The Summer Season at the Black Sea

The opening of the summer season on the Black Sea shore has been announced

Daniel Onea, 04.06.2020, 14:00

The opening of the summer season on the Black Sea shore has been announced. We start with a stroll on the back streets of Constanta, one of the most important ports in the EU, and a city rich in history, and then we head to the beach. Last but not least, we will be learning about the measures that the authorities are implementing so that your vacation there will be pleasant, but first and foremost virus free.

Diana Slav, tourist guide, told us that the beach is the main attraction for tourists who want to come to Romania.

“We have a beach that is only sand, with no pebbles whatsoever. As a result, families with children are fans of this kind of beach. In addition, we have a very level slope going into the water, so it is very safe. Not to mention the great temperatures, and also the low salinity of the water, which is provided by the fact that the river Danube brings in fresh water, so that the water doesnt affect the eyes. You can stay in the water even without goggles. However, tourists can come here to discover the city, especially since we have good tourist infrastructure, with open top tour buses. They have a route that covers all the hidden gems in Constanta. We have apps, and we have maps. I am proud of these products, because I had a hand in creating them, and I wanted to make them useful to tourists, not necessarily to the local, because they know the city already. The way the city is laid out helps too, because we have a great concentration of museums and other tourist objectives in a small area. There is a peninsula, geographically speaking, that has most museums, close to downtown Constanta. Further up, also on the bus circuit, we have the area with the natural sciences complex, where we have the Planetarium, the Dolphinarium, as well as a small nature reserve. The Dolphinarium in particular is very much appreciated, with its dolphin shows.”

For tourists who have never seen Constanta and Romania, the city is a great surprise, as Diana Slav told us:

“They love the historical area, especially after hearing about the stories of the buildings. They love the boardwalk, because there they can see the monument that is the former casino building. The good news is that restoration work has started there already. In years past, tourists were asking us why it was left in decay. The aim is to be opened as a museum in two or three years. We have a tourist area where they can enjoy a drink by the sea, and strolls along the shore. Financially, a vacation here is very affordable, including all the activities that can be enjoyed here.”

Constantas historical center looks great, and attracts the most tourists, according to tourist guide Diana Slav:

“All the tourists I talked to said it looks exactly like that of famous cities, and are fascinated by the stories we have, a history going back over 2,000 years. The city was founded by the ancient Greeks, and taken over by the Roman Empire. History can be seen at every step, especially if you take a stroll around, which is free of cost, because we have archaeology parks. The entire historical center area was restored with the help of European funds, starting in 2013. Now they are working on the details, emphasizing the buildings in the area. Many of them are now available for visiting. We also have very interesting accommodation spaces, made as to respect the view of the area and the history behind the buildings. We have about five museums in the area. We also have a opera and ballet theater, as well as two stage theaters, where we hold various events. I dont know how things will go this year, because of social distancing, but we will have open air events. We have a very large open area, like a square, where we will have concerts, street food festivals, antiquities fairs, and festivals.”

If you want to enjoy more of the beach, the main objectives in Constanta can be enjoyed in a single day, depending on your preferences. Diana Slav, tourist guide, told us more specifically about that:

“We did this with tourists that contacted us ahead of time, and it can be done on an individual basis too. The brochures we provide include all the objectives. Starting last year, they became available in hotel receptions all over the resort of Mamaia. It is on the outskirts of Constanta, and is a purely tourist area, where visitors are provided with everything they need, hotels, bars, restaurants, right by the beach. You can step right on the beach as you step out the door of your hotel. We have promenades and strolling areas. You can take in the sights in a day, or even half a day, in order to cover the cultural and historic area.”

The summer season on the Black Sea opens with special measures taken because of the pandemic. Tourists will be able to have meals by rotation in smaller hotel restaurants, beach chairs and towels will be sanitized constantly, and restaurants will seat one family at one table only. For the first half of the month of June, in Mamaia a two or three star hotel room can be booked for 115 lei per night, about 24 Euro, and a four star hotel room starts at 212 lei per night. In other resorts, costs per night start at 81 lei, about 17 Euro for a two star hotel room, and at 100 lei, about 21 Euro, for a three star hotel.

Close to Constanta, 40 km away, there is an airport. Starting last year they started connecting flights with various cities in Europe, and further connections are being prepared. There is also a highway to Bucharest, which allows tourists to go from Constanta to Bucharest in only two and a half hours, where they also have available one day tours.