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County Constanţa
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The Roman fortifications at
Adamclisi
protected
Rome's largest town in today's Dobrogea.
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County Constanţa
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 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! |
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The old agrarian and port town of
Histria in northern County
Constanţa was an active border town
with temples, fortifications and garrisons.
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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. |
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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.
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.
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Photo:
Government of România |
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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  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!
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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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.
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Mamaia Viewed from the Cable Car
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Wild Ride!
The Hammer ride at Mamaia's amusement
park
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 The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest
Romania SRL, All rights reserved.
Photo:
© REST ROMÂNIA
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest
Romania SRL, All rights reserved.
Photo:
© REST ROMÂNIA
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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.
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.
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.
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!
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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Localities in The Mid
Black Sea Coast area:
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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.
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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
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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.
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Mangalia and Resorts North
from Mangalia and Saturn to Olimp, Jupiter and Neptun just below the
horizon |
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The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest
Romania SRL, All rights reserved.
Photo:
© REST ROMÂNIA
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Mangalia
Region Coastal Towns:
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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.
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).
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Mangalia Shopping Street, 1925
A typical interbelllum shopping
street in downtown Mangalia |
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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.
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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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:
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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.
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"
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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.
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The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest
Romania SRL, All rights reserved.
Photo:
© REST ROMÂNIA
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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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.
Localities in The
Dobrogean Danube area:
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The Bridge to Cernavodă
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Listed below are some local agents who can help you with bookings and organize local tours in the Constanţa area.
+40 (241) 814380   +40 (241) 760575 FAX: +40 (241) 760575
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Click on the map for details
of each location shown,
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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Start your Romanian Riviera vacation on the new A2 "Freeway of the Sun", linking Constanţa
to Bucharest with 4-lanes to the Black Sea!
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From the Rest Romania Website at
Drive the Sun Freeway!
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 With 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.
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
Click here for car rental
companies with service at the Constanţa airport
 Constanţa Downtown, Tarom Agency
B-dul. Ştefan cel Mare, nr.15 in Constanţa to or Weekly
 to or Weekly
 to or Weekly
           
+1(800) 331 1212  +44 (844) 581 0147 +40 (241) 616733
 
+1(800) 527 0700 +44 (8445) 81 22 01 +40 (241) 639713
 Constanţa Downtown, Hotel Dobrogea,
B-dul Lapuşneanu 194, Birou 18 in Constanţato or Weeklyto or Weeklyto or Weekly
+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 Constanţato or Weeklyto or Weeklyto or Weekly
+1(800) 654 3131 +44 (8708) 44 88 44 +40 (241) 661100 FAX: +40 (241) 661100
If you're renting in Bucharest, See Here and if you are arriving at
Constanţa Aiport, see here
From the Rest Romania Website at
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
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.
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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.
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.
From the Rest Romania Website at
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.
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The Mihail
Kogălniceanu airport is about a half hour north-west of
Constanţa and serves all of
County
Constanţa
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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.
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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.
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.
From the Rest Romania Website at
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.
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
+1(877) 940 6900 +44 (845) 758 5375 +40 (722) 211 518 FAX: +40 (241) 513933
+1(800) 654 3131 +44 (8708) 44 88 44 +40 (241) 661100 FAX: +40 (241) 661100
If you're renting in Bucharest, See Here
From the Rest Romania Website at
Transportation History
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.
From the Rest Romania Website at
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.
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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.
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Photo: TAROM
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The Seaport of Constanţa |
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The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest
Romania SRL, All rights reserved.
Photo:
© REST ROMÂNIA
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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.
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.
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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
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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. |
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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.
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23 August
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Adamclisi
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Agigea
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Albeşti
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Aliman
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Amzacea
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Bărăganu
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Castelu
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Cerchezu
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Chirnogeni
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Ciobanu
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Ciocârlia
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Cobadin
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Cogealac
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Comana
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Corbu
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Costineşti
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Crucea
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Cumpăna
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Cuza Vodă
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Deleni
Dobromir
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Dumbrăveni
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Fântânele
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Gârliciu
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Ghindăreşti
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Grădina
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Horia
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Independenţa
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Ion Corvin
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Istria
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Limanu
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Lipniţa
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Lumina
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Mereni
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Mihai Viteazu
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Mihail Kogălniceanu
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Mircea Vodă
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Nicolae Bălcescu
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Oltina
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Ostrov
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Pantelimon
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Pecineaga
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Peştera
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Poarta Albă
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Rasova
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Saligny
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Saraiu
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Săcele
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Seimeni
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Siliştea
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Târguşor
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Topalu
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Topraisar
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Tortoman
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Tuzla
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Valu lui Traian
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Vulturu
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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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.
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
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!
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The Greeks
A number of inscriptions found in the town and its vicinity show that
Constanţa lies where once Tomis stood.
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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From the Rest Romania Website at
Adamclisi
and the Quadrilater Border |
Background: Panel from the
Traian column,
depicting the surrender of King Decebal to Emperor Traian
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Right: An
artist's sketch of the Trajan column in Rome.
This
copy is exhibited at the National
History Museum in
Bucharest.
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Localities in The
Quadrilater Border area:
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Roman Adamclisi
in Moesia Inferior |
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The Traian Column
The lofty edifice in Rome |
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Today's Monument |
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A Panel in the Monument
Depicting the Roman conquest of the Dacian
tribes
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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).
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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.
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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 |
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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
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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).
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.
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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).
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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. |
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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.
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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
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From the Rest Romania Website at
Histria
GREEK AND ROMAN trading town
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Aerial view of the main
area of
excavation in 1972 at Histria
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Istria, 130AD
The Greek Border Outpost of Histria
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Neolithic Menhir
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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
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Old Church Foundations
The views of Sinoe bay (now a lake) would
have been beautiful from this old church.
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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
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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
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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.
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Columns March to the Distance
Histrian history replete with old Roman
columns, remains of a temple
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Temple from Histria Fortress
Surprisingly well preserved structures
from 21 centuries ago! |
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The Histria Excavations, c1938
The early works had already revealed
significant boundary structures
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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The Cliffs at Constanţa
The city coastline of Constanţa is surprisingly
rocky in places. |
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Read more about Constanţa at Constanţa
County Council. |
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From the Rest Romania Website at
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