Constanţa

Introduction

Constanţa (/kon'stan.ʦa/) is Romania's main port on the Black Sea. It has been a significant administrative and commercial centre for thousands of years. It features in Greek mythology, the Roman poet, Ovid, was exiled here, and the current name comes from the Roman Emperor, Constantine's sister. Part of the Ottoman Empire, the city also contains two mosques. Evidence of this history is scattered throughout the old town which, with its crumbling facades, seaside promenade and cafes, has a Mediterranean feel to it. Nearby resort centres, including Mamaia (a short bus ride North) provide a livelier, more commercialised centre along large, sandy beaches.

Sights and Activities

The old town is small and easily seen in a day. Most sites are centred around the central square, Piata Ovidu. This contains the History Museum (entrance 10 Lei), with excellent exhibits and artefacts tracing the town's history. The Roman Mosaic next door is a large, ornate, preserved mosaic floor of a villa (discovered in 1959). Walk south to the remains of two Roman villas and a section of street. Further South from there takes you to the seaside promenade and the ornate French Casino building (now closed and in need of rennovation). A couple of small, sandy beaches extend North of the end of the promenade.

Weather

Mediterranean in summer; drier and slightly milder than the rest of the country in winter.

Getting There

By Train

The train station is about 1.5 kilometres west of the old centre.

By Bus

Buses from Bucharest and most of the cities in Romania arrive at the bus station, located next to the train station, about 1.5 kilometres west of the old town.

By Boat

The ferry terminal is located next to a huge scrap metal dump about 2.5 kilometres south of the old town. There are ferry services from Varna, Bulgaria and Odessa, Ukraine.

Getting Around

By Public Transport

Buses link the old town with the train station and also go to surrounding resorts. Buy a ticket at a kiosk before you get on.

Taxis are plentiful and clearly marked - make sure they turn on their meters.

By Foot

The old town can easily be walked around by foot.

Eat

Cafes and restaurants cluster around the main square and along B-Dul Tomis leading North from it. Most are Italian Pizza parlours and fast food places.

Sleep

Around Constanta is the main beach resort for all Romania. Most travellers head for Mamaia and other areas slightly north and south of Constanta itself. These areas have a larger number of hotels. Old Constanta has a limited supply and most are relatively expensive for what you get.

Budget

• Old women at the train station will offer 'Cazare' - accommodation - in their houses. These may be some way from the centre.
• Hotel Tineretului (0241 613590) is the cheapest place in the centre, about 100 metres north of the main square. It is a dirty flea-pit but some rooms have seaview.

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Romania's country code is +40. To dial to other countries from Romania, dial 00 and then the international number usually without the first 0.
Public phones work well and are available in all areas. You must purchase a phonecard from a kiosk to use them. When dialing within Romania, dial 0 + three digit area code + six digit telephone. The main providers of mobile telephones are Vodafone, Orange, Cosmote and Zapp.

Post

Posta Romana is the national postal service of Romania. Postal services are generally very affordable, reliable and reasonably fast. Post boxes are red and can be found near the post offices, along the street or in main train stations. Post offices can be found in even the smallest towns and the opening hours are generally Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 6:00pm and Saturday 8:00am to 12:00, closed on Sunday. You can buy stamps here or at kiosks. Prices for international mail start at around €0.55 and takes at least 3-5 days to countries within Europe. It's slightly cheaper and faster for domestic mail to be send. Intercontinental post is slightly more expensive but takes much longer. For more expensive but faster services you can also try international courier companies like TNT, DHL or UPS.