5 reasons to visit Dobrogea in Romania

5 Reasons why you should visit Dobrogea in Romania

Want to eat honeycomb? Tread where others haven’t, or leave behind the stresses of the modern world? Then Dobrogea is an excellent place to start exploring rural Romania.

1. Dobrogea is undiscovered territory

Rural Romania is frozen in time, and the Dobrogea region especially so. After we leave Constanţa, the regional capital of Dobrogea, behind us, highways turn into dirt roads. We regularly have to dodge donkey carts carrying people, harvest or cattle. Wooden houses, painted light blue, decorated with cheerful flower pots align the gravel roads cut through the provincial villages.

Here, in Dobrogea, one rarely meets other foreign tourists.

2. Cultural diversity in Dobrogea

The majority of the population in the Dobrogea region are Romanians. Other significant ethnic minorities are Russian Lipovans, Ukrainians, Turks, Tartars, Bulgarians, Roma, Macedonians and Armenians, all of whom have brought their traditions and customs.

Although most of the country’s population identifies as part of the Eastern Orthodox church, followers of different religions live peacefully together. You will find Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Protestants and Jews in Romania.

The country is a textbook example of a prosperous multicultural society, where the traditions and customs of each other are honoured and kept alive over many generations. At the same time, the Romanian youth is highly educated, multilingual, ambitious and curious about the outside world.

3. Romanian cuisine

Hip and happening restaurants, cafes, and shops can be found in the most unexpected places. But even at the hippest pop-up restaurant, the food is cooked the old-fashioned way, i.e. homemade, freshly harvested from the land or sea. You will be served whole honeycombs, fish prepared on a wood fire, and sun-touched vegetables. And not unimportantly, the coffee, as far as I am concerned a bare necessity of life, tastes excellent everywhere.

4. The landscape of Dobrogea

Dobrogea or Dobruja borders Ukraine on the north and Bulgaria on the south. The region has 245 kilometres of coastline.

Here you will find mountains, wetlands, forests and farmland. The Măcin Mountains formed 300 to 400 million years ago. These are the oldest mountains on the European continent, alongside the Vosges in France and the Scottish Highlands. In contrast, the Danube Delta only formed ten thousand years ago.

The Delta is one of the most important wetlands in Europe.  The region boasts 300 bird species, like pelicans, egrets, spoonbills, coots and sea eagles. Furthermore, the Delta sustains different fish species like beluga, sturgeon, starlet, perch, pike and carp and no less than 1200 plant and tree species.

Constanţa is the capital and acts as a gateway to the region.

5. Attractions Dobrogea

The main natural attraction in this region is the Danube Delta. It is a true paradise for bird watchers. In this blog, I will concentrate on man-made attractions. Because in Dobrogea, you will find many historical traces of different cultures. The region has been under Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian, Mongol, Wallachian, Ottoman and communist rule.

Constanţa, the capital of Dobrogea

Constanţa is the most important seaport of Romania, the capital of Constanța County and the largest city of Dobrogea. The town boasts several historic buildings.

Casino

One of the most important buildings in the city is the old casino. This is an iconic building from the beginning of the 20th century, in Art Nouveau style. Here the jet set of the time came together during their holiday on the Black Sea. Later, during World War I, the building served as a hospital. During the Communist period, a restaurant was housed in the building. Unfortunately, it is closed due to the poor condition of the property.

Cathedral of Peter & Paul

The cathedral and abbey of Peter and Paul is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Constanţa. Ruins of Tomis (the ancient name for Constanţa) sit in the foreground, 

The church is located between Ovid’s square and the Black Sea opposite the Palace of the Archbishop. It was built between 1883-1885.

Carol I Mosque 

The Carol I mosque (former Mahmudia Mosque) was built in 1910 by King Carol I. This is the seat of the Mufti, the spiritual leader of the 55,000 Muslims who live along the coast of the Dobrogea region. The building combines Byzantine and Romanian architectural elements, making it one of the most distinctive mosques in the area.

The interior’s centrepieceprominent is a sizeable Turkish carpet, a gift from Sultan Abdul Hamid. Woven in the Hereke Handicraft Center in Turkey, it is one of the largest carpets in Europe, weighing 1,080 pounds. In the photo below, the carpet is rolled up.

The main attraction of the mosque is the 164 ft (50 m) minaret (tower) which offers a beautiful view of the old town and the harbour. Five times a day, the muezzin climbs 140 steps up to the top of the minaret to summon the faithful to prayer.

The square of Ovidius

The statue of Publius Ovidius Nas, a Roman poet, was designed by Ettore Ferrari in 1887. The sculpture gives its name to the square. Emperor Augustus banished Ovid from Rome to Tomis, the present Constanţa in 8 AD. He belongs together with Virgil, Horace, Propertius and Tibullus to the great poets of the Augustan period (source Wikipedia).

The statue stands in front of the archaeological museum of Constanţa.

Histria

Histria is the oldest city in the Romanian area. It started as a Greek colony at the mouth of the Danube (known as Ister in ancient Greek) on the west coast of the Black Sea. It was under Roman rule from the 1st to 3rd century AD. Invasions in the 7th century AD made it untenable, and the city was abandoned.

Enisala

In the village of Enisala, a fortress towers over the nearby lakes. The complex dates from the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century. It was built to control the merchant routes that ran through this region.

This is the only fortress of this type to be found throughout the Dobrogea region with three hexagonal towers. After brief Wallachian domination, the Ottomans first conquered the castle in 1388/1389 and reconquered it in 1416/1417. The fort gradually fell into disrepair because of the new political situation and the silting up of supply routes that hindered trade. It was finally abandoned around the end of the 15th century.

Practical advice

Arrive by air

It is the best option to fly to Bucharest when arriving by plane. Do combine a few days of city tripping in Bucharest with a trip to Dobrogea.

Click here for tours, online tickets, attractions and airport transfers in Bucharest. Blue Air is the most important airline in Romania and flies to Constanţa.

If you arrive at Bucharest airport and are looking for a taxi, walk to the 1st floor, where you will find a taxi ticket vending machine. You will then be allocated a numbered taxi, with the price per kilometre stated.

Local transport

• Taxis in Bucharest are relatively cheap and metered.
• Public transport in the Dobrogea region is still in its infancy. If you do not want to depend on a tour operator, it is best to rent a car.

At the airports of Bucharest and Constanţa, you can rent a car from most international companies such as AVIS, Budget or Hertz.

Accommodation

In Bucharest, I stayed several times at the 4 **** Intercontinental Hotel. The price/quality ratio is really good. The hotel is in the city centre. The beds have luxurious (silk?) sheets, a rooftop pool and an extensive breakfast buffet. All rooms have spectacular views over the city.

To the north and south of Constanţa are several seaside resorts with hundreds of 2-3-4-5 * hotels. According to local sources, the most famous resort in Romania is Mamaia, and the coolest is  Vama Veche.

At only fifty kilometres from the Măcín mountains, you will find the most exclusive option is Green Village Resort.

Explore Dobrogea travel agency

Alex & Alina organise tailor-made fully-arranged trips for those who prefer an organised trip. In addition, they run a charming traditional-style guesthouse.

Health & Safety

• The food is generally good, fresh and delicious. Be careful when eating catfish. The catfish is the rat of the water and can cause food poisoning.
• It is recommended to drink water from bottles.
• The standards for road safety are different than in Western Europe. There is a lot of fast driving. Be vigilant at all times.
• Toilets still in some places are little more than a ‘hole in the ground’.

Money matters

Although Romania does belong to the European Union, the country is not yet included in the Euro. You can withdraw money from most ATMs with a European bank card.

The images hashtagged  #ExploreDobrogea were taken by Dragos Asaftei.

#ExploreDobrogea  was done in cooperation with Eventur Group & Explore Dobrogea Travel Agency.

The most important partners were Transmeteorit SRL, The Management Association of the Danube Delta Tourism Destination & Tulcea County Council.

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