City Breaks - Constanta & Bucharest

Constanta & Bucharest City Breaks

Constanta, the main city on the Black Sea Coast

Constanta (prounounced Constantza) is the oldest city on the Romanian territory (657 BC) and a great city to begin to explore the wonders of the sea. In Constanta you will travel back time as here, old ruins are whispering long gone stories about ancient Greek and Roman colonists who populated more then 2 000 years ago the West shore of the Black Sea.

In the area, a Greek colony was founded called Tomis. Later on, the Greek settlements have been conquered by the Romans and renamed Constantiana, after the sister of the Roman Emperor Constantin the Great.

Nowadays Constanta became the largest harbor at the Black Sea and the

fourth largest commercial harbor in Europe.

Its historical monuments, ancient ruins, grand Casino, museums and shops,

and proximity to beach resorts make it the focal point of Black Sea coast

tourism. But open-air restaurants, nightclubs and cabarets offer a wide variety

of entertainment as well.

Regional attractions include traditional villages, vineyards, ancient monuments

and of course, the Danube Delta, the best preserved delta in Europe.

Main things to see include:

The Museum of History & Archeology

Located in theold City Hall and has a very large collection of ancient art,

pieces from the Greek and Roman antiquity (for example, the Glykon Snake,

Fortuna and Pontos, Two-faced Nemesis and countless amphoras).

Also outside the museum there are some marble tombs and artifacts.

The Roman Mosaics (Edificiul Roman cu Mozaic), a vast complex on three

levels once linked the upper town to the harbor. Today, only about a third

of the original edifice remains, including more than 9,150 sq ft (850 m2) of

colorful mosaics. Built toward the end of the 4th century AD and developed

over the centuries, it was the city's commercial center until the 7th century.

Archaeological vestiges point to the existence of workshops, warehouses and shops in the area. Remains of the Roman public baths

can still be seen nearby. Aqueducts brought water 6 miles (10 km) to the town.

Ovid's Square and the statue representing Publius Ovidius Naso. Designed by the sculptor Ettore Ferrari in 1887, the statue dedicated to the Roman poet, Publius Ovidius Naso, gives name to this square. Emperor Augustus exiled Ovid to Tomis in 8 AD for obscure reasons. He wrote his Tristia in Tomis.

The Muslim Mosque built by the first king of Romania, Carol Ist

as a homage to the local Muslim community. Going up in the

Minaret Tower you can have a splendid panoramic view of the

whole city of Constanta

The Orthodox Cathedral dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul

(monument of Byzantine architectural style). The neo-Byzantine

style combined with Romanian elements can be best observed in

the iconostasis and pews, chandeliers and candlesticks (bronze

and brass alloy).

The Aquarium Constanta, the first public aquarium in Romania.

The Dolphinarium, began its activity on June 1, 1972, being the first museum form of this kind

in Romania and the first one in the S-E of Europe at that time.The exhibition presents the world

of the shell fish living in diverse seas. The shows are organized in the amphitheatre with a pool,

with dolphins from the Phocaena relicta species and Delphinus delphis ponticus species, with

seals from the South Atlantic.

Kids especially will love it!

The Genoese lighthouse, soaring 26 feet (7.9 m). First built in the 13th century it has been rebuilt

in the present shape in 1858-1860.

The Old Casino. Completed between the two World Wars in art nouveau style, the Casino

features sumptuous architecture and a wonderful view of the sea. Despite being in a state of

disrepair nowadays, it can be visited for free. It's an amazing piece of architecture that definitely

deserve a visit. The pedestrian area around the Casino is a sought-after destination for couples

and families, especially at sunset.

It is nice to stroll the city's streets, the historical peninsular area which has a special charm, the sea

coast, the Tomis marina or one of the many parks, on the lake-side or through the ruins of the

ancient Greek colony Tomis.

You can take time to do sunbathing or you can swim in the Black Sea. There is a large beach called

Modern right in the middle of the city, which is favored by locals and is near the marina.

Very very shallow waters (you can walk for 20-30 meters and the water won't pass your knees) so

it's suited if you want to take your kids there and let them play safely in the water.

But the most significant beaches are in the Mamaia resort which is in the north part of Constanta.

It consists of about 6-7 kilometers of sandy beaches with absolutely no rocks; the width of the

beaches vary from 20 to 150 meters. It's also full of hotels, clubs and bars and extremely popular

and fashionable in the summer. Moreover in the off season (September-April) they are a great place

for taking pictures walks, or rides with the atv or enduro motorcycle and there are some centers for

renting atv-s near the Cleopatra bar at the beginning of the resort.

But it could be a good opportunity to drive further to Tulcea, known as “The gate of the Danube

Delta” and visit the Danube Delta. It could be an amaizing experience to take a boat tour and enjoy

the outstanding and typical landscapes (water lands) and many birds as pelicans, cormorants, egrets,

herons, swans, etc.

Bucharest, the little Paris of the Balkans

Founded more than 500 years ago on the banks of Dambovita River by ruler Vlad Tepes, Bucharest

became later the capital city of the princely court and afterwards a great European metropolis.

The communist period surely left its marks on the face of the capital, but after that it started the

modernizing period, Bucharest is now an exciting city with nightclubs and sidewalk cafes, opera

house and art museums, parks and gardens. Bucharest now boasts a buzzing café culture, a clutch

of museums and, despite the best efforts of Ceausescu’s bulldozers, a city centre still dotted with

historic buildings. It’s a city full of places to be discovered walking on the old streets besides the main

roads where you will see the other face of Bucharest, known in 1930's as the "Little Paris" due to its

artistic life, broad boulevards and “fin de siecle” architecture. Most of the key sights, restaurants and

bars are located around Piata Revolutiei (Square of Revolution) and the Old Town, Centru Vechi.

A panoramic tour will follow the route: the Triumphal Arch ( remembering you of the Triumphal Arch

in Paris), Kiseleff Avenue towards Herastrau Lake and Presa Libera Square, then Aviatorilor Square,

Victoria Square. Leaving Victoria Avenue for Elisabeta Avenue you will enjoy seeing Central Army

House, City Hall, Cismigiu Park ( the oldest park in Bucharest), Opera House, Military Academy.

Going on with Botanical Garden and the Royal Cotroceni Palace (the seat of Romanian Presidency).

We recommend Cotroceni Palace as the first stop.

After visiting the Cotroceni residential zone full with old villas in style, you can continue with

Dambovita Quay straight to the Parliament’s Palace - the biggest building in Europe and the second

in the world after the Pentagon, 6.000 rooms), Justice Palace, the Patriarchy, Old Royal Court,

Manuc's Inn.

It worth a visit to the Palace of Parliament, the centrepiece of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s plans for the city.

In 1977 an earthquake devastated much of Bucharest and the response of the country’s hardline

dictator was to start work on a concrete Utopia, the Centru Civic, with the palace at its centre. Over a

fifth of the city’s old medieval core was razed to the ground to make way for his “vision” although the

despot never lived to see its completion. The largest administration building in the world after the

Pentagon, it’s now the home of Romania’s Parliament.

You’ll need your passport to go on one of the tours (daily 10am-4pm; 0040 21 311 36110).

Then return towards the city center to Victoria Square (Grigore Antipa Museum, Romanian Peasant's

Museum), Government Palace, George Enescu Museum, Art Collection Museum, Romanian

Athenaeum (home to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and one of Bucharest’s great

buildings topped by a baroque cupola, famous for its remarkable acoustics), the Royal Palace.

Here you will see the Revolution Square when you can even see the bullets holes in the buildings.

Then go for a walk to see the old face of Bucharest, small streets with beautiful old houses, visit

the open air Village Museum and then the Old Court, the old historical centre of Bucharest.

On the waling tour you can see as well the Universitatii Square with buildings like the University

and the National Theatre but you should stop for a walk on the Lipscani Street. Here you can

admire the oldest beer pub in Bucharest- "Caru cu bere" and the historical Church Stavropoleos.

There are some historical buildings that worth to be visited as well. As example, a house built at the

beginning of the 20th century by the architect Nicolae C. Mihăescu called Bicycle Mita House. Much of

the building's fame was given by this women, Bicycle Mita which was considered a luxury person,

being curtailed by the most influential men of the time. It is said that Octavian Goga,

Nicholas Grigorescu and even Manuel Manuel of Portugal have admired the beauty of Mita. It seems she was one of the most influential women of the times, and we are not referring here only to the dictation of the new trends in fashion, but also to influencing some decisions of the political characters of those times.

The night can continue in the historical center where there are so many things to do: go in a Disco

Pub (for those who love bear) or a Music Club (for those who like live music) or simpy enjoy Balkan

atmosphere in a Music Bar.

Tourists can also try Therme Bucharest (https://therme.ro/en), the largest complex built from scratch in Europe for relaxation and fun in special pools and slides with thermal water extracted from the deep sea, surrounded by orchids and palm trees and water bars.

It is something not to be missed.