The Black Sea Coast Resorts

        Until you reach the Romanian Black sea resorts, first you have to cross a vast field with miles and miles of maize, sunflower, wheat or other crops. Beyond the Danube, crossing the 1.7 km-long Cernavoda Bridge, Europe`s largest when built by Anghel Saligny in 1895, you step into Dobrogea, a region caught between the Danube and the Black Sea - a peaceful fertile land.
        There are things that attract your attention once you are near Cernavoda nuclear power station, the only one existing in Romania (one module of five completed).
        The Main Danube flow is heading northwards from Cernavoda except for a branch which turns east to the Black Sea. The completed Danube Canal cut across Dobrogea from Cernavoda just to south of Constanta at Agigea, shortening considerably the distance from the Danube`s inland harbours to the sea for the sea-going vessels. Thus the difficulties of navigating through the Delta are avoided.
        Nevertheless one must not overlook the terrible ordeal the Romanians had been put through during the 50`s by the Communist party organs. Hundreds of thousands of innocent dissentiant people, acused of being against Soviet expansion, were deported and forced to dig out millions of tonnes of hard rough soil with their bear hands. They were treated like animals, lived unbearable conditions, just for the construction of a huge canal nowadays proven unuseful.
        Going deeper inland, Dobrogea reveals several good wine-producing regions, such as Murfatlar which is a favourite excursion destination with seaside holidaymakers, mainly because of sampling its fine wines along with a good dinner and because they might leave with a doze as a souvenir. Murfatlar wines are indeed good, with plenty of body and a mass of international awards from past years.
        Much nearby countryside is also pleasant (Fântâna Murfatlar Nature Reserve - wooded slopes of limestone hills). The village of Basarabi, which forms part of Murfatlar, containa strange remains. Some time ago it was discovered that 3 small Christian churches had been cut into a limestone hill. Inscriptions, pottery, mural paintings and drawings were found. While these items suggested a 10th century date, there were also indications that the earliest of the churches might go back to Roman times, long before the 9th century.

CONSTANTA        

        is a harbour and industrial city (the 5th largest harbour in Europe). It has agreat history that goes back to the ancient Greek legends. It was connected with Jason`s and his Argonauts` search for the Golden Fleece and with the story of Medea.
        It became famous down to our own days as the place the great Roman Poet Ovid (Ovidius Publius Naso) was banished to, by the Emperor Augustus, in AD 9. Here he wrote his Tristia (Sorrows) and Epistulae ex Ponto (Letters from the Black Sea).
        Then Tomis came under the Byzantium`s rule, the Genoese moved inthe town for a century and after the fall of Constantinople, it was taken over by the Turks until 1878. As a result of all these you can see in Constanta the statue of the poet Ovid, the remainsof a Roman settlement with its magnificent mosaic pavement from the 3rd century, a mosque and an Orthodox cathedral and the Genoese lighthouse, all in the same area between the commercial harbour and the yacht harbour.
        Other interesting things like aquarium displaying 4500 species from the Black Sea, the Danube and Romania`s lake, facing the modern Casino, built in the early years of this century, which looks out onto the sea, are worth a quick visit.


COSTINESTI        

        has been developed as Romania`s youth holiday centre. Some of the events form part of the entertainment and fun, Costinesti is well known for: "The Young Actors` Show", "The Costinesti Film Festival", "The Sea Celebration Days", "The Jazz Festival" and so on.


EFORIE - nord        

        lies 14 km south of Constanta and is half resort and half health spa, second largest on the Black Sea coast. Apart from a considerable number of normal hotels, restaurants, bars, discos, open-air cinemas and a fine large park, it boasts also a vast artificial seawater lake together with several sanatoria handling various ailments. It has a capacity of 19,000 shared by 42 hotels, 24 villas, 2 campsites. The most notable hotels sprung on Eforie Nord`s beach are Steaua de Mare, Meduza, Delfinul, Europa, Traian, Minerva, Venus and so on. You could enjoy a tasty meal at Vraja Marii Restaurant, at Perla Marii, Pescarus or Rapsodia Restaurants as well. 30 ha of dense forest enhance the beauty of the seacliff and its waterfront.


EFORIE - sud        

        is some 4 km away from Eforie Nord, lying on Lake Techirghiol`s shore. The lake was as a matter of fact a sea gulf and thanks to evaporation its water is six times as saline as the sea and its mud is credited with many healing properties. Eforie Sud could accommodate 15,000 tourists in 41 hotels, several villas and 4 campsites. Among these Gloria, Excelsior, Riviera, Capitol, Ancora, Flamingo or Cosmos are worth mentioning.


MAMAIA        

        is Romania`s main sea resort, a modern settlement, with some 60 hotels, 14 villlas additional restaurants, shops, very attractively planted gardens, swimming pools, nightclubs and discos, an open-air theatre - the Mamaia Pop Music Festival is held here yearly and everything else summer visitors can possible need - all laid out on a sandbar some 15 km long, but only 150 - 400 m wide, separating the sea from a sweetwater lagoon called Siutghiol. Full use is made of Lake Siutghiol for watersports of every sort (canoeing, sailing, water-skiing, board sailing and so on. The beach on the seaward side, with fine shell-sand slopes gently into the sea. The most prestigious hotels in Mamaia with a wide range of facilities are the 3 star hotels: Ambasador, Albatros, Alcor, Vega, Amiral, Bucuresti, Majestic and a greater number of 2 star hotels such as: Sulina, Ovidiu, Pelican, Perla and so on.


NEPTUN - OLIMP        

        is a well-developed resort though technically consists of 2 resorts bound together. A number of hotels in Olimp are very appreciated for their location, overlooking the sea (Panoramic, Amfiteatru and Belvedere Hotels) and some of Neptun`s for the shade that wooded land provides and for its relatively peaceful atmosphere (Galati, Arad, Slatina and so on). There are plenty of good restaurants such as "Calul Balan" or "Popasul Caprioarelor" - the latter amidst Comorova forest, where you could taste some of the Romanian traditional cuisine and enjoy a folk show. The Albatros and Insula Restaurants serve outstanding fish dishes - the latter is built on the Lake Neptun I`s island. Neptun possesses a children`s recreation park called Prichindel, a sports ground and watersports facilities on its lakes. Good watersports facilities abound.


JUPITER        

        can host over 8,500 tourists in hotels like Capitol, Cometa and Meteor just next to the beach and in a campsite called "Zodiac". The "Paradise" Bar is one of the most visited in Jupiter and "Catunul" Restaurant and disco-bar, built in traditional architectural style teems with tourists every night.


VENUS        

        has got 11,000 places available in 25 modern hotels bearing maiden names (Anca, Irina, Dana, Sanda, Rodica, Veronica) known for the originally architectural style of their interiors.


SATURN        

        is the last of this string of modern resorts. It gives another 13,000 accommodation places to the Black Sea Coast resorts` capacity in 3 or 4 storeyed hotels (Cleopatra, Narcisa, Semiramis, Aida, Cupidon).


MANGALIA        

        first appears in the history as the ancient Greek trading station Callatis. It kept that name under the Romans and the Byzantines, but became Pangalia when taken over by the Genoese in the 13th century. Mangalia is fundamentally a small commercial harbour. It has a pleasant wide beach and several acceptable hotels as well as a number of sanatoria and treatment centres. You can see remains of the old citadels walls, uncovered in 1960 just beside the small " Callatis" archaeological museum. The Esmahan Sultan mosque beside it dates from 1590. You`ll find good accommodation provided by the Mangalia Hotel including a well equipped sanatorium, Astra, Orion, Zenit Hotels nearby Mangalia wide beach.


CAP AURORA        

        lies south of Neptun with large hotels of unusual design above the cape`s tip bearing names of gems (Cristal, Agat, Rubin, Safir, Diamant, Opal, Granat, Onix).

        Before you reach the Bulgarian frontier, there are two tiny fishermen`s villages as well as ideal places for camping directly on the beach.
        The Limanu village lies between the two of them deeper inland beside a sweetwater lake. It is some of the typical traditional least visited fishermen`s settlement, though the Limanu Cave would have drawn a loyal following if its name had been more familiar to the seaside visitors. It was measured several times before the specialists came to the conclusion that the other end of it is underground the Bulgarian territory. People said the cave was known since the ancient times when an underground church was digged out observing all the details of a church`s interior. The locals claimed that many people were trapped inside and could not find their way back due to the huge maze and tangle of galleries. Each gallery branches in several directions. During the Communist period the cave was the place where smuglars coming from Bulgaria hid their goods.
        The region north to Mamaia contains some of Romania`s least known spots. Roughly 60 km from Mamaia the ruins of Histria lie next to village of Istria. It was founded by Greeks from Miletus in the 7th century BC. The most notable items include a 5th century BC temple of Aphrodite, houses, baths and temples up to the 1st century, defensive walls and towers, Roman baths, a large basilica in the central square, shops, pottery, inscriptions and mosaics built by the Romans. For many centuries Histria looked out from its promontory over open sea. But all the approaches to its harbour were silted up by sand spilled out by the Danube into the Black Sea. Today a long sandbar has formed a series of lagoons northward along the coast. They`ve been given the names of Lakes Sinoe, Smeica, Golovita and vast Razelm. It`s a lonely area but it`s rich in fish. The region`s chief fish-handling centre is just outside Unirea, formerly Jurilovca, one of the main settlements inhabited by Lipovani, descendents of heretic refugees from Russian church persecution in the late 18th century.
        If you choose to travel to the Black Sea Coast taking the southern route via Cãlãrasi, you`ll have to cross the Danube at this point on ferries or more exactly a flat pontoon that you can drive you car straight onto. Passing through Calaras i many sites will stir your interest as follows: the town main park, the swimming-pools located on either sides of the Danube.
        Once you`ve reached the Danube`s crossing point, the incredible beautiful surroundings leave you enchanted. The Borcea Island hugged by the Danube`s 2 arms is famous for its wilderness - a dark poplar forest sometimes flooded by the Danube`s waters is a heavenly spot for camping and fishing. Nearby, a smaller island was once famous during the 11th century as a trading centre. This island is called "Pãcuiul lui Soare" as well as the Byzantine fortress built in AD 971.
        The southern part of Dobrogea looks very much like a steppe. If you look round you`ll see miles and miles of rough, dry land eventually toiled by peasants if you have the chance of seeing one.
        However, the silhouette of a construction is rising from the stretched flat land. It`s the Tropaeum Trajani (Trajan`s Victory Trophy) near the village of Adamclisi. It was built in AD 109 to celebrate the Roman Emperor Trajan`s victory over the Dacians. Its main feature is a series of 54 bas-reliefs consisting of six groups of nine scenes each, the Emperor himself appearing in every group.
        If you`re driving in the Dobrogea`s northern parts either on your way to the Black Sea resorts or to the Danube Delta, you may like to see the Orthodox Monasteries of Cocos (built in 1833 by the monks coming from Mount Athos Monastery), of Celic Dere (completed in 1932, it has a beautiful collection of church possessions) by following the road from Tulcea to Braila. This will also give you the chance to see the recently discovered underground 4th century church at Niculitel, called the "Martyricon" (the relics of 4 saint-martyrs put to an ordeal in AD 396, were found inside) or the 18th century mosque at Mãcin.
        The Danube crossing at Galati and Braila are also made on ferries. You can sail between Tulcea and Galati and on to Braila by speed boat. You`ll find this journey fascinating and relaxing through a lush green countryside. Galati and Braila are both ancient settlements and both Danube ports. At first sight neither town is specially attractive, though both have spots worth seeing.
        In 1944 when Romanian armies forced a Nazi armies` withdrawal, the Germans blew up the Galati harbour, shipyards, factoires, warehouses and several hundred houses. Despite that, a number of old churches and other fine buildings still exist. They include the 16th century Saint Precista fortified church (the oldest in town, built in 1647), the Mavromolu Church (built in 1857), the Archbishopic Cathedral and so on.
        The Braila`s main Orthodox church is a former 17th century mosque, converted in 1829, after the Turks` withdrawal. There ia also a Greek church, whose building began in 1862. Remains of the once important Turkish fort still exist.