Constanța is a city rich in culture, architectural jewels and historical monuments. Its special character is rendered by the existence of ancient ruins and art monuments representative of the Roman era. Another plus is the fact that the city is close to several beaches, which means that in addition to the historical journey you can take by coming here, you will also be able to enjoy the beauty of the Black Sea.
The settlement was documented for the first time in 657 BC. At that time, instead of the current peninsula, there was a Greek colony known as “Tomis“. Later, the Romans conquered the town and changed its name to “Constantiana“. The 13th century was a flourishing period for the town, thanks to the Italian merchants from Genoa who became involved in the development of the trade in the area.
The period during which the city was under Ottoman rule saw the degradation of the locality which was downgraded to the status of a village. The return to the title of city took place in 1865, after which Constanța became the most important port of Romania.
The city of Constanța is located in the southeast of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. This is the municipality of residence of the homonymous county and has in its composition the following localities: Constanța, Mamaia and Palazu Mare. Constanța is, in fact, located on an island, being guarded by the Poarta Albă-Midia Năvodari Canal, the Black Sea and the Danube-Black Sea Canal.
The Casino is the symbol of Constanta and was open to the public in 1910, in the presence of Prince Ferdinand. Although the initial plan was to provide a building whose architectural style was inspired by the traditions of Romanian art, after the initial foundation was in place, the architecture style is changed, and the City Hall entrusted the plans to an architect of French origin who renounces the principles of Romanian style in favour of Art Nouveau. The casino played various roles over the years from theatre performance and proms as well as a recreation place for tourists. In other words, a spot of tranquillity and social interaction.
The Greek Church Metamorphosis – dates back to the time when the area belonged to the Ottoman Empire in the seventeenth century. This was the first place of worship in Constanța and two of the conditions imposed by the sultan for this purpose were: the church was not allowed to be higher than the mosques and its location had to be as far as possible from the Turkish quarter.
St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church is another place of worship that is a delight to the eye because of its structure. The current building is a basilica, that was built after the model of those in northern Italy, made of exposed brick and in Romanesque style, specific to the 13th century. The interior of the church is also made of exposed brick, which does not require nor allow the plastering of the building.
The Tomis Port was not as famous as it is today a few years ago and tourists were not including the location in their itinerary when visiting the Romanian seacoast. However, this has changed and today the port is an ideal place to spend a relaxing day away from the hustle of the beach areas. Most of the restaurants here are supplied by the fishermen in the port, with fresh fish from the Black Sea therefore, many traditional dishes are served based on fish and seafood.
Constanța is linked by the “Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport” and Tuzla Aerodrome. Companies such as WizzAir and Turkish Airlines operate international flights, but also the national company Tarom with routes to various cities in Romania.
The 800 Rail Corridor (Magistrala 800) ensures the rail transport between Constanța and Bucharest, and the CFR network also runs to Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Arad, Iași and other cities and towns in the country. For more details, routes and train tickets you can visit this link.
If you prefer a faster option, you can choose to travel by bus/minibus. Here you will find all the necessary information to help you with this: bus stations and stops, departure and arrival times as well as destinations.
For those who prefer to travel with their own car and come from the direction of Bucharest, the best option is the “The Sun Highway” (Autostrada Soarelui – A2) which connects the Romanian capital with Constanța and the other tourist resorts in the area.
If you like music festivals, in Constanta you will find one to your taste, regardless of the style of music you prefer. Here you have a list with some of them, but you should know that every weekend there are events for all tastes.
What are you waiting for? Come and have a good time, enjoy music, nice people and magical places.
