During summer it is the fun and entertainment capital for all Romanians and foreign visitors to Romania, and the population is tripled in July / August. The main asset during summer is the tourist resort Mamaia - an 8 km long beach which starts north of Constanta where the city ends. Constanta is the capital of the Romanian Riviera. In July 2003 a well made water park opened called  Aqua Magic and a Teleferic lift brings the tourists several meters above the sea level in order to view Mamaia from the air..

Constanta City itself is by a first glimpse a bit messy and seemingly not very well organized city , with flavours of Turkish, Greek, Romanian and Western culture added into the leftovers from the communist period - when it comes to buildings and housings. 

But this is probably the most organised city in Romania, and I am not only talking about the big boulevards, the parks and the renovation of Mamaia over the last two years. The Mayor - Mr Mazare - though controversial -  has put his clear impact on the city by renovating transport and street systems and enforcing a common change in the public field. After years of talking, at least things are being done in Constanta - things that the Constanta dwellers can see with their own eyes. This does not mean that Constanta is without huge social and financial problems, but at least there is no status quo.

Constanta is an international city. The locals are used to mingling with foreigners and investors have flocked to the seaside port and regional business enterprises. The harbor is second only to Rotterdam in Europe when it comes to port of calls. The city has a visible upper class that flush their wallets on luxury cars and houses - but Constanta also has abandoned kids who live in the pipes next to the local railway station, and plenty of people in all age groups who sleep rough.

Some people also claim that Constanta is the pop capital of Romania, only challenged by Bucharest. There are plenty of Contanta groups and artists that reach the number one spot on the Romanian pop charts, and the pop video producers love the beach settings of the Romanian Rivera when making promo videos for the stars.

Constanta is the Romanian city with the most booming financial development, and they seem to build everywhere,also in the port area. Shipping yards, cargo centrals and oil supply services have been mushrooming with foreign money, and the rich are building flashy houses for themselves on the outskirts. New enterprises rise like palaces while the old and rusty buildings are left alone. The poor and the wealthy clash in a visual shock which is quite common in this country.

Constanta is somewhat bumpy, dull and dirty when entering from the capital highway, while the city centre has broad avenues, nice parks and dusty but respectable buildings from the past. The Moslem Mosque in the centre is one of the main sights, along with the Archaeological Museum, The Casino, The Aquarium and a small but well made Marine Museum. Tomis - the old Greek name - is also the name of the biggest shopping centre downtown and a boulevard next door. Even some parts of the city are named Tomis - and in order not to confuse anyone, a creative number ( 1 or 2 or 3 ) is added to each Tomis township.

When shopping in Constanta one should avoid Tomis Shopping Centre due to a fixed overpricing - and pushy mafiosos on the pedestrian area nearby - and head for CITY PARK MALL on the road to Mamaia, CARREFOUR on the hills overlooking Mamaia across the lake or DORALLY on the way to Eforie or  any other shopping mall dotted around the city. 

If you can get hold of a member card and are in desperate need of quality items, you should head for METRO, a big modern hall placed on some farming fields right outside the city border. Actually there are two METROS since winter 2004, the second one on the way to Eforie. So is also SELGROS, also demanding memberhip cards to shop.

Fleamarkets also exist on certain weekdays, both in the city and outside, markets where people sell and buy any kind of items from fake and genuine leather jackets, to handy tools and old Dacia cars for those who want to practise as a mechanic.

Constanta is an international city , colourful, ugly at times but vibrant and busy. Constanta also has a visible upper class who love to show off in fancy imported cars or flash their pda or smartphone in a porch restaurant. Outside a dirty old man may have his supper from a trash can. Constanta is the city of contrasts.

The city is not at all as beautiful and organised as for instance Brasov, but far more lively and exciting, above all during the summer season. Then Constanta is the holiday and entertainment capital of Romania , even arrogant Bucharestians have to admit that.

During winter Constanta is at times a windy and freezing city with grumpy  inhabitants, but when spring arrives it all changes and people get more optimistic and friendly, while the herds of visitors re-occupy the streets and beaches.. Until the heat arrives early July and make the block of flats into heaters of hell, with temperatures reaching 35 - 40 plus centigrades at the most. Those with money flee to the mountains while the rest try to produce a few bucks for a new fan in the flat. Or if there is no job or work to do - or you're young , you head for the breeze of the Mamaia beach or other resorts along the coastline.

The city has plenty of good restaurants (and a few real bad ones), discos , outdoor cafés, pubs, bars, sleazy and not-so-sleazy nightclubs, and a reasonable set of cinemas - both outdoors and indoors. The walking area around the Casino building is wonderful, especially in the sunset when Romanian families stroll to and from without any special destination. The Black Sea is right in front and the atmosphere is relaxed and peaceful. The Casino is the landmark of the city and was made 100 years ago and has a twin building in Monte Carlo – a foreign company wanted to offer ~100 millions $ for the building, but  the Municipality cannot sell it – the place is a UNESCO and national patrimonium building. The Casino today a restaurant in addition to being an arena for smaller exhibitions. During the communist time the Casino was one of the best restaurants in Romania, today its reputation is somewhat dodgy. Or more correct; there are far better diners around, above all in Mamaia.

Concerts of all kinds are hosted either in Constanta or Mamaia during summer. A huge outdoor cinema with 2000 seats - named TOMIS CINEMA of course - is situated in one of the central parks ,where you also can see  the ruins and remains of  Greek Tomis settlement. In Mamaia there is also an outdoor cinema, ALBATROS, though smaller. These cinemas also host pop and rock concerts at times, along with theatre halls and other stage arenas and hotels in the area.

Between Mamaia and Constanta is LUNA PARC or “SATUL DE VACANTA”. This area is organised as a kind of amusement park with some rusty rides, some not that rusty, a renovated bowling hall, a secured shopping mall and a row of restaurants where each one is supposed to be special and serve dishes typical of all regions in Romania.The place is extremely overcrowded in weekends and a paradise for pickpockets, but is beyond doubt a local come-together location with a genuine charm. Local politicians have launched the slogan " The Riviera for Everyone" - and this must be it. You may easily stroll from Sat de Vacanta to the modern CITY PARK MALL through the parks alongside the lake.

A dolphirama is situated nearby, a pool with a dolphin show at fixed hours during the peak season. Two shows are running, one outside with two dolphins and one show inside with one dolphin and two sea lions. It used to be a great show back in the early 90's with many dolphins, now I guess money and support otherwise have reduced it to something not very impressive by international standards. But small kids will love the show regardless, especially the two sea lions know their tricks.  

Right next to Hotel Perla is AQUA MAGIC water park which provides the kids with a lot of fun during the summer season. By enetering this zone you are actually in Mamaia, the beach resort.

Constanta also has an international airport that used to be busy, then it was partly renovated - and as a punishment traffic was failing, especially the number of charter flights in the summer months. Now it's on its way up again, more flights are coming in with a comprehensive renovation of the entire Mamaia strip and German tour operators back again in the beach hotels. There are also a few domestic flights from the airport, mostly to and from Bucharest. Constanta airport is 30 minutes by car north of the city, it is small and efficient - and the tax-free shop has three times higher prices that the main street shops in the city. And the runway is new for the season 2004, so no in-flight bumps any more either for the charter tourists.

Constanta used to have brilliant ferry links to Istanbul and ship connection to Odessa, but now these are gone. Coaches provide the transport of tourists between Constanta and Istanbul via Bulgaria , and Ukraine seems to be no destination of interest to anyone. If you ask locals how to go from Constanta to Odessa they really do not have a clue.

Train connections are great though and there are several departures to Bucharest and all over Romania every day from the Constanta Gara, the railways station. During summer the timetable is impressive. Though fares have steeped the last year it is still acceptable for those with salaries in hard currencies. Cheap are also the minibuses - or maxitaxis as the natives call them - that leaves for Bucharest every hour between 07 and 19 daily right in front of the railway station. The ticket fare is currently almost the same when we talk about train or bus, but buses are quicker as the rail lines have been renovated for the alst few years and still are. The aim is to create a high speed train link between the capital Bucharest and Constanta.

The trolley trams and buses are the most common mean of transport in Constanta, along with minibuses that run fixed routes all over the city and the riviera all day long. The trams are slow and bumpy, so we advice you to use the minibuses or the city buses.. Trams have also been reduced to a few lines at the south end of the city. From Constanta to Mamaia is 8 km, to Eforie Nord southwards about 10 km.  

DOUBLE DECKER BUSES run during summer sightseeing tours from GARA to MAMAIA and back and some also along the entire Romanian Riviera. Can even be used as a regular mean of transport.

It is also possible to go swimming in the Constanta City centre itself, on the beach north of the Casino area, named Modern Beach, closer to Tomis Harbour, the old Greek harbour, hosting a few good restaurants and sailing boats. However, it is really dirty and the atmosphere not very inviting to put it diplomatically, even natives admit that. Having a pint or a cup coffee on the hillside bars leading up to the Tomis centre is nice though. Or in the harbour at night when the lights are on. 

The biggest shopping centres in Constanta is CARREFOUR | TOM on the outskirts of the city centre and THE CITY PARK MALL in the Tomis 3 area. The traditional shopping centre is TOMIS MALL in the very heart of downtown Constanta. REAL HYPERMARKET is good value situated on the main road southwards of the city with a department aso in the city.

360 VIRTUAL VIEW CONSTANTA FROM CONSTANTA VIRTUAL

Close to Constanta is the resort of Mamaia and the Telegondola.Telecabins are quite common in Romania, but then in the mountain regions bringing skiers or hikers to great peaks in no time the year round. Having a telegondola running above a popular beach however is a brand new thing. If you know a bit about the "new and modern" Romania, you know it had to be Constanta and Mamaia that were able to put this project into reality. 

While several projects in this country seems to vanish into a foggy bla-bla ( like the Dracula Park for instance) ideas introduced in the seaside port of Constanta have the rare ability to come true. The main streets have been repaved, new buses have been bought and a renovation of the main hospital has started. All visible projects for the common eye - and tax payers. 

The fact that towns and regions around Constanta now start to copy the way of doing things, may even have a more comprehensive impact. A small thing like having a good website telling the inhabitans what is up next, is also one aspect that adds the impression of having things done. | www.primaria-constanta.ro |

The natives praise their mayor for this, and though he of course is not alone, he seems to be the most creative and effective - and controversial -  Romanian primar around. 1st July 2004 he opened the water park Aqua Magic in Mamaia turning it into an instant success, and 17th July 2004 he opened Telegondola Mamaia and the success seems to be even more instant. While spending a day in Aqua Magic is rather expensive for an average Romanian family and only affordable for those with a few extra bucks, the Telegondola is reasonably priced with 10 RON a ride and reductions when buying more fares.

Viewpoints | Aqua Magic |

• Aqua Magic Water Park in Mamaia may not be the biggest water park compared to similar parks elsewhere Europe, but Aqua Magic is well designed, well run with  several speedy slides and is a great place to be for kids on a warm summer day on the Romanian Riviera.

LOCATION 

The park is situated close to Hotel Perla at the entrance of the resort Mamaia itself, right after the toll road boots. The Telegondola Mamaia starts from this area as well.

TICKETS

• The ticket summer 2005 costs 500000 lei / 50 RON during the main season. When inside all rides are covered with this ticket. You can't leave and return to the park without paying a new ticket. The ticket price is far over the top for an average Romanian, but for a Western tourist the price is acceptable considered the attractions inside.

SAFETY 

• There are plenty of security guards and life guards in the park. They are everywhere and any violation of rules are taken care of at once. There is also a first aid station with a doctor in the area itself. Not all guards speak English strangely enough, but most of them speak some basic phrases. Sometimes that is.

SUN FACTOR 

• All sunbeds are free of charge. Some of the chairs seem to be of poor quality and may collapse under the pressure of fat tourists, but if you are more slimmed, it may work fine. The park has circled terraces and thus sunbathing is the obvious option. When the kids are doing the slides, mam and dad may get their their right summer tan. If you want to freshen up when leaving the park, there are showers on the right hand side when leaving the park.

LOUDSPEAKERS

• There are loudspeakers scattered all over the park. Apart from some obvious public messages now and then, Romanian pop hits and manele are played non stop in order to not forget where you are. A few loudspeakers have PA quality, the rest sounds like metal boxes used by the late Kim Il Sung in North Korea. If you happen to sunbathe next to one of these metal boxes, you soon will have an headache. A few metres away it will be okay though.

LAZY RIVER AND URSUS

• THE LAZY RIVER is a river pool that surrounds most of the park and you may drift away on balloon rings and see the entire park from the waterway. The water park has more peaceful attractions for the smaller kids in the south part and more daring attractions in the north end. And your URSUS beer can be enjoyed in the water or on dry land in the combined wet-and-dry pool bar not far from the entrance. What more do you need?

LOO 

• New and clean bathrooms 

ENLARGEMENTS