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 some nice coastline, a massive port and also some interesting historical buildings.

I visited the city of Constanta for a few days out during my Beach Holiday in Mamaia. The city had been in the back of my mind after chatting to a few Romanian people about it. There are loads of things to see and do in Constanta, including many tourist attractions.

If you are visiting Constanta in Romania for a relaxing beach holiday, you want to be near to 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 many options for places to see while exploring the city and up 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. There are many pleasant bars on the beach where you can enjoy a session or a relaxing beer while watching the sea.

The Beaches of Mamaia were more geared to those that like beach holidays but minus the views of the Old Town area. One extremely popular activity on the beach is the zip line from the cliffs onto the beach, ideal for adrenaline junkies.

The water is lovely here for a dip in the Black Sea, also is 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 that has a brilliant choice of restaurants on the waterfront, many with outside seating. The marina had many boats of different sizes, some of which you can get a ride on for a day trip on the Black Sea.

Visitors can also wander on the sea wall for some fantastic views. The coastal path from here takes you straight into the historic centre of Constanta. The coastal walk has some splendid views, including watching the waves crashing against the sea wall.

See The Famous Constanta Casino

Along the coastal footpath from the port is the must-see and iconic Constanta Casino. The Art nouveau building is on the boardwalk and has some fantastic sea views to admire. The boardwalk is also home to some well-maintained gardens, and plenty of benches to watch the sea. There is also a nice multi-level bar with views of the building called The View.

Climb the tower of the Grand Mosque of Constanta

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

You can also climb the tower of the mosque, which has a viewing platform. From the top of the tower, there are some splendid views of the city and the sea. This is a must see place for those that enjoy 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 tips. They do sunset cruises along the coast or flexible day cruises where you often see the local dolphins.

However, you could also do a spot of fishing or swimming 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

On the seafront there are many 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 crashing up against the seawall or even climb down some steps to explore.

Visit the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul

Near to the port is the unique looking Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. It has pleasant gardens, which are nice to sit out in the shaded areas of the garden while refreshing. It looks different from the other Orthodox cathedrals in Romania.

I highly recommend visiting the inside of the building. You enter was through a two arched doorway with white pillars between each arch; the entrance is decorative and sets the tone.

The inside of the cathedral is really special and decorated intricately. 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 or religious buildings, such as St. Nicholas Church. It is a beautiful place with many places to dine out or have 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 are in need of 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 and there are quite a few things to see. The main building at the square is the archeology museum, however there are other older buildings too. Next to the museum are some ancient artefacts to see without having to enter the museum, which is cool.

There are statues to see, benches to sit on and enjoy the weather. Also, there are places for refreshments at the edges of the square. A cool place to view the square is from the tower in the mosque.

Peruse the Museum of National History & Archaeology

The Museum of National History and Archeology 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. To the 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 have a look around 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 Archeology back in 1879. They opened it to prevent smuggling of archaeological artefacts from Constanta. The museum contains over 400000 objects dating from the Paleolithic era up to more modern objects. The Museum includes Greek, Romanian, Byzantine and medieval objects of interest and 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 to see. They discovered it in 1959. The Romans made the mosaic in between the 4th and 6th centuries. You can walk around the work of Roman art and see 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 art traditional 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 all full of bars and restaurants serving a variety of food types. This includes traditional Romanian, Turkish, Greek and more western options like burgers. Local or continental beer is available in most eateries. This includes the delightful Ursus.

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

Visit Parcul Gării and watch the fountains

Near to the train station is Parcul Gării, a very nice park for a wander. There are some very nice trees, some poplar and chestnut trees are older than 60 years. The centrepiece of the park 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 there are a few bars in the area to 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.

See the Victory Monument

Heading towards the old town from the fountains, you will reach the Archeological park. The park contains a variety of statues with the centrepiece being the Victory Monument. This is the monument of victory of communism against fascism; they built this in 1968 by sculptor Boris Caragea. They designed this to signify the anti-fascist battle of the Romanians. 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 and is popular with watersports enthusiasts. It is nearly 100 hectares in size and is 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 along 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, including pagodas to sit and cool down in. There is also a separate bell built in the same style of the church. It is a young church building started in 1995, however the tranquillity of the area makes it a great place to see.

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 has some splendid views of the Old town area and also 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, which translates to about £2. Tour guides can either speak Romanian or English while showing you round or answering enquiries.

There are a few sections of the museum, including weapons, uniforms and a medal collection. The weapons collection includes swords, boat mounted guns and even older cannons. There are also models of the ships of the navy here, too. For those that enjoy perusing art, they have a full naval history art collection. Certainly an interesting tourist attraction for those that like military history.

Go shopping at City Park Mall

For those that enjoy retail therapy or need something like I did, City Park Mall is the place to go. It is a modern shopping centre with lots of shops covering most categories. They had some superb clothing stores which were handy to buy some swimming gear to replace the swimming shorts I 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 for a post shopping chill.

Enjoy the rides at Luna Park

Enjoy the vibe of the funfair at Luna Park, a small amusement park with options for rides to enjoy. They have rides including; the Ghost House, Dodgems and Go-Karts. Also, there are many typical fairground stalls to get treats or play a game of skill/chance.

We visited at out of season and had the run of the place which was fun. We enjoyed the dodgems, some games of chance and the games arcade.

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. To the northern end, on the Tomis II area, there is a footpath through the dunes onto the beach. This actually leads you on to the Aloha beach section. Also, there is a footpath down from the old town centre, near to the Ibis Hotel. Overlooking the beach are various historical buildings and restaurant too.

Kite Boarding

Near to Zoom Bar was WEGO Kite boarding, which looked a fun activity for adrenaline junkies. This is a school that they teach kite boarders of all abilities to surf pulled along by a kite. Kite boarding 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 feature to see when visiting the city is Genovese Lighthouse. The Genovese Lighthouse is on the seafront near to the iconic attraction The Casino. Originally, they built the lighthouse in the 1300s, however it has been rebuilt since then.

Zip Wire at Main Beach

Another way to get on the beach, if brave enough, is on the 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, you will fly over the seafront with a drop of 30 metres, 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 the principal port of Constanta, and its entrance is near to the old town and visible from the coast road. It is a fascinating place to see, especially how big and active it was. You can enjoy watching the ships unloading cargo and the whole industrial vibe in the dockyard. It is not particularity stunning for those that like beauty. But for those who appreciate industrial aspects of life, it is worth having a look from above on the coast road.

Visit The Natural History Museum & Dolphinarium

Another interesting thing to do is to Visit the natural history museum and planetarium. It’s a place where you can also visit their dolphinarium and see a dolphin show. You can watch the dolphin shows at midday each day with an extra 2pm show on the weekends.

There are also many animals in their zoo section including some local species and exotic birds. Right next to the museum is the Planetarium, where you can learn about things beyond planet earth, including the other planets and stars. They also have an aquarium at another site in the city centre to visit 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. This includes some space-based themes and they even have some dedicated seating to see it.

More Tourist Attractions in Constanta Romania

• Visit Mamaia
• Visit the Aquarium
• Go Kite Surfing
• 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 Theater 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 of year to visit if you like the warmer climates, however the first weeks of September are quieter if you are averse to busy beaches.

The highlights of my visit were in the old town area, especially visiting the inside of the cathedral. The casino was special to see, and the beaches were also nice to relax on. My next stop after Constanța was to Tulcea, then onwards to the Danube Delta.

I will return in the future if possible, as I thought the city was fantastic. Next time the dog will come, thus will be on the search for dog friendly bars, accommodation and things to do.