Romania Black Sea coast
The Black Sea and its fabled coastline have always piqued my curiosity.
Firstly the Black Sea is not black. Its a very nice colour in fact and is fine for swimming and all water related activities. The name probably refers to its northern location and means ‘Northern Sea.’ It is a landlocked sea connected narrowly to the Mediterranean through the Bosphorus Sea Straits. Romania has its own slice of the coast of this Black Sea and is set on making the most of it. This fascinating country, once so firmly behind the iron curtain, is determined to shake off its communist past and emerge as a holiday destination to rival the Costas. Good fun and good prices are guaranteed along with a warm welcome from the locals – something which seems to be in short supply these days in some of our most popular Greek and Spanish resorts. Romanians are going all out to welcome tourists into their beautiful country.
Mamaia
Mamaia, often hailed as the “Pearl of the Romanian Riviera,” is a Black Sea resort located in Constanța, Romania. The resort stretches along a narrow strip of land between the Black Sea and Lake Siutghiol. In the summer months this area becomes party central!
Mamaia offers pristine, sandy beaches which stretch for 7.5 km, making it a favourite destination for both locals and visitors.
The resort has hotels to suit all pockets as well as chic beach clubs, restaurants and water sports. Come summer, Mamaia transforms into a bustling hotspot, hosting festivals, concerts and events that attract visitors from across Europe. The weather is pretty perfect too, between 26 and 30 degrees in July when I was there. The Neversea festival, held in July is one of the biggest beach front electronic music festivals in the world. It attracts thousands of visitors who come to listen to their favourite DJs and artists. It has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and is a great chance to dress up and dance till dawn.
The city of Constanta
Romania has a rich history dating back over 2,500 years. Constanța is Romania’s oldest continuously inhabited city and it serves as the gateway to the Mamaia beach resort. The city is home to the iconic Casino, an Art Nouveau masterpiece perched on the edge of the Black Sea, where Romanian royalty once spent their summers. It was a place for the rich and fashionable before communism came calling. Today the casino with its stunning art nouveau exterior is rather neglected, but is due to be restored and get a new lease of life. This bustling port city offers a cultural tapestry of museums, theatres, and historical landmarks to explore.
One notable landmark you will find located on Traian street, in the park of Constanţa City Hall Park, is Victory’s monument. It is designed in the style specific to the socialist realism by sculptior Boris Caragea. This style of art was officially sanctioned by the state and had to reflect and promote the ideals of a socialist society.
The maritime museum is worth a visit with some facinating nautical artefacts on display. I particularly liked the Museum of Modern Art. Up-and-coming Romanian artists are featured here. as well as Romania’s version of impressionist art. One modern day artist’s work on display here is that of Irina Dragomir. Her colourful pop art style is getting a lot of positive attention. Getting around this area is easy and cheap too. Bolt taxis will arrive in a minute and charge you less than a fiver for a 15 minute journey!
Romania is wine country
A couple of hours drive way from Romania’s Black Sea coast along roads lined with sunflowers and grape vines and you will arrive at Romania’s stunning wineries. Contributing to the nation’s growing reputation as a notable wine producer, Romanian wines, are attracting international acclaim. Wines from indigenous grape varieties like Fetească Neagră and Fetească Regală are of particular note. Not many people outside Romania know much about the wine as they don’t export that much (except to China for some reason!)
I have visited many wineries around the world and have a good friend who is a Romanian wine merchant. I can say without hesitation that never have I had a wine tasting presented with so much enthusiam and with such magnificent hospitality as we enjoyed on our Mamaia trip. Viisoara winery has music and mood lighting among its huge fermenting steel barrels – it’s a bit like a wine tasting disco. They also have a nice restaurant you can dine at while sampling a few of said wines. We visit Murfatlar winery next which is a huge concern, covering 3000 hectares. Murfutlar winery produces the most wine of any vineyard in the country. We arrive here just as the sun is setting over the vines. It is a beautiful evening. Romanian musicians welcome us to dinner and dancing and of course more delicious wines.
There is much to see and do on Romania’s Black Sea coast. Combine the coastal charm of Mamaia, the vibrant city of Constanța with first class wineries and friendly locals and you have a very special destination.
Getting to Romania Black Sea coast
Getting there – Wizz airlines fly to Bucharest from Leeds, Luton and Gatwick. From there, it’s a three hour drive to the Romania Black Sea coast. Easyjet and British Airways also have flights to Bucharest from various UK airports.
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