Galați

Galați is in the Moldavia region of Romania. It's a major port city on the Danube with around 312,000 inhabitants (in 2010), and close to the borders with Moldova and Ukraine.

Understand
The city of Galati has a rich history because it is located on the Danube, the most important commercial-river artery in Europe, the Danube-Main-Rhine Canal. Economic life developed around the Shipyard, the River Port, around the Arcelor-Mittal Steel Plant and the Mining Port.

Climate
Summers are very warm with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) while winters are cold and dry with temperatures at night sometimes dropping below −10 °C (14 °F). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 28 to 68.6 mm (1.1 to 2.7 in) in June.

By boat
Ferry service across the Danube River is available from Bratianu to Galati. Ferries operated by Navrom BAC leave from Bratianu every hour on the hour and from Galati to Bratianu every hour on the half-hour.

By train
Galați railway station has straight train services to cities such as Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov and Iași all year and in the summer to Constanța.



Get around
Public transport in Galați is provided by a combination of trams, trolleybuses, autobuses (all of which are operated by TRANSURB, an agency of the municipality).

Museums

 * The Museum of Natural Sciences Museum Complex: Also called the Botanical Garden or Dendrological Park, contains the planetarium with a dome diameter of 7 meters, here you can see different projections ("Solar System", "Giants of the Solar System", "Nebulae and Star Clusters"). The theme of the aquarium is the rare and very rare ichthyofauna from the Danube river basin, the Mediterranean fauna and exotic fish. The Botanical Garden dominates the left bank of the Danube,
 * Galati History Museum: The collection has expanded through acquisitions and archaeological research carried out in the southern part of Moldova, mainly at the Roman camp at Tirighina-Barboși, now reaching a heritage of over 50,000 exhibits, some of exceptional importance.
 * AI Cuza Memorial House Built on the site of the former house of the Covurlui parish priest, by Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the first ruler of Romania (1859 - 1866). It includes a permanent exhibition dedicated to the ruler, meeting the quality of reconstituting the atmosphere of Galaţi at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
 * Visual Art Museum: It is the first Romanian museum of contemporary art. It was inaugurated in 1967 and was structurally designed to present the latest trends in the emerging plastic phenomenon, a destination that it retains at the beginning of this millennium. Approximately 400 existing works in the exhibition halls and outdoors, in the museum park, are a selection from a much larger heritage, often complemented by a virtual heritage, from the workshops of contemporary artists. The museum's patrimony includes creations of Romanian art from the second half of the 19th century and from the 20th century, representatives of the Romanian avant-garde and works of artists that form a bridge between the first and second half of the century.

Places of worship

 * Greek Church It was consecrated in 1872. The church is in the shape of a cross inscribed with a tower and has two bell towers on the west side. On the iconostasis are large icons representing the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant, the Resurrection of the Lord, St. Gerasim, St. Sophia, St. Gregory and St. Basil the Great. The windows of the church contain 8 stained glass windows with apostles and saints: Peter, Andrew, Mark, Thomas, Bartholomew and Luke on the north side and Paul, Simeon, John, James,
 * Archbishopric Cathedral of the Lower Danube: The construction was completed in 1917. The construction stands out in the architectural plan of Galaţi, being designed in Wallachian style, with a single dome without side apses.
 * Mavromol Church The "black rock" in Greek, of the former Mavromol monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was built in 1669 by Gheorghe Duca and rebuilt by his son between 1700-1703. Preserves valuable interior murals rebuilt between 1973-1975. The cells of this church housed the first schools in Galați, established in 1765 (with teaching in Greek) and 1803 (with teaching in Romanian). The current construction dates from 1858-1861, and follows the original plan. The church has a splendid wooden icon carved "Mother of God", and a valuable iconostasis brought from the church of St. Sava Monastery in Bucharest. The church has a non-compartmental basilica plan. The lateral apses appear on the outside in protrusions. The ceiling consists of three caps separated by double arches. The entrance is made on the south side through a door marked by a portal with the patron saint icon and heraldic symbols: the bull's head and two lions. Also on the south side, in the medallion, carved in stone, is the coat of arms of Moldova.
 * Vovidenia Church Historical and architectural monument: erected in 1790, on the site of another church. It was burned and completely destroyed in 1821, the restoration ending in 1851. Above the nave rises a dome supported by arches arranged in a cross, in the traditional Moldavian style. The roof of the tower, raised on the nave, is in the shape of a bell and another tower, smaller, is raised above the altar. The bell tower on the porch is an addition from 1901. Here is the tomb of Smaranda Cuza, the mother of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
 * The Church of St. Spiridon: was built in 1817 on a triconic plan with four buttresses. It has three towers, one smaller, the other two equal, the base of the tower on the nave rests on arches arranged in a cross. The most valuable elements of the church are the iconostasis and the icons. The original painting is no longer preserved.
 * The Craftsmen's Temple: From Str. Dornei 7 was built in 1896 on the site of a synagogue from 1806.
 * The Church of St. Spiridon: was built in 1817 on a triconic plan with four buttresses. It has three towers, one smaller, the other two equal, the base of the tower on the nave rests on arches arranged in a cross. The most valuable elements of the church are the iconostasis and the icons. The original painting is no longer preserved.
 * The Craftsmen's Temple: From Str. Dornei 7 was built in 1896 on the site of a synagogue from 1806.

Theaters

 * Fani Tardini Dramatic Theater: It is a repertory theater with a dramatic profile. It is the only professional theatrical institution with a drama profile in Galati County.
 * Gulliver Theater: A children's theater. The Gulliver Festival is organized annually, one of the most important of its kind in Romania, which transforms the city of Galați into the "Capital of the puppet theater".
 * Nae Leonard Lyrical Theater: It annually organizes the "Galaţi Music Days", when the most representative titles of the repertoire of all genres are presented to the public.

Other monuments, buildings and places

 * Administrative Palace: An imposing building, the Administrative Palace was built between 1904 and 1905. On the main façade of the Palace, on the upper level, there are two statues made of white marble - "Industry" and "Agriculture" by the sculptor Frederic Storck, which are covered with plaster. Below, there are two bronze coats of arms of the county. the pediment of the building is a large clock, each hour marked by a few musical phrases of the immortal waltz "Danube Waves", a world-famous masterpiece by the Galaţi composer losif Ivanovici (1845 -1902).
 * "Lupa Capitolina": Copy of the "Wolf Statue" ("Lupa Capitolina") Inaugurated in 1995, the symbol of the Romanian people's Latinity.
 * The Navigation Palace: (today the River Station) from the last decade of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, it is the headquarters of several institutions such as the “Danube Maritime Ports Administration” or the “Romanian River Navigation Company Navrom”.
 * University Palace: in the center of Galați, the former Palace of Justice, today the headquarters of the University, occupies the most important place in the old architectural landscape of the city, due to its monumentality. This building was built between 1911-1913.
 * Robescu House: It was built in the second half of the 19th century, according to the project of the architect Ion Mincu. The building has an elevated basement, two levels with two balcony pavilions upstairs and another balcony on the ground floor, facing the street. The exterior decorations are made of buttonholes, a Brâncovenesc style belt of twisted rope, polished ceramic tiles. Polished pottery is also used to decorate the upper register. Today it serves as the "Children's Palace" Galați.
 * Roman camp from Tirighina - Barboși: The excavations carried out in the Roman castellum from Bărboși (north of the Danube, near Galați, near the Siret estuary), from 1959—1962, proved that there was at first a Dacian fortress, from the first century BC (at most the end of the second century BC).

Do

 * Football: ASC Oțelul Galați play soccer in Liga 1, the top tier. Their Oțelul Stadium (capacity 13,500) is just north of the central roundabout.
 * Eminescu Park: Arranged in 1869, this park still preserves some contemporary trees with Mihai Eminescu who stopped here several times, especially in the last part of his life. In the park there is a small artificial lake and a landscaped place where in the past the military band held recitals. It is famous due to the presence of the statue of Eminescu.
 * Danube seafront: It is one of the representative areas of Galați. Promenade for everyone, where there are frequent music concerts and sports competitions (concerts "La Elice" and Children's Cross). It is almost the only area where leisure resources have been used. It offers a great potential for relaxation and leisure through green spaces. It is "populated" by many original iron monuments. On the banks of the lower cliff are many boats converted into restaurants.
 * The Public Garden: It is located near the Student Complex and is a very beautiful area for rest and recreation. It is an excellent view of Lake Brateș, the triage and the main station of Galați.
 * CFR Park: near the railway tunnel.
 * The Botanical Garden: is included in the Natural Sciences Museum Complex and dominates the left bank of the Danube. You can admire the collections of plants from tropical and subtropical areas (cacti, euphorbia, palms, crotons, geraniums, begonias, etc.), the chic rosary that includes over 200 varieties of roses, flora and vegetation of Romania on the sunny southern slope of the garden - over 3000 specimens of tree and shrub species, oak area - over 50 specimens of birches and conifers. Also here is a replica of a Japanese garden.
 * Gârboavele Reserve and Zoo: Both located at the northern exit of the city. The Gârboavele Forest Zoo is included in the Museum of Natural Sciences Museum Complex. Various exotic species can be seen in the Zoo. Also, horseback riding enthusiasts can practise this sport at the Zoo, here there are not only horses specially trained for this purpose, but also an excellent management and trained staff. The zoo theme was developed together with specialists from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and aims to conserve rare animal species, as well as education for conservation.
 * Vânători Lake: Located in the northeastern extremity of Galați municipality, on an area of ​​28 hectares. It includes a natural lake of 11 ha, a slope of 10 ha of acacia forest and a slope of 8 ha partially arranged for leisure and subject to an intensive plan of modernization and redevelopment.
 * The Priza Dunării leisure complex: at the exit from Galați, on the road to Brăila, it includes three swimming pools, cottages, campsites and a restaurant. In a part of the complex there is a western club with a swimming pool, restaurant, bar and café.
 * Lambrinidi House: Domnească Street no. 51, near the University. Built by Epaminonda Lambrinidi, the owner of a mill on Portului Street and having as an annex a foundry and machine and vessel repair workshop.
 * Danube Waves: A beach in the southwest of the city, it is managed by ADP 2 large swimming pools, 3 small children's pools each with a slide, beach, restaurants and shower area. It is an excellent place to relax during the summer and beyond.
 * Brateș Beach: Private beach, on the left bank of Brateș Lake, smaller than the Danube Waves, the entrance is more expensive than the Danube Waves, but the sand is cleaner. Exactly in front of the entrance on the beach, the railway line that connects Galați with Berești and Bârlad passes.