINT:  Be nice to your local taxi or maxi taxi driver!  This is the best way for you to get to nearby villages and sites, and a little tip might help to get some good information on where to find a taxi for your return trip!  Tipping is an art form in Romania, so learn it fast, and you will have great transportation everywhere.
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Air Service

Dobrogea's main airport is amid the farms on the gentle rolling hills at the commune of Mihail Kogălniceanu, which serves County Constanţa, the city of Constanţa, and all of the Romanian Riviera. 

Even though the main airports at Bucharest are only 90 minutes away by maxi taxi, the Constanţa airport, about a half hour to the northwest of the town centre, offers flights to Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Iaşi, Timişoara, and even Budapest. 
See More about Air
Travel in Romania Here

The Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport is served by the Romanian airline Carpatair, the national carrier TAROM, as well as the Hungarian carrier Malév. 

The national carrier Tarom offers 50-seater fast turboprop service to Constanţa from Bucharest on ATR42 aircraft (see below), and Carpatair flies their Saab 2000 turboprops to Craiova, en route to their Timişoara hub. 
Jet traffic is seen mostly from the charter services in the summer season, when some European cut-rate carriers fly tourists in from northern Europe (often Hamburg, Dortmund, Cologne, and the like) to enjoy the Black Sea warmth and the low prices!  Check out AirBerlin, the national airline of fiesty Luxembourg, Luxair, Lauda, Danish discount carrier Sterling and Hamburg International for seasonal flights and times.

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Rental Cars at Constanţa Airport

Constanţa Airport, Str Tudor Vladimireascu 4 in Mihăil Kogălniceanu
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  +1(877) 940 6900   +44 (845) 758 5375    +40 (722) 211 518  FAX: +40 (241) 513933 
Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport, Str. Tudor Vladimirescu, nr.4 in Mihăil Kogălniceanu
to or Weekly
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  +1(800) 654 3131   +44 (8708) 44 88 44    +40 (241) 661100  FAX: +40 (241) 661100 
 

See our driving section for tips on Driving in Romania! 

If you're renting in Bucharest, See Here

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Transportation History

Have more info? Please Let us know!

The opening in 1895 of the railway to Bucharest, which crosses the Danube by a bridge at Cernavodă, brought Constanţa a considerable transit trade in grain and petroleum, which are largely exported; coal and coke head the list of imports, followed by machinery, iron goods, and cotton and woollen fabrics. 

Previously, much of this cargo went out to sea via the ports at Brăila, Galaţi and Tulcea, where the river boat cargo was moved over to ocean-going vessels for the Black Sea and Mediterranean.  The new-ish A2 freeway, linking Constanţa to Bucharest is almost completed.
 
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 The Seaport

For those with a nautical bent, the Constanţa Seaport, protected by breakwaters, with a lighthouse at the entrance, is well defended from the North winds, but those from the South, South-East, and South-West prove sometimes highly dangerous.

The Port of Constanţa is Romania's largest and due to it's traffic from the Danube (nearly 90% of the Danube-Black Sea ships go through the Port of Constanţa), one of the most important on the Black Sea.  The Danube-Black Sea Canal is the widest and deepest navigable channel in Europe, and surprisingly has yet to realise full capacity in terms of ability to handle additional traffic and tonnage.   The Black Sea squadron of the Romanian fleet is stationed at Constanţa -- don't miss the Maritime Museum near the port if you have the time.
A TAROM ATR-42 Boarding at Constanţa
After a few years of intransigence on the route by providing a bus (yes, a non-flying bus), TAROM finally gave in towards the end of May 2007 and started aircraft service to Constanţa's Mihail Kogalniceanu's airport. 
Photo:  TAROM
The Seaport of Constanţa
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Climate

Constanţa has four distinct seasons. 

The summer is warm, dry and sunny with a July average of 23 °C. Constanţa rarely experience very hot days often found in the interior, because of the moderating influence of the Black Sea. Summer settles around June 15 and ends in late September.
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The autumn starts late September, and it's long and relatively warm. Nights are still tropical (temperatures over 20 °C) on an average of 10 days in September. September is often warmer than June, because of the heat accumulated by the Black Sea.

The first frost occurs on average on November 19. The winter is much balmier compared to other cities in southern Romania. It has very little snow but can be very windy and thus, unpleasant. Winter arrives much later than in the interior and December weather is often balmy with high temperatures reaching 12 °C. Average January temperature is +0.4 °C.
The spring arrives early but it's very cool. Often thanks to fresh spring winds in April and May, the Black Sea coast is even a bit cooler than the wide planes of Romania.

 

 

 

Geography

The Black Sea forms the eastern border of County Constanţa, with Muntenian counties of Călăraşi and Ialomiţa across the Danube to the west.  In this way, County Constanţa is sort of an island, and has been as such culturally and historically. 

It shares this de facto peninsula with County Tulcea to the north.  County Constanţa used to be a bit larger before the second world war, after which portions were ceded to Bulgaria, now making up the Dobrich Province and Silistra Province there.
The county of 7,071 km˛ comprises a low-lying plateau with a continental semi-arid climate.  The Black Sea coast - stretching about 120 km (75 miles) - has a maritime climate with less contrasts than the interior.  The average January temperature in Constanţa county is -1°C (30°F), while the average July temperature reaches 23°C (75°F). 
In the north-eastern part of the county there is the lagoon, Lake Sinoe.  On the eastern side of the county flows the mighty Danube.    The rather ambitious Danube canal runs between the Danube and the Black Sea, coming out just south of Constanţa.

 

Demographics

In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km˛.  The degree of urbanization is much higher (about 75%) than the Romanian average.   Like almost all of Romania, this region has seen a slow decline in population since the 1989 revolution, going from almost 750,000 in 1992 to 715,151 a decade later.
Wine in Dobrogea
The Murfatlar region a highlight of Romanian wine

Image: © REST ROMÂNIA
The majority of the population are Romanians.  There are important communities of Turks and Tatars.  A great number of Aromanians have migrated to Dobrogea (Dobruja)in the last century and they consider themselves a cultural minority rather than an ethnical minority.  There are also Rromas. 
 

Economy

The predominant industries in the county include Chemical and petrochemical industry, Food and beverages industry, Textile industry, Ship building industry, Construction materials, Mechanical components industry, and the Paper industry.
Agriculture is an important part in the county's economy, with Constanţa being the county with the largest irrigations systems in the country (more than 4,300 km˛ before 1989, now greatly reduced), cereals being the most important products.  Also, the county is famous for its wines from the Murfatlar region. 
At Cernavodă there is a nuclear power plant with two reactors. The second reactor came online in August 2007, the two reactors now giving Romania up to 18% of it's daily energy needs. 
 

Communes in

A Commune is a larger village which usually acts as a regional centre, with a mayor, postal and police services, and sometimes larger stores.  Other villages may belong to the commune, and the over 2500 communes in Romania vary widely in size.
  • 23 August
  • Adamclisi
  • Agigea
  • Albeşti
  • Aliman
  • Amzacea
  • Bărăganu
  • Castelu
  • Cerchezu
  • Chirnogeni
  • Ciobanu
  • Ciocârlia
  • Cobadin
  • Cogealac
  • Comana
  • Corbu
  • Costineşti
  • Crucea
  • Cumpăna
  • Cuza Vodă
  • Deleni
    Dobromir
  • Dumbrăveni
  • Fântânele
  • Gârliciu
  • Ghindăreşti
  • Grădina
  • Horia
  • Independenţa
  • Ion Corvin
  • Istria
  • Limanu
  • Lipniţa
  • Lumina
  • Mereni
  • Mihai Viteazu
  • Mihail Kogălniceanu
  • Mircea Vodă
  • Nicolae Bălcescu
  • Oltina
  • Ostrov
  • Pantelimon
  • Pecineaga
  • Peştera
  • Poarta Albă
  • Rasova
  • Saligny
  • Saraiu
  • Săcele
  • Seimeni
  • Siliştea
  • Târguşor
  • Topalu
  • Topraisar
  • Tortoman
  • Tuzla
  • Valu lui Traian
  • Vulturu

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

  Communications

 Dialling County Constanţa

All of the phone numbers in Constanţa start with (0241) or (0341), depending on whether the service is through the old state-run operator RomTelecom, or from one of the newer entrants into the market in Romania.

Dialling anywhere to County Constanţa, you must remove any leading zero from the county code portion of the phone number, so that (0241) becomes (241).   Dialling a mobile number, you do the same, dropping the zero from the (07XX) part of the number, to make it (7XX).   Both landlines and mobiles have 6 digits following the initial county code. 
 For full dialling information and a chart of county codes, see our Dialling Romania section here

Port City HotSpots

The American style pizza restaurant "Pizza Hut" is one of your better bets when in the port city of Constanţa.

Sleepy seaside summer-town Constanţa is hardly the cosmopolitan hub, and the dearth of little cafe's with wireless is noticeable amongst cafes and pubs.  We hear that the Iaki hotel bar has reasonabe wi-fi at Mamaia, along with a few other hotels. Please e-mail us if you know anything about wireless in the region.
Appraisals Office, bd. Tomis nr. 295, bl. T16, ap.26 Constanţa  What is this place? Please e-mail us if you know. Or call on +40 (341) 428 921
CMI Dumbrâva Carmen, str. Bogdan Voda Nr. 11 ConstanţaWhat is this place? Please e-mail us if you know. Or call on +40 (241)  

The two wireless locations for Pizza Hut are at their downtown restaurant, and the one out at the Carrefour mall:

Pizza Hut Downtown, 10 Răscoală din 1907 Street  Constanţa  This nicely located restaurant open until 10pm daily is between the main post office and the central Unification Square with plenty of beer and wi-fi on tap!   +40 (241) 518 430 or  +40 (740) 121 915

Pizza Hut Tom Centre,  401 Tomis Blvd.  in Constanţa  This Pizza Hut is part of the mall attached to the Carrefour hypermarket in the food court area (open until 9:30pm, 8pm Sundays), but indeed has the wi-fi, which you can also pick up from one or two of the neighbouring restaurants.    +40 (241) 585 415 or  +40 (749) 120 614

Know of another town in County Contanţa with wireless?  Let us know here!

The Greeks

A number of inscriptions found in the town and its vicinity show that Constanţa lies where once Tomis stood.

The Episcopal Cathedral in Constanţa

 
Tomis (also called Tomi) was a Greek colony in the province of Scythia on the Black Sea's shore, founded around 500 BC for commercial exchanges with local Daco-Getic populations. Probably the name is derived from Greek Τόμη meaning cut, section.
According to the Bibliotheke it was founded by Aeetes:
"When Aeetes discovered the daring deeds done by Medea, he started off in pursuit of the ship; but when she saw him near, Medea murdered her brother and cutting him limb from limb threw the pieces into the deep. Gathering the child's limbs, Aeetes fell behind in the pursuit; wherefore he turned back, and, having buried the rescued limbs of his child, he called the place Tomi. " (Bibliotheke I, ix,24)

According to Jordanes (after Cassiodorus), the founder of the city was a Getae queen (Jord. De origine actibusque Getarum, "The origin and deeds of the Goths"):

"After achieving this victory (against Cyrus the Great) and winning so much booty from her enemies, Queen Tomyris crossed over into that part of Moesia which is now called Lesser Scythia - a name borrowed from Great Scythia -, and built on the Moesian shore of the Black Sea the city of Tomi, named after herself. "

The Romans

In 29 BC the Romans captured the region from the Odryses, and annexed it as far as the Danube, under the name of Limes Scythicus.

In AD 8, the Roman poet Ovid (43 BC-17) was banished here by Augustus and died there nine years later, celebrating the town of Tomis in his poems. A statue of Ovid stands in the Ovid Square (Piaţa Ovidiu) of Constanţa, in front of the History Museum (the former City Hall).
The city was afterwards included in the Province of Moesia, and, from the time of Diocletian, in Scythia Minor, of which it was the metropolis. After the split of the Roman Empire, Tomis fell under the rule of Byzantine Empire.
Tomis was later renamed to Constantiana in honour of Constantia, the half-sister of Constantine the Great (274-337). The earliest known usage of this name was "Κωνστάντια" ("Constantia") in 950. The city lay at the seaward end of the Great Wall of Trajan, and has evidently been surrounded by fortifications of its own.

The Ottomans

After succesively becoming part of the Bulgarian Empires, the independent principality of Dobrotitsa/Dobrotici and of Wallachia under Mircea the Elder, Constanţa fell under the Ottoman rule around 1419.

A railroad linking Constanţa to Cernavodă was opened in 1860. In spite of damage done by railway contractors there are considerable remains of ancient masonry walls, pillars, etc. An impressive public building, thought to have originally been a port building, has been excavated, and contains the substantial remains of one of the longest mosaic pavements in the world.

The Romanians

In 1878, after the Romanian War of Independence, the Ottomans finally ceded Constanţa and the rest of Northern Dobrogea (Dobruja)to the newly enlarged Romania. The city became Romania's main seaport and transit point for much of Romania's exports.

In October 1916, during the WW1, the Central Powers (German, Turkish and Bulgarian troops) occupied Constanţa. According to the Treaty of Bucharest in May 1918, article 10. b (treaty which has never been ratified by Romania), Constanţa remained under the joint control of Central Powers. The city was liberated by the Allied troops in 1918 after the successful offensive on the Thessaloniki front which knocked Bulgaria out of the war.
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Adamclisi and the Quadrilater Border

Background:  Panel from the Traian column,
depicting the surrender of King Decebal to Emperor Traian
 
 
Right:  An artist's sketch of the Trajan column in Rome. 
This  copy is exhibited at the National
History Museum in Bucharest. 

 

Localities in The Quadrilater Border area:
Adamclisi -  Ostrov - Izvoarele  Satu Nou  Coslugea  Lipniţa  Carvân  Băneasa  Negureni  Ion Corvin  Oltina  Rariştea  Dobromir  Pădureni  Cetatea  Crângu  Viile  Dunăreni  Aliman  Abrud  Haţeg  Vlahii  Adâncata  Zorile  Deleni  Petroşani  Tufani  Fântâna Mare  Dumbrăveni  Olteni  Furnica  Independenţa  Negreşti  Cobadin  Viişoara  Pietreni  Movila Verde  Urluia  Pietreni 
Adamclisi in County Constanţa
 
Roman Adamclisi
in Moesia Inferior
Image: © REST ROMÂNIA
The Traian Column
The lofty edifice in Rome
Today's Monument

A Panel in the Monument
Depicting the Roman conquest of the Dacian tribes

The Old Roman Centre

As so often happens with history, emphasis on a particular region wanes with the passage of time.

Such is the sleepy Quadrilater Region of southern-most Dobrogea, hard against the Bulgarian border.   Once one of the most important towns the lower Roman province of Moesia, this was the site of battles, of monuments, fortifications, castles and thriving townships.
Now it is a throwback to yesteryear, with undulating fields, a dry almost Mediterranean climate, and if you're lucky, you'll see some villagers tending to their crops during the long dry Dobrogean summers.

 

The Church of Mankind

The name "Adamclisi" is made from the romanisation of the Turkish names "Adam Kilisse", meaning "the Church of Man". 

The Ottomans had come across this weird tower built by the Romans, and thought it to be a church of some sort, hence the equally curious placename chosen. 
The region around has always been a favourite zone of ethnic Romanians for the transhumance trade (moving livestock from the mountains to the plains for the summer months), so even during Roman, Bzyantine, Bulgarian and Ottoman rule, Adamclisi was a summer residence for the dozens of shepherds using the wide fields of the region.

Like the more famous Hadrian's Wall, the Adamclisi fortifications built by the Romans were were part of the "limes" (defensive barriers) between the Black Sea and the Danube. 

As with most, this are had a mix of the camps and wall defences: the "Limes Moesiae" which ran through Adamclisi was the conjunction of two, and sometimes three, lines of vallum, with a Great Camp and many minor camps spread through the fortifications.

The Triumphal Column

The Roman empire was always good about trumpeting it's own triumphs, and the great columns erected to the triumphs of the Emperor-general Traian over the Romanian Dacian people was one of the more stunning examples.

The column was made in two identical copies, which were erected in both Rome and at Adamclisi in southern Dobrogea, then a key part of the Moesia Inferior province and site of the battle against Dacian King Decebal.

If you're spending any amount of time in Bucharest, you really should stop by the National History Museum and have a look at the truly fascinating copies of the column panels.

Each of the relief panels, which once formed the outer wall of the column which stood at Adamaclisi, depics a scene in the saga of the emperor Traian's (sometimes spelt Trajan in America) conquest of the local Dacians.

 

The Triumphal Monument

The 1897 Monument seen today on this site is a fitting tribute to the one before it.  With a round base and a hexagonal spire, it does the job to commemorate the Romans.

Just a bit to the east you can also find the Roman War Memorial, built under the direction of the Emperor Traian to commemorate the fallen war dead.  Studied extensively by the Romanian architect Grigor Tocilescu, the rectangular altar has long columns with inscriptions carved in stone bearing the name of a Roman soldier, and recounting the immense sacrifices made by these troops in fighting off the invading Dacians (partly the predecessors of today's Romanians).
This Road Leads to Rome!
Why change a perfectly good road in a perfectly good place?  This Roman road just outside the Roman fortifications of Citvitas Tropaeensium is used today.

 

The Roman Castle

Going just a bit beyond the normal fortifications, the former Roman regional garrison town Civitas Tropaeensium at Adamclisi is a favourite with school groups and tours alike, happily sited in the rolling hill country with some photographable old remains.

The Roman Castrum
Remains of the Roman castrum Civitas Tropaeensium

Located to the north and west of the Adamclisi township, in the middle of hills which start in the Urluia valley, on a platou, you can find yet another grouping of Roman ruins:  The fortifications of Tropaeum Traiani who's ruins were researched and identified by Grigor Tocilescu between 1891 and 1909, and after that by Vasile Parvan in 1911.

Civitas Tropaeensium was the largest Roman town in all of modern-day Dobrogea, and was established to house the families (many with widows) and the veterans from the war to repel the invading Dacians, as well as other colonists and traders.

The town was declared a fully functioning Roman municipium around 2AD under the reign of the Emperor Septimius Sever.  By 316, the Goths wiped clean the Roman slate through a series of attacks, and the town was rebuilt from the ground up by Constantin the Great.
Below:  The Roman fortifications to the north-west of the monument
   
   
 

 Adamclisi Town

The current-day town of Adamclisi, south-east of the old Roman town, shares none of the former importance of that thriving outpost.  The present-day sunny hamlet on the rolling plains of southern County Constanţa does have it's charms however.

Acting as a regional centre, the township of Adamclisi includes the surrounding villages of Abrud and Haţeg (formerly Mulciova and Arabagi, both renamed after "real" Romanian towns elsewhere when Romanian seized Dobrogea (Dobruja)from the Ottoman empire in 1878), as well as Urluia (historical name: Urluchioi, Turkish: Uğurluköy) and Zorile (historical name: Cherimcuius, Turkish: Kerimkuyusu).
If you're staying for any amount of time in the area, talk to the Adamclisi mayor's office on 39 Traian Street in  Adamclisi, or call on +40 (241) 854 688 or e-mail them here.
 
The Mighty Danube Near Ostrov
Still a wide river before the Delta lands to the north, this section of Danube has enough power to still scour cliffs on the Dobrogean (eastern) banks.

 

 Ostrov

Ostrov is towards the Danube River from Adamclisi, about two-thirds of the way to the Bulgarian border town of Silistra.

There's no hospital, but there are 3 doctors and a pharmacy serving the Ostrov township, including the villages of Bulgeac, Galiţa, Esechioi, Almălău and Gârliţa.
Yet another of the historic grazing areas for the shepherds from the high Carpathian mountains, Ostrov had it's share of Transilvanian influences from at least the mid 1600s through the 1900s, despite rule by Turks, Bulgarians and the upheavals of the various wars.

With a population of 5500, the mostly male community (64%, don't ask why) is mostly agricultural with half of the arable land taken up with pastureland and hayfields, and the other half with orchards, vineyards and plant nurseries. 

Almost a quarter of the region is taken up with small lakes and ponds, giving the region a more verdant look than regions of Dobrogea (Dobruja)to the north, and make the paddocks ideal for the sheep and goats, which outnumber the pig population here 2 to 1.
 

 Getting There

Adamclisi and Ostrov are accessible from anywhere in the southern County Constanţa area, from Mangalia up to Constanţa, over to Medgidia and Cernavodă.

The area makes a good stopping off point on your way to the former Romanian city of Silistra in Bulgaria (the water supply, perversely, is still on the Romanian side thanks to Communist intransigence), or if you're on your way over to see the Danube River (although this section of the Danube is hardly a tourist hot-spot, but nonetheless interesting). 
The Roman War Memorial at Adamclisi
The columns commemorated the war dead from the various battles against the invading Dacians.  The adjacent town was home to a very large community of over 14,000 townspeople, the largest in Dobrogea.
Today's Adamclisi Monument
Every bit as impressive as the original single column, today's Adamclisi centrepiece punctuates the deep history of the Dobrogea (Dobruja)region.

Written by Queen Marie of Romania in 1935:
"One of the best known monuments that were found not far from Constanţa is Adam-Clissi, or the "Church of Adam" or of "Man"; a huge marble monument of no special artistic value, but of enormous size, erected in commemoration of Trajan's conquest over the Dacians.
"Its sculptured stones, as is usual on such monuments, represent figures of warriors; these are the figures of Dacians and Sarmathians executing heroic deeds of war. It was a huge round construction, crowned by a gigantic coat of armour and helmet, somewhat clumsy from the artistic point of view, but interesting enough to have aroused many a discussion as to its meaning and period of erection.
"A town grew up beneath the shadow of the tremendous monument; its outlines can still be traced, and also the foundation of a great basilica that once must have been a noble building of later date. "
 
Left:  Check out the 3D panorama of the monument at in360.ro
 
From the Rest Romania Website at

Histria GREEK AND ROMAN trading town

 
 Aerial view of the main area of
   excavation in 1972 at Histria  
 

 

 
   
Istria in County Constanţa
 
Istria, 130AD
The Greek Border Outpost of Histria

Image: © REST ROMÂNIA
Neolithic Menhir
Obelix would have been very proud of his brethren on the morning side of Europe with this ancient stone (menhir), on display at the Histria museum
Old Church Foundations
The views of Sinoe bay (now a lake) would have been beautiful from this old church.

Warning:  Major History Zone Ahead!

If you are in the mood to be amazed by some Greek and Roman ruins across 14 centuries of history, Histria has the archaeology, artefacts and history to keep you happy!

As one of the most accessible locations if you're enjoying your Mamaia holiday on the fun and sun of the Black Sea coast, a morning or afternoon at Histria will feed the intellectuals amongst you have might have realised the skin cancer risk of the beaches does not really outweigh the look of your new tan.

 

 The Museum of Histria

If you haven't visited the excellent National History Museum in Constanţa, we recommend that you go there as well, to see the whole collection assembled by the same excellent museologists, who oversee the collection at the Histria museum as well.

You will definitely get your fill at the Histria History Museum, which displays pieces of Greek, Roman and Byzantine archaeology all revealed by the many excavations of Histria and its surroundings.  Revel in glassware, ceramics, everyday household objects, as well as decorative inscriptions, ornaments and parts of buildings with flowery reliefs and decorations sculpted into the stone panels.

 

 The Remains of the Deity

The young ones and the young at heart will enjoy clambering over and around the fairly impressive excavated foundations and the odd column or two on a sunny Dobrogean afternoon.  

Plenty of photo opportunities await amongst the weird and wonderful old blocks, walls and structures!
Apollo, Aphrodite, Heracles, and their good mates were all celebrated at various temples around old Histria town, and today these testaments to man's faith live on, having survived over 25 centuries in some cases.

 

Open daily 9am - 8pm (5pm in winter)

 

 Ancient Histria

Ancient Histria was situated near the current day commune of Istria, on the Dobrogea (Dobruja)coast of the Black Sea. The ancient seashore has since become the shore of Sinoe Lake.

Histria was initially a Milesian polis (πολις, city), the first Greek colony (of Miletos in Ionia) on the west coast of the Black Sea. As such, it is the oldest town on Romanian territory.
It was first mentioned in writing by Eusebius of Caesarea, who dated its founding to 657 – 656 B.C, at the time of the 33rd Olympic Games, and by Skymnos of Chios, the Greek geographer and poet, who dated it to 630 B.C. The earliest documented currency on Romanian territory was an 8-gram silver drachma, issued in Histria in the year 480 BC.
 

The Lay of the Layers

The ruins of the settlement were first identified in 1868 by French archaeologist Ernest Desjardins.

 Archaeological excavations were started by Vasile Pârvan in 1914, and continued after his death in 1927 by teams of archaeologists led successively by Scarlat and Marcelle Lambrino (1928–1943), Emil Condurachi (1949–1970), Dionisie Pippidi, Petre Alexandrescu and Alexandru Suceveanu.

The layers speak volumes of the diverse and rich history of this trading town, beginning with the original Greek city with their temples to Apollo, Zeus and Aphrodite in the 7th and 6th centuries BC.

Several rebuilding projects ensued in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, when Scythians from the north and west pushed back against Darius I in 512BC.  New walls and a tower were built during the 5th and 4th centuries as Histria was then located between the Odrysian and Scythian kingdoms.  
Under the Delian league, Histria saw it's government by ruling families ease into democracy, and it's first bronze coins were minted.
Amphorae and Capitals
Some great finds on proud display contrast the sleek and modern look of the  Histria History Museum

 

 Histria, Provincial Powerhouse

A good measure of a town's wealth are the size of it's temples, and at Histria, they were wealthy indeed.   A host of cults mean new temples cropped up from time to time to accommodate the faithful, be they adherents of Apollo, Athena, Poseiden, Hercales or others. 

More new walls and fortifications went in between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, and outpost Histria gained great importance as a grain supplier to the cities of Greece, becoming a provincial powerhouse with it's port and grain industry. 
Due to it's proximity to the Scythians to the north, Histria did a roaring business in the slave trade (Scythians were notorious for picking fights just to harvest slaves for the Greek market).   In addition to grain, livestock were able to be transported and processed at Histria for transhipment to points south.

Considered luxuries in the Greek empire, the honey, wax and salted fish which were produced in and around Histria brought great wealth to the farmers and traders, who likewise imported goods from the larger cities to the south.  The good times saw a gymnasium and amphitheatre built, along with other leisure time structures.

But, thanks to regional power plays, Histria's function as a trade centre was severely tested with several destructive despots destroying the town between 350BC and 100BC, after which the Dacian King Burebista arrived in Dobrogea.

 

Below:  Frieze uncovered in the Histrian excavations  
 

 All Hail Caesar!

Around the turn of the millennium, Histria became a Roman town.   Marcus Antonius who was given the Moesia Inferior administrative district which included Histria around 20AD, effectively ending the largely Greek period of rule.

A new building for Therme was built around 65AD as Histria struggled to regain it's status as a viable trade centre.  But invading Goths and others from the north made stable society increasingly difficult, and the town (according to the layers found by archaeologists) faltered severely, possibly due to yet another destructive hoarde passing through, or possibly by an earthquake. 
During the 7th century A.D. the fortress was once again destroyed, this time by the invasions of the Avars and the Slavs.
Columns March to the Distance
Histrian history replete with old Roman columns, remains of a temple

Temple from Histria Fortress
Surprisingly well preserved structures from 21 centuries ago!

The Histria Excavations, c1938
The early works had already revealed significant boundary structures

Photo:  Govt of Romania
 
 
 
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Listed below are some local hotels, guesthouses (B&Bs) and other accommodation in the Constanţa area.

Pensiunea Hellios Inn, 2 Mai in 2 Mai
The pension is placed 300 metres away of the beach, it also has a pool.
722 512244  FAX: 241 732929 
Pensiunea Helios INN, 2 Mai in 2 Mai
(241) 732929  FAX: (241) 732929 
Pensiunea Roxana, Vasile Alecsandri in 2 Mai
The pension has turrets, very close to the beach.
722 430270  
Pensiunea Roxana, Str. Vasile Alecsandri in 2 Mai
(722) 430270  
Pensiunea Casa Bianca, Islaz in 2 Mai
The pension offers modern services, very close to the beach.
722 336262  
Pensiunea Casa Bianca, Str. Islaz in 2 Mai
(722) 336262  
Pensiunea Casa Dogarilor, Islaz 328 in 2 Mai
The hosts can organise boat trips or fishing trips.
241 743651  
Pensiunea Casa Dogarilor, Str. Islaz, nr.328 in 2 Mai
(241) 743651  
Vila Lyana, 2 Mai in 2 Mai
The pension offers 30 accommodation seats in a nice area.
241 201681  
Vila Andre & Daphne, Ion Dragomir 228 bis in 2 Mai
The pension has a terrace with a view towards the sea.
744 684838  
Pensiunea Mariana, 2 Mai in 2 Mai
The pension offers 12 accommodation seats in a quiet area.
723 595151  
Pensiunea Casa Oana, Gheorghe Bunoiu 152 in 2 Mai
The pension is placed just 150 metres away of the beach.
241 743900  
Pensiunea Casa Margo, Mihail Kogălniceanu 5 in 2 Mai
The pension is placed in a quiet area, close to the beach.
241 732939  
Pensiunea Casa Geta, 2 Mai in 2 Mai
The pension is placed on Mangalia Lake's ooze, in a dreamlike place.
722 271334  
Pensiunea Casa Ellamy, Mihail Kogălniceanu 391 in 2 Mai
The pension has a turret, in an area covered with greenery.
241 743924  
Hotel Blue Night, Falezei 5-7 in 2 Mai
The hotel is perfect for larger groups, right on the promenade of the sea.
723 636688  
Pensiunea Casa Geta, 2 Mai in 2 Mai
(722) 271334  
Pensiunea Casa Margo, Str. M. Kogălniceanu, lot 5 in 2 Mai
(241) 732939  
Pensiunea Casa Oana, Str. Gh. Bunoiu, nr.152 in 2 Mai
(241) 743900  
Hotel Safir, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel is oriented towards the beaches of Cap Aurora and Venus.
256 295833  FAX: 256 295834 
Hotel Safir, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
(241) 731294  FAX: (241) 731294 
Hotel Opal, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel offers quality services in a dreamlike ambience.
241 731374  FAX: 241 731854 
Hotel Opal, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
(241) 731374  
Hotel California, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel is placed only 50 metres away of the sea.
241 731293  FAX: 241 731293 
Hotel California, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
California Hotel is a newly renovated building with 110 rooms, situated in the center of tourism field of Cap Aurora, only 80 km away from Constanta Airport and 50 m from sea.
(241) 731293  FAX: (241) 731293 
Hotel Topaz, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel offers 209 accommodation seats in a pleasant ambience.
241 731292  
Hotel Onix, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel offers a great view towards the sea.
241 731358  
Hotel Diamant, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel is placed right in the centre of the resort.
241 731080  
Hotel Cristal, Cap Aurora in Cap Aurora
The hotel is recently renovated, offering quality services.
241 731353  
Pensiunea Cristiana, Corbu in Corbu
The pension offers accommodation for 40 persons, being close to a lake.
241 765858  FAX: 241 765858 
Vila Nina, D1 7 in Năvodari
The villa is placed in a quiet, private area.
722 163639  
Vila Liliana, Năvodari in Năvodari
The pension is newly built, very close to the sea.
788 103544  
Vila Alexandra, Mamaia Sat in Năvodari
The villa offers 64 accommodation seats for reasonable prices.
241 768228  
Pensiunea Teo Paula, Năvodari in Năvodari
The hosts will do everything to make you feel as good as possible.
241 768947  
Pensiunea Hanul Piraţilor, Năvodari in Năvodari
The pension also offers campsites for trailers and tents.
241 831454  
Pensiunea Arconi, Dobrogei 2 in Năvodari
The pension sleeps 12, located in a gorgeous area.
241 763813  
Complexul Delfin, Năvodari in Năvodari
The complex has 4 camps: Delfin, Albatros, Lebăda and Perla Mării (Dolphin, Albatross, Swan and Big Pearl).
241 660239  
Camping Pescăresc, Popas 3 Mamaia in Năvodari
The camping area is quite large, you'll enjoy the space in a great area.
241 831170  
 
The Cliffs at Constanţa
The city coastline of Constanţa is surprisingly rocky in places.

 

Read more about Constanţa at Constanţa County Council.

 
From the Rest Romania Website at
 
The Romanian Beach Umbrella.  Click here to see more of beach life!

Need more info?  Click here to contact us about choosing the right beach holiday vacation spot for you and your family!

Sulina Sfântu Gheorghe Gura Portiţei Mamaia Constanţa Eforie Nord Techirghiol Eforie Sud Costineşti Olimp Neptun Jupiter Saturn Mangalia Doi Mai Vama Veche
 

Thanks for Reading our Information about County Constanţa!

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