The beautiful seaside Constanta, Romania, was a cruise port on the Black Sea cruise I took with Princess Cruise Lines. When it came to excursions, my friend, Jo, and I selected a tour that was offered on Cruise Critic called “Constanta City Tour and Wine Tasting at Murfatlar”. Its price was 82€ and the title alone made it sound worth trying. Cristina Ruien, a spunky young gal who had good control of her audience and spoke excellent English, was our guide for the day. She told both fun and factual stories and led our group of 15 to see the local sights of her unique country.
Constanta City Tour
The first activity was an hour-long walking tour through downtown Constanta, the biggest port on the Black Sea. We began strolling along the Tomis Harbor, which runs parallel to the waterfront and admired the beautiful, old buildings. My favorite photo-op was the statue of Queen Elisabeth. Elisabeth, a famous poet whose literary pseudonym was “Carmen Sylvia”, was married to Charles I (Carol I) of Romania. The statue depicts her standing with a muse at her feet.
The city of Constanta has interesting architecture. Many of the older homes are still in desperate need of repair. After the war era, when the communist occupation claimed Constanta, the families could finally buy back the family homes back, but only if they could afford to fix them up to standard. In this rich neighborhood, this was virtually impossible.
The Constanta Casino is the perfect example of a grand, historic building loaded now sitting in ruins along the waterfront. It was built by King Carlo in 1910 and was “the” place to come. British sailors would fill the casino as they gambled their troubles away, then hit the brothels a few streets away. It was Constanta’s own red light district. Romania is still a very sad country; I could sense the pain of its people and places, leftover from so many years of war.
Prestigious Mosques and Cathedrals
Our tour group strolled into the dimly lit Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul, Orthodox Church, where a service was going on. To our surprise, the Orthodox churches did not have pews or anywhere to sit for that matter. Church services often last two to three hours; people are expected to stand the entire time. The cathedral had lovely hand-painted murals on the outside of the doors in the narthex. To the right side was a depiction of joyous scenes such as the kingdom of heaven, and to the left, murals painted of sin and hell. Intricate frescoes inside the church were impressive and the whole place was adorned with brass. We noticed a delicious herbal smell about the cathedral. Orthodox is the religion for 90% of Romanians and 1 million of Romania’s 21 million people, live in Constanta.
Next, we visited the Grand Mosque of Constanta, formerly Carlos I Mosque, that only allows women when services are not going on. The mosque was decorated with patterned tiles and bright carpets. This was my first time visiting a mosque so I really did not know what to expect. We were given time to walk up the 140 steps inside the minaret for panoramic views of Constanta before leaving. We explored a bit more of Constanta’s town square, including the aquarium and museum, then boarded the bus. Our next stop, the historic town of Histria. 
Ancient City of Histria
Histria is Romania’s oldest town located on the west coast of the Black Sea. The first ten minutes of our bus ride literally jarred us around so badly that my back ached for days so be prepared for extreme road conditions as well as a lot of hiking. Histria dates back to 630 BC. After coming under Roman domination, temples were built for the Roman gods, complete with bathhouses for the wealthy. By the 7th century AD, the town was completed deserted. It was only rediscovered and excavated in the past 19th and 20th centuries. Histria’s ruins include Turkish baths, squares, community buildings, and market stalls.
A visually appealing contemporary history museum at Histria displays some of the uncovered artifacts as well as offers an on-site restaurant. Abundant fruit trees were on the property and we were allowed to pluck the fruits right from the trees. One piece was a sweet, juicy fruit that Christina could not properly translate, a cross between a big cherry and plum.
Wine Tasting at Murfatlar
Murfatlar is the largest producer of wines in the country of Romania. We took a quick tour of their winery, while our guide explained the winemaking process. We were shown the entire organization. Murfatlar is a showplace decorated with massive amounts of beautiful marble and offers an interesting wine museum. A representative from the winery came with us to for lunch afterward to give us a wine demonstration and sampling.
We arrived at a restaurant whose name I could not pronounce, that had outdoor picnic-style tables set beautifully up for us. During the demo, we sampled five wines: Rose, one similar to Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, a sweet red, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The consensus of the group was that we did not care much for the wines offered as we were all mostly used to California wines. Our host did a nice job of explaining the wines, their popularity, history, and how they are produced. During the wine sampling, we were served a meal of potatoes, beef & lamb sausage, pork sausage, and grilled chicken. We also had a traditional cabbage salad that was delicious and rolls.
Pitchers of red and white house wines were available to enjoy along with our meal. We actually liked these better than the wines showcased earlier. After all this drinking and sampling, the group started to lighten up and we truly had a blast. The restaurant did a wonderful job serving us and taking care of our needs.
Chalk It Up To A Successful Cruise Excursion
The ride back to the cruise ship was more pleasant since there was more energy on the bus as a result of the pitchers of the wine. This made the day much more memorable than just a headful of historical facts. I am glad I chose to tour such an old part of Romania, but I do not think I would ever need to come back to this country. I was kicking myself for not doing the very long day trip with Princess cruise lines that went to Romania’s capital of Bucharest, even though it had a 3 1/2 hour bus ride in each direction.
FYI: Constanta’s cruise terminal has free WIFI along with nice souvenirs a and small cafe.
Tip: Beware, there are many pickpocketers in the area. Thieves use babies and children to try and tempt you into giving, often using fake hands underneath the babies so you cannot see where their “real” hand is going as it finds your wallet or purse.
Fact: The Black Sea has no waves.
My Constanta, Romania Photo Gallery:
The House of Lions was a high society gathering spot.
Statue of Ovid, the famous Latin writer in Ovidiu Square.
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Seems like a nice day. Funny the trip back was more energetic cause of the wine, perhaps they could give people wine before the tour then 😉
HAHA! They may have gotten sick if they were in my seat on that ride. I have to say I had to hold my arms across my chest the entire time, if you get my drift.
I’ve always wanted to visit Romania and your post is just some more inspiration! Looks like you had a time exploring the country.
Thanks Amanda. The Bulgaria post is coming soon. It was the favorite port on the entire cruise and I have so many gorgeous pictures of it. I hope you will check it out.
Sorry about the bus journey, but it sounds as if it was worth it! I would love to try that fruit and really loved your facts such as the black sea having no waves. I also didn’t know that there were no pews in Orthodox churches so have learnt such a lot from your blog!
Thanks so much! I guess you can tell trivia is really “my bag” so after hearing the tour guide lecture on and on for hours, my mind remembers the things that may be a Jeopardy question some day. LOL
Lovely photo essay. I always want to hop on a plane and go to these beautiful sites.
I love exploring historic cities! Don’t worry about not being able to go to Bucharest-just gives you more reason to go back.
You are right! I just must see their library!
It looks like such a comprehensive tour! The architecture in some of Romania’s cities looks incredible. I’d love to visit and get a sense of the people and their culture.
It was a nice tour but very sad seeing everything the country has been through. Geography around problematic areas sure affects peoples lives for years to come. Thanks for stopping by!
I think I expected more color, other than the money 😉 Thanks for a trip to a new country even if it was only for a few minutes.
Thanks for stopping by Lesley! 😉
I’d love to go to Romania for some wine tasting. It sounds like there’s a lot to do there. Makes for a good excursion.
Nice article, mum. I like how you threw in your history knowledge in there
Thanks baby doll! 😉 Me and that trivia. LOL
Looks like a great trip. I love that you shared your experiences good and bad. I’ve been on several cruises, but never Princess. How did you like it?
Princess is my favorite cruise line. I have sailed with 6 others but they win for me in most cases. There are more ports to choose from on some cruise lines, and the food is a little better on another, but all in all, Princess pleases me ultimately. What was your favorite cruise thus far? Though I will cruise anywhere, European destinations are my choice.
We did Romania a few years ago. We decided to stay in Constanta a few nights. Nice beach. There was an outdoor concert we went to. What I remember most about the Roman remains were the headstones that left messages for travelers. They were translated into English. Would say something directly to the passerby about the deceased.
I remember the first time we were walking to the beach and unsure of the direction. A ten year old girl was walking near us, made swimming motions with her arms; when I responded affirmatively she pointed out directions.
Didn’t let that language barrier get in the way; I like that.;) We didn’t see the headstones but loved the stroll along the waterfront. Glad you enjoyed.
Romania has been on our bucket list for a long time. Constanta looks amazing. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Awesome! The best advice I could give you is while you are in Romania, try to get over to Bulgaria (namely Sunny Beach) for a couple of days. Wow, double wow, that place is gorgeous and very inexpensive.
Your post is so vibrant and the pictures make your journey come alive. Even though you had some mixed experiences, it still feels like you have had a blast. 🙂
Thanks so much Ami. Anything new is all good in my book. 😉
This sounds amazing. A good tour guide, old churches, wine! 🙂
I taught a Romanian student for a while and it is indeed a country that suffered a lot, particularly under hardline communism.
However, that church is stunning and some of the photography is really excellent. I almost wanted to book a flight right now…
Wonderful! Thank you so much. My bestie in Panama is from Romania and her stories are tragically sad. I was glad I got to visit Romania and hope that people continue to go there.
Sounds like your visit had a few ups and down but overall: what a beautiful place! Apart from the architecture, my favourite photo of yours is the one with the language: Romanian has the same roots as Italian and it’s always fun for me to try and spot similarities and see if I can guess anything (in writing sometimes yes, listening… not a word 😉 )
Awesome! I wasn’t sure whether to put that translation picture in or not since it wasn’t very attractive, glad I did now. Thanks for the feedback. 😉 Appreciate it.
Just the architecture alone makes it a worthwhile destination. Rest all is bonus!
You are correct! 😉 (plus getting a stamp in my passport)
Wonderful account of your trip and experiences, though a blend of good and bad, which indeed is what life is all about. Loved the pictures too.
Thanks so much! 😉 Glad I was able to see it firsthand.
Great pictures!
Interesting about no pews in the Orthodox church. I can’t imagine having to stand still in one place for hours on end.
I also didn’t know the Black Sea doesn’t have waves – look at all these tidbits you have provided me with today! Fantastic pics as well.
Awesome! I loves me some trivia so glad to share the wealth. 😉
Looks like a great place to visit! Definitely would like to visit Romania at some point.
This is a nice and inspiring post and there are enough photos to get the taste and feel of the area in Romania. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much Sabine! 😉
Great photos! Looks like a great time!
Seems like you had a great day! I’d love to visit Romania sometime, never made it there yet!
Romania is still on my list! I wasn’t considering to visit on a cruise but yours looks awesome!
This was the best cruise ever! A nice dose of lots of cultural places and a land-trip to take me back should I wish to explore more. I would definitely go back to Bulgaria! Thanks!
Romania is one of those places with a bit of romantic mysticism about it. Thanks for sharing your tour. It looks like a great place. Some of the architecture is amazing.
Thanks for checking it out. I was so glad to have gone there, one of my best friends is from Romania and lived through some of the devastation years ago.
I want to visit Romania and Bulgaria so badly. I’m always so impressed with how well the art and architecture has survived through so many wars and regimes. It’s all so beautiful.
Does your family ever do cruises? This one was so affordable and the ports were amazing, not super crowded ones like some European cruises. Plus the boys would be free…and free food…get my drift? 😉
We were just in Romania last summer and really loved it. However, we did not get to Constanta. I guess I need to put it on my list! Love the pics, especially of the goats.
Thanks! Did you enjoy Romania and did you get to see that amazing library?
So want to get to Romania soon. Will definitely add Constanta to the city list.
Eastern block countries have such a sad history. I appreciate that you captured that as well as the touristy aspect of the the city. It looks and sounds like it was pretty happenin’ only a hundred years ago. The ruins sound pretty cool too… but bumpy roads are kind of the worst. Ever.
Rob, even worse if you are a female! 😉 Thanks so much! Glad I went but definitely not a place to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.
We’ve heard a lot of great things about Princess Cruise lines. We just went on our first cruise with P&O. and had a fantastic Med cruise. We’ve never been to Romania, and it was great to see it through your eyes. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Eulanda. If you get bitten by the cruise bug, get some treatment soon. I am on 25+ already and the thoughts of cruising consume my thoughts most often. LOl 😉
Histeria sounds wonderful. So much of history there. And yes, I can see what you mean – Romania is beautiful and it is depressing to know the pain it had to go through. Lovely pictures and write up.
Thanks so much Ami. 😉
Hi, really glad you enjoyed Romania, but I would make some observations, if I may?
1. “the statue of Queen Elisabeth, married to King George II of Greece, a famous poet, whose literary name was “Carmen Sylva”. The statue depicts her standing with a muse at her feet.” Queen Elisabeth was married to king Charles I (Carol I) of Romania. Her literary pseudonym was Carmen Sylva.
2. “The Historic City of Histeria” is actually named Histria.http://www.cimec.ro/Arheologie/web-histria/1sit/sit_eng.htm
3. “Fact: The Black Sea has no waves.” It has a lot of waves, see http://www.stiri.com.ro/img_mare/21126marea-neagra-cazinoul-din-constanta-1.jpg
I hope the information was helpful.
Best wishes,
Alexandra
Thank you so much for the info. I guess the tour companies somewhat slack when it comes to divulging info to us Americans. I have corrected the info you listed above. I really appreciate it. I love facts and trivia and am sorry it was not right to begin with. 😉
Romania looks awesome! Reminds me a lot of Odessa, which I’ve visited – its also on the black sea and not too far from Romania. Great photos as well. Really inspirational and makes me think I should make a stop there the next time i’m in that region of the world.
Awesome! I love hearing that, Mike! Have a great time traveling!