The Black Sea Coast: From Ancient Ruins to Modern Beaches
Diana Condrea
The Black Sea is one of the natural borders of Romania and a major tourist attraction, the busiest and most popular summer destination for Romanians. While we’re not big fans of crowded and mainstream places, in case you spend a couple of days in the resorts of the Black Sea, we have a few suggestions for you to discover its less commercial side.
Sunrise on the Black Sea
Ancient history on the shore of the Black Sea
The Black Sea coast is inherently connected to Dobrogea — today Tulcea and Constanta counties — that had a strategic location on the ancient map of Europe. It was on the route of main commercial roads that linked the Northern Sea and the Black Sea, but also the Mediterranean ports with the Eastern part of the continent.
Histria Museum
The Greeks were the first to seize the opportunity and colonize this land in the 7th century BC, followed in a few centuries by the Roman Empire. Visiting the ancient ruins from Histria and Jurilovca is, in fact, a great half-day trip away from the noisy beaches. If you have more time, take a detour to Adamclisi to admire the monument built in the honor of victorious Trajan, the Roman Emperor who defeated the Dacians almost two thousand years ago.
Beach fun
The Romanian Black Sea coast has a length of 245 km and the seaside resorts cover less than half of it. The resorts offer a diversity of activities, from water sports to therapies based on mud treatments, from music festivals and hippie atmosphere in the south, in Vama Veche, to luxury hotels and clubs in the north, especially in Mamaia.
Few beaches from the Romanian Black Sea coast are actually quiet enough to enjoy the sound of waves splashing at the shore. Corbu and Vadu are the best options, but even there the number of tourists is rapidly growing. The small island of Gura Portitii, reachable by boat from Jurilovca, is also a good option despite the high prices.
Beach in Vama Veche
Travel tips
The Black Sea coast is the most popular holiday destination during the summer for most Romanians so it’s better to book your accommodation on time.
There are important variations between resorts in terms of price, accommodation conditions, and tourist interests so do a quick check-up before choosing your destination.
Take a morning to visit the National Museum of History and Archeology from Constanta and stop to see the Casino, one of the town’s symbols, built one hundred years ago.
