Things to see and do Dobruja

This remarkable museum will allow you to familiarize yourself with the history of the city and its region, from the Paleolithic to the present day. It occupies a building with an architecture of the purest neo-Romanian style, dating from 1921. You will discover exceptional remains, reflecting the archaeological wealth of Dobrogea: terracotta or bone objects, coloured glasses, jewellery, tools, weapons, bronze helmets, Greek and Roman statues... Among the valuable pieces is the Glycon (2nd century A.D.), a serpent deity carved in marble, which has become the emblem of the city. We can also mention the ceramics of the Neolithic civilizations of Hamangia and Gumelnița, notably the moving Thinker of Hamangia and the Seated Woman two terracotta statuettes discovered in the necropolis of Cernavodă.

Next to the museum is a gallery where a Roman mosaic dating from the 4th century AD is kept. Discovered during work in 1959, it is unique in Europe by its size (about 400 square metres preserved, out of the 2,000 of the original surface area). The harmony of its colours - dominated by red, white, green and beige - and the beauty of its plant and geometric patterns have not been altered by time. At the time, the mosaic occupied one of the terraces of a large commercial building, which served as a junction between the city and the port. From the gallery, you will enjoy a magnificent view of the port.

It's the landmark of Constanța. On the jetty by the Black Sea, this superb Art Nouveau building was designed by Swiss architect Daniel Renard and inaugurated in 1910. Its façade is adorned with a shell-shaped bay and its interiors are sumptuous. Confiscated by the Communists, the casino changed hands again and again after the revolution, until it fell into disrepair in the 2000s. After many ups and downs, a vast rehabilitation project was launched in 2020 and is due for completion in June 2024. You can already admire the restored façade.

In the center of the large pedestrian square that bears his name, you'll see the pensive statue of the Latin poet Publius Ovidius Naso. Born in 43 B.C., exiled in 9 A.D. by the Emperor Augustus, he died in Tomis in 17 or 18 A.D., leaving behind melancholy poems. His tomb has never been located. The statue, erected in 1887, was designed by the famous Italian sculptor Ettore Ferrari, who also created the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington. Surrounded by heterogeneous buildings, the square has been a gathering place since Antiquity.

Built between 1883 and 1895, it was the first church built in the city after the War of Independence of 1877. Its inauguration was delayed because of its interior paintings, which had to be corrected: the artist had given the features of local personalities to the religious figures! The brick building is Neo-Byzantine in style and is topped with copper domes that do not go unnoticed. In the park surrounding it, you can see the remains of the old town of Tomis.

Going up along the pleasant seaside promenade, you will see this lighthouse dating from the 14th century, renovated in 1860. It is also called the old lighthouse (farul vechi), as opposed to the new lighthouse (farul nou), which is very futuristic and which you may see on your way to the stations on the southern coast. Not far away, by the sea, is the statue of Mihai Eminescu, created by the sculptor Oscar Han in 1930. Further on, you will reach the marina of Tomis and, continuing along the sea, you will arrive at the grey sandy beach of the town.

It lies on the border between the old town and the modern city, at the foot of the Town Hall. This park is home to the remains of ancient Tomis, founded by settlers from the Greek city of Miletus in the ^6th century BC. Here you can see a tower rebuilt in the time of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, in the ^mid-6th century, and the last section of the Roman wall (on the Boulevard Ferdinand side), dating from the ^3rd century AD. The park's paths are lined with amphorae and column fragments.

Close to Piaţa Ovidiu, this elegant reinforced concrete mosque is the main Muslim place of worship in Romania. It was built in 1910 in Arab-Byzantine style, with elements of Romanian architecture. It was a gift from King Carol I to the Muslim community in the region. The interior houses the largest oriental carpet in Romania: with an area of 144 square metres, it is over two hundred years old and weighs almost 500 kg. You can climb the approximately 140 steps of the 47-metre high minaret: from there, the view of the city is superb.

It is divided into four historical sections: ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary. You'll see old amphorae, all kinds of weapons, medals, uniforms, navigational instruments, old maps... Not forgetting the hundred or so ship models from all eras: ancient merchant ships, Ottoman galleys, Moldavian warships, ^20th-century boats and submarines. The park offers a breathtaking view of the harbour.

The cave-monastery of Saint Andrew(peșterea Sfântul Andrei) lies 80 km west of Constanța, shortly after Adamclisi, in the village of Ion Corvin. Nestled in a forest of lime trees is a cave where, according to legend, the apostle Andrei took refuge. Arriving in the region around 60 A.D., he is said to have built a church here, where he and his followers celebrated the first Christian masses in what is now Romania. In the 1990s, a monastery was built next door.

This wine-growing region is the most famous in Dobrogea. It extends around the town of Basarabi. Located 20 km from Constanţa, the east-facing hillsides are particularly well-suited to vine-growing. This estate was extended in the 1950s, following a major planting campaign. A variety of grape varieties are grown here, producing wines that are often sweet and fruity, which, especially for red wines, may be a little disconcerting for French tourists. Guided tours are available, with tastings of course.

Close to the railway and bus stations, separated from the Danube by a thin strip of land, Lake Ciuperca (literally "Mushroom Lake") is one of the city's favorite walking spots. The surrounding park is pleasant. On the western shore, a small beach has been laid out for swimming. You can also fish in specially designated areas, or hire a rowing or pedal boat. There are several bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity, as well as a swimming pool to the northwest.

The road from Constanţa to Cernavodă, via Murfatlar, runs along the Black Sea Canal to the Danube. Also visible from the train that connects the capital to Constanţa, it was built in the 1950s and put into service in the 1980s. This 64.5 km long pharaonic project cost the lives of thousands of workers. Those who were called "volunteers" to carry out this "heroic project" for a "great Romania" were in reality peasants who refused collectivization, political opponents, Greek-Catholic priests.

Info and brochures about the city, its museums, the coast and the whole region.

Located to the west of Tulcea, these are the oldest mountains in Romania, and even among the oldest in Europe, dating back several hundred million years. Their altitude does not exceed 500 m. Their arid climate and highly specific soil composition make them Europe's last refuge for steppe flora and fauna. They are home to exceptional biodiversity. The Măcin Mountains also offer superb landscapes, dotted with curious rock formations such as those around the Pricopan ridge (Culmea Pricopanului). A number of short and medium-distance hikes are possible. You can also go cycling or horse-riding. The localities around the Măcin mountains are also rich in historical heritage. Last but not least, the region is famous for its vineyards, which stretch along the foothills.

Măcin mountains. You can stop here to admire the old mosque and the ruins of the wall surrounding the ancient Roman city of Arrubium.

Turcoaia. In this village south of Măcin, you'll see the ruins of the Troesmis fortress. Dating from the 3rd century BC.

Isaccea. Named Noviodunum by the Romans, this pleasant little town on the Danube played an important strategic and commercial role in the region at the time. Remains of its former grandeur are still visible. Not far away, in the village of Tichilești, is Europe's last leprosarium.

Niculițel. In this wine-growing village, you can visit the ruins of an early Christian basilica. The church and crypt were founded by Emperor Valens in the year 370. Discovered in the 1970s, the basilica has been partially rebuilt. Four martyrs' skeletons lie in a collective coffin on the upper level of the crypt.

Cocoș Monastery. The "Rooster" monastery was erected in 1835 in an oriental Turkish style. It houses a museum of medieval and modern art featuring a collection of ancient books, icons and documents relating to the Ottoman period. The path leading to the museum crosses hills planted with vines.

Celic-Dere Monastery. South of Telița, this monastery today run by nuns was founded between 1841 and 1844 by Romanian and Russian monks. It owes its name to its proximity to a stream, the Celik Dere (Turkish for "stream of steel").

Dinogetia fortress. First mentioned by Ptolemy, this was originally a Dacian site, before the Romans took it over. What remains is the result of numerous destructions and reconstructions over the centuries.

This atypical cave lies just west of Mangalia, in the village of Limanu, on the edge of the pond of the same name. Stretching over 4 km, it is by far the longest cave in the region. Formed by a maze of rectangular galleries, some of them man-made, it is believed to have been inhabited since prehistoric times and to have served, over the millennia, as a place of worship or refuge. Numerous animal species have also been discovered, mainly invertebrates, but also bats, foxes, turtles and polecats.

This museum (also known as "Callatis") houses a fine collection of Roman sculptures, including a ^3rd-century marble Aphrodite. There are also fragments of columns, capitals and friezes, as well as ceramics and jewelry... At the entrance is the "Papyrus Tomb", dating from the ^4th century BC and discovered in 1959. Sent to Moscow for conservation, the papyrus went missing for decades and was only repatriated in 2011. In the outdoor park, other architectural fragments are on display, along with sarcophagi from the Roman era.

Built in 1573, it is one of the country's oldest mosques. It bears the name of its founder, Princess Esmahan, daughter of Sultan Selim II and wife of a vizier, who took refuge in Mangalia at the time. This beautiful, thick-walled, carved-stone edifice is surrounded by a small cemetery, where prominent figures of the period are buried. Some of the stelae are over three centuries old. Also note the ablutions fountain in the courtyard. The mosque still serves as a place of worship for the city's Turkish-Tatari community, which numbers some 3,000 worshippers.

The ruins of this ancient Roman city are divided into three sections: the museum, which houses archaeological remains (vases, funerary objects, etc.); the ruins of the city and its well-preserved surrounding walls; and the triumphal monument, erected in 109 A.D. to celebrate the victory won here by Emperor Trajan over the Dacians a few years earlier. The mausoleum visible today is a replica. The city was destroyed by the Goths in the ^3rd century.

It consists of two adjoining buildings, one 19th century neoclassical, the other dating from the 1980s. Works by great Romanian masters, mainly from the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, are exhibited: Nicolae Grigorescu, Theodor Aman, Ioan Andreescu, Ștefan Luchian, Frederic Storck... The museum gives pride of place to paintings of marine inspiration, with many Dobrogean landscapes in particular. It also manages a section dedicated to the sculptor Ion Jalea, a native of the region (strada Arhiepiscopiei, 26).

This museum is housed in the former town hall, a neo-Romanesque building dating from 1896, with a very oriental feel. The interior is in the same vein. Here you'll see a variety of handicrafts from all regions of the country: wooden and glass icons, ceramics, pearl jewelry... The collection of folk costumes and textiles is particularly rich. There's also a craft store. On your way out, take a detour to contemplate the nearby Hunchiar mosque. This Moorish-style mosque dates back to 1868.