Northern Dobruja

Dobruja (Dobrogea) is a region in south-eastern Romania, between the Danube and the Black Sea. It consists of the counties of Constanta and Tulcea.

Cities




Other destinations

 * — home to one of Romania's largest and most impressive antique monuments, the Tropaeum Traiani, built around 109 AD on the orders of the Roman emperor Traja] to commemorate his wars against the Dacians.
 * — the relatively well preserved ruins of the Greek colony of Histria, the first urban settlement in today's Romania (founded around 650 BC), are near this village.
 * — a tranquil village nestled along Lake Razim in Romania, beckons visitors with its rich history and serene ambiance. Dating back to the 19th century, it offers insights into the cultural heritage of the Lipovans, a Russian Orthodox Old Believers community.
 * — the oldest mountain range in Romania, the highest peak is 467 m, and it is a staging post for migratory birds.
 * — the oldest mountain range in Romania, the highest peak is 467 m, and it is a staging post for migratory birds.

Understand
Northern Dobruja is a region with a very rich past, being under the occupation of, first, the Dacian tribes, then the Greeks, then the Romans, then the Byzantines, then the Romanians, of the Ottomans and again the Romanians. For that reason, there is a very diverse region in sense of religious, ethnical and cultural matters, being inhabited by Romanians, Tatars, Aromanians, Greeks and Muslims. Even not very frequented by international tourists it is a well known destination within Romanians, being visited by millions of people every year, especially in the summer.

It is also important to know that it offers access to Black Sea to Romania so it has a very strong economy, Constanta being the engine of that economy. Constanta port is one of the biggest in Europe and is also a fluvial port, having direct access to Danube-Black Sea canal.

By plane




By train
There are 7 - 8 daily trains from Bucharest to Constanta (some of them leave from Bucharest's Obor train station, not from Gara de Nord). The journey from Bucharest to Constanta takes about 1 hr 30 min. In summer, there are direct trains to Constanta from most regions in Romania (from cities like Cluj, Oradea, Brasov, Timisoara, Iasi, and others).

The only direct train from Bucharest to Tulcea leaves from Bucharest Obor train station.

Check train timetables online.

By car
The Bucharest—Constanta motorway has considerably improved travel times by car to this region.

Buses and minibuses from Bucharest to Constanta and the Black Sea resorts are very frequent; check online for timetables. There are also buses from Istanbul to Constanta.

In summer there are direct buses from various cities in Romania, and across the border to the resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and to Varna.

By road
The roads in Northern Dobruja are generally better then in the rest of Romania. That and the fact that the region is formed only by two counties make the journeys around Dobruja quite easy. Even so, the main road transportation hub is Constanta so if you are traveling between Constanta to another city there shouldn’t be any problem by getting there, but if you are traveling between two other cities (example from Tulcea to Cernavodă) it may not be so easy. The buses are quite cheap and you can find routes between most of the cities and all major tourist attractions.

By train
Except for the line between Constanta and Cernavodă, the rest of the railway are not electrified. There are daily trains from Constanta to Tulcea, Cernavodă and Mangalia and their number is increasing in the summer, but they are more expensive then a bus and take about the same time like one to arrive at destination. The delays should be take into account. The level of comfort depends by train types (the ones with longer journeys and fewer stops are generally better) and by the rail company.

See
Constanta is the oldest continually inhabited city in Romania (since the 6th century BC). You can find there Greek and Roman ruins, including the largest Roman mosaic ever found. Just 40 km (25 miles) north from Constanta there are the ruins of the oldest attested city in Romania, Histria, dating back to 7th century BC.

Dobruja was part for 5 centuries of the Ottoman Empire so you can still find here the largest concentration of Muslims and Greeks. That’s why there are many Greek Orthodox churches and there are still remaining a few mosques (like the Constanta mosque, the only one in the world made entire by concrete and build by king Carol I of Romania in the 19th century as a gift to the Muslim community).

In the north of the region there is located the Danube Delta, the only delta in the world that is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and that covers almost a third of Northern Dobruja (including the Razim lagoon, one of the biggest in Europe). You can find there 360 species of birds, 45 species of freshwater fish plus many species of saltwater fish and larger animals ( like stags, foxes, boars, wild horses, jackals etc.)

In the western part of the territory there are Dobruja mountains, which are the oldest in Romania and where are large wine plantations.

Do

 * There are many seaside resorts in Constanta county, which are easily accessible and are right for most type of tastes and travel budgets.The beaches are wide in most of them and there white sands are unique in Europe. Many beaches are served by bars, restaurants made even clubs. While the prices are generally fare at the beginning and at the end of the summer season, in August they can be three or even four times bigger then are you expecting to be. That and the fact that beaches can get very crowded especially at the afternoon are a reason to visit the resorts in June or at the beginning of September.
 * Water sports are available in bigger resorts and range from scuba diving to water skiing.
 * You can have a cruise with a sailing vessel, that can take from a few hours to one day.

Drink
One of the best wines in Romania are from North Dobruja. Even so, there are little chances to find good wine in the tourist areas of seaside resorts so you should ask for exclusive locals (where good wines are generally served) or for wine cellars (which are almost always located in the proximity of Danube).

Beside wines, like in other parts of Romania, traditionally soft drinks like pălincă or țuică ca-n be easily found.

Beer is generally of good quality, but, as you should aspect from a tourist region, beer brands are quite limited, especially draft beers.

Stay safe
Like in many crowded tourist places, you should be aware of pickpocketing. Keep your objects in your front pockets and watch up your purse. Even so the risk is not so big in smaller towns or in less crowded places. If you are at the beach don’t leave your objects unattended and ask somebody near you to keep an eye on them. Scams are also something that you should be aware of.

Nightclubs are places where drugs are very present so keep constantly an eye on your drink.

These are problems that happen only at places frequented by youth in large cities. In the countryside, this is not a problem.

Topless is tolerated on most of the beaches; the number of women practicing it is incredible. Naturism, on the other way, is tolerated on just some beaches on the entire coast, and also practiced on the beaches near Sulina and Sfântul Gheorghe, on the mouth of the Danube. On those beaches, naturism is (theoretically) forbidden, but if no other people get offended, there shouldn't by a problem. Most people walk in bathing suits; even some bars and restaurants allow access in bathing suits.

Dobruja is a multicultural and multiethnic region so be careful when speaking about one ethnic group traditions or religion or when comparing two groups.

Go next

 * Danube Delta UNESCO World Heritage Site- of wetlands formed by tens of diversely ecosystems.
 * Southern Dobruja Bulgarian part of Dobruja
 * Bucharest Romania’s financial and cultural central
 * Brăila One of the biggest ports on the Danube with a multicultural background.