Things To Do In Constanta Romania: A Historic City With Beaches

Constanta is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. It is in the Northern Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the warmest city in the country. As a result, it is a popular tourist destination. I enjoyed my roam around the city, which has a nice coastline, a massive port, and some interesting historical buildings.

I visited Constanta for a few days during my beach holiday in Mamaia. The city had been on my mind after chatting with a few Romanians about it. Constanta has loads to see and do, including many tourist attractions.

If you are visiting Constanta, Romania, for a relaxing beach holiday, you’ll want to stay near Constanta Beach or the neighbouring Tomis Turistic Port, a lovely marina. Both are great places to hang out in the summer months with lots of things to do.

Things to Do in Constanta, Romania

There are many things to see and do in the city, including visiting some tourist attractions. I found plenty of places to visit while exploring the city and the coast.

Have fun on Constanta Beach

For those seeking sun, sand and sea, Constanta Beach delivers; the Black Sea and sandy beaches next to Old Town are fantastic. Many pleasant beach bars let you enjoy a session or a relaxing beer while watching the sea.

The beaches of Mamaia are geared more toward those who like beach holidays, but without the views of the Old Town area. One extremely popular beach activity is the zip line from the cliffs to the beach, ideal for adrenaline junkies. The water is lovely here for a dip in the Black Sea and is also quite warm during the summer months. There are also breakwaters to explore and wander out into the water. There are also many other beaches up the coast in the resort of Mamaia or further along the Black Sea coast.

Relax in the Tomis Port & Marina

Tomis Touristic Port is a marina with a brilliant selection of restaurants on the waterfront, many with outdoor seating. The marina has many boats of different sizes, some of which you can take for a day trip on the Black Sea.

Visitors can also walk along the seawall for fantastic views. The coastal path from here takes you straight into the historic centre of Constanta. The coastal walk offers splendid views, including waves crashing against the seawall.

See The Famous Constanta Casino

Along the coastal footpath from the port stands the must-see, iconic Constanta Casino. The Art Nouveau building is on the boardwalk and offers fantastic sea views. The boardwalk also features well-maintained gardens and plenty of benches for watching the sea. You can visit the casino for events or tours; find out more on their website.

Climb the tower of the Grand Mosque of Constanta

The Grand Mosque of Constanta is a fascinating place to visit, especially if you climb the tower for a special view of the city. The Romanian National Institute of Historical Monuments listed this mosque as a historic monument, and it is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can see inside the mosque and its rather nice interior and rugs.

You can also climb the mosque’s tower, which has a viewing platform. From the top of the tower, you get splendid views of the city and the sea. This is a must-see for anyone who enjoys seeing cities from above.

Go on a Boat Trip

From the marina, you can arrange boat trips on the Black Sea via Yacht Mamaia. Yacht Mamaia offers a variety of cruises or trips. They offer sunset cruises along the coast or flexible day cruises, where you often see local dolphins.

You can also go fishing or swim in the open sea from the yachts. If you want to push the boat out, you can also hire these yachts for private parties. For a short boat trip around the nearby coast, Euphoria Cruises is an option. They do pleasure cruises from Tomis Tourist Port.

Stroll along the Seafront

The seafront offers splendid views of the Old Town and out to sea. There are many statues in the park called Parcul Cazinoului. This also has benches to sit and chill out. You can also watch the waves crash against the seawall or climb down some steps to explore.

Visit the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul

Near the port is the uniquely looking Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. It has pleasant gardens, with nice shaded areas to sit out and refresh. It looks different from the other Orthodox cathedrals in Romania.

I highly recommend visiting the inside. You enter through a two-arched doorway with white pillars between the arches; it is decorative and sets the tone. The inside of the cathedral is special and intricately decorated. This is a great place to cool down, admire the religious art, pray or reflect.

Explore Old Town Constanta

The old town has a variety of churches and other historic and religious buildings, including St Nicholas Church. It is a beautiful place with plenty of places to dine out or grab a drink to cool down. The Old Town vibe is quite special and a great place to wander around aimlessly. There are quite a few old buildings to see; sadly, many need some love. This includes Vila Șuțu on the cliffs overlooking the beach.

See Ovidiu Square – Piața Ovidiu

Ovidiu Square is the main square in the old town, with plenty to see. The main building in the square is the archaeology museum; however, there are other older buildings as well. Next to the museum are some ancient artefacts to see without entering, which is cool.

There are statues to see and benches to sit on and enjoy the weather. There are also places for refreshments at the edges of the square. A great place to view the square is from the mosque tower.

Peruse the Museum of National History & Archaeology

The Museum of National History and Archaeology is in Ovidius Square in the old town area. This is one of the best museums in Romania, second only to the National History Museum in Bucharest. In front of the museum is Ovidiu’s Statue, or Statuia lui Ovidiu din Constanța.

They dedicated the statue to the Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso. They built it in 1887. This is a magnificent building to look at from the outside and browse the artefacts inside. The nearby square is also a great place to have a refreshing drink or sit on one of the many seats.

They started the Museum of National History and Archaeology back in 1879. They opened it to prevent smuggling of archaeological artefacts from Constanta. The museum contains over 400,000 objects dating from the Palaeolithic era to more modern times. The museum includes Greek, Romanian, Byzantine, and medieval artefacts and is fantastic for history buffs. This museum is well worth visiting while exploring the city.

Roman Mosaic

As a bolt-on to entry to the archaeological museum, you can also visit the site of a Roman mosaic. The mosaic is rather impressive. They discovered it in 1959. The Romans made the mosaic between the 4th and 6th centuries. You can walk around Roman art and see it up close.

Visit The Museum of Folk Art

A lovely building dating back to 1893, it houses the Museum of Folk Art. Inside, you can view traditional art, ceramics, woodwork, glassware, textiles and other fascinating collections. It’s well worth a visit and takes under an hour to have a good mooch around.

Eat out in Old Town

The old town’s side streets and squares were full of bars and restaurants serving a variety of food types. This includes traditional Romanian, Turkish, and Greek options, as well as more Western options like burgers. Most eateries offer local or continental beer. This includes the delightful Ursus.

One of the city’s best restaurants for traditional Romanian cuisine is La Ana și Ion. This fantastic restaurant serves all the country’s classic dishes and some regional ones, too. Their soups, platters and mici are delicious.

Visit Parcul Gării and watch the fountains

Near the train station is Parcul Gării, a lovely park for a walk. There are some very nice trees; some poplar and chestnut trees are over 60 years old. The park’s centrepiece is a kinetic fountain that is great to watch for a while. They made the fountain in the ’70s from stainless steel from the local railway station.

The park seems safe, and a few bars nearby let you sit and enjoy a cold beer or a soft drink. This park is the thoroughfare from the railway station to the Old Town via the pretty Ferdinand Boulevard.

Victory Monument

Heading towards the Old Town from the fountains, you will reach the archaeological park. The park features a variety of statues, with the Victory Monument as the centrepiece. This monument commemorates the victory of communism over fascism; sculptor Boris Caragea built it in 1968. They designed this to signify the Romanians’ anti-fascist struggle. From Archaeological Park, you can follow the coast road for a view of the port and the old town from above.

Walk around Lacul Tabacariei

Lacul Tabacariei is a beautiful lake between the city and Mamaia, popular with watersports enthusiasts. It is nearly 100 hectares and just over two-and-a-half miles to walk around. While walking, you will see local wildlife, trees, bridges, a dam and a wooden church. This is an enjoyable walk. I recommend starting and ending at the mall; then you can catch a bus back to town or on to Mamaia.

Visit Great Martyr Mina Church

Great Martyr Mina Church is a black wooden church on the banks of Lacul Tabacariei. This is a lovely place to have a mooch around. The grounds are fantastic to explore, with pagodas to sit in and cool down. There is also a separate bell built in the same style as the church. It is a relatively new church, built in 1995; however, the area’s tranquillity makes it a great place to visit.

Peruse the Romanian Navy Museum

The Romanian Navy Museum, or MUZEUL NAŢIONAL AL MARINEI ROMÂNE, is just outside of Old Town. The 20-minute walk here offers splendid views of the old town and the dockyard. They house the museum in a pleasant building adorned with the national flag and have some naval artefacts out the front. Entry to the museum is 10 lei, about £2. Tour guides can speak either Romanian or English when showing you around or answering enquiries.

The museum has a few sections, including weapons, uniforms, and a medal collection. The weapons collection includes swords, boat-mounted guns and even older cannons. The museum also has models of the navy’s ships. Those who enjoy perusing art will find a full naval history art collection. Certainly an interesting tourist attraction for those who like military history.

Shopping at City Park Mall

For those that enjoy retail therapy or need something, as I did, City Park Mall is the place to go. It is a modern shopping centre with many shops across most categories. They had some superb clothing stores that were handy for buying swimming gear to replace the swimming shorts I’d ripped earlier in the day.

City Park Mall was the only place I could find that sold vape juice for e-cigarettes. As I was leaving for the wilderness after Constanta, I had to visit multiple stores to get enough juice for the adventure. There are also bars outside with parasols, a great place to chill after shopping.

Enjoy the rides at Luna Park

Enjoy the funfair vibe at Luna Park, a small amusement park with a range of rides. They have rides including the Ghost House, Dodgems and Go-Karts. There are also many typical fairground stalls where you can get treats or play a skill/chance game. We visited out of season and had the place to ourselves, which was fun. We enjoyed the dodgems, some games of chance and the arcade games.

Coast Walks

You can access the beach from various points along the coast, including on the path from the Casino on the southern end of the beach. At the northern end, in the Tomis II area, a footpath runs through the dunes onto the beach. This actually leads you on to the Aloha beach section. There’s also a footpath down from the old town centre, near the Ibis Hotel. Various historical buildings and restaurants overlook the beach too.

Kiteboarding

Near Zoom Bar was WEGO Kiteboarding, which looked like a fun activity for adrenaline junkies. This school teaches kiteboarding to people of all abilities. Kiteboarding is not too dissimilar to windsurfing with a kite. This is a fun activity to enjoy; however, it is also great fun to watch while lounging on the beach.

The Genovese Lighthouse

Another pleasant sight when visiting the city is the Genovese Lighthouse. The Genovese Lighthouse sits on the seafront, near the iconic Casino. Originally built in the 1300s, the lighthouse has been rebuilt since then.

Zip Wire at Main Beach

Another way to get to the beach, if brave enough, is by zip wire from the city above. The zip wire takes you over a cliff, then quite far onto the beach. This is called Tiroliana Constanta – “Extreme Zipline” – which descends onto Plaja Modern. Those who wish to try this unique experience will fly over the seafront with a 30-metre drop, practically from the height of a ten-storey block. The ride reaches over 43 miles per hour on its descent.

Watch Ships at The Port of Constanta

This is Constanta’s main port, and its entrance is near the old town and visible from the coast road. It is a fascinating place to see, especially how big and active it is. You can enjoy watching ships unload cargo and soaking up the industrial vibe of the dockyard. It is not particularly stunning for those who like beauty. But if you appreciate the industrial side of life, it is worth seeing from above along the coast road.

Visit The Natural History Museum & Dolphinarium

Another interesting thing to do is to visit the natural history museum and planetarium. You can also visit the dolphinarium and see a dolphin show. You can watch the dolphin shows at midday each day, with an extra 2 pm show on the weekends.

The zoo section also has many animals, including some local species and exotic birds. Right next to the museum is the planetarium, where you can learn about the universe beyond Earth, including other planets and stars. They also have an aquarium at another site in the city centre, with lots of sea life to see.

Street Art in Tomis Port

When exploring the marina, the seawall is a great place to see some local street art. It includes some space-themed pieces, and there’s even dedicated seating to view them.

More Tourist Attractions in Constanta, Romania

• Visit Mamaia
• Visit the Aquarium
• See the Church of St Anton of Padua
• Visit St Nicholas Church
• Photograph the House with Lions – Casa cu Lei
• See the Great Synagogue
• See the Hunkiar mosque
• Find the Greek Church “Transfiguration” (Metamorphosis)
• Watch a show at the Theatre for Children and Youth
• Watch a performance at the State Theatre
• Take a photo of the Steam Train at the railway station
• Have a day out at the Natural History Museum
• Have fun at Aqua Magic

Is Constanta in Romania Worth Visiting?

There are loads of things to see and do in Constanta and the local area. This ranges from historical tourist attractions to some more fun activities. I really enjoyed a week in the area but feel two weeks would have meant I saw everything. Summer is a great time to visit if you like warmer climates; however, the first weeks of September are quieter if you want to avoid busy beaches.

The highlights of my visit were in the old town area, especially visiting the cathedral. The casino was special to see, and the beaches were also nice for relaxing. I will return in the future if possible, as I thought the city was fantastic. Next time, the dog will come; so we will be looking for dog-friendly bars, accommodation, and things to do.