Constanța

Constanța began as the Greek colony of Tomis and has been a port ever since, which gives it a layered centre unlike anywhere else on the Romanian coast. The National History and Archaeology Museum holds sculpture from the ancient city including the coiled Glykon serpent, and next to it a purpose-built hall covers the Roman Edifice with Mosaic, a floor of around eight hundred square metres from a second-century commercial building on the terraces above the harbour. The peninsula holds the Great Mahmudiye Mosque with its climbable minaret, the Orthodox cathedral, and streets of decaying belle époque houses. On the seafront stands the casino of 1910, an Art Nouveau landmark that stood ruined for decades and has been under a long restoration. Beyond the old town the city is industrial and the port is one of the largest on the Black Sea.

What you actually see

• The Roman mosaic - a vast second-century floor preserved under cover.
• The archaeology museum - Tomis sculpture including the Glykon serpent.
• The seafront casino - the Art Nouveau landmark under restoration.
• The Great Mosque - an Ottoman-revival mosque with a minaret to climb.

When to go

May to September for the coast, though the museums make Constanța a reasonable year-round stop. July and August are crowded and hot, with the beach resorts nearby full. Spring and September are the best compromise.

Honest expectations

The old peninsula is shabby and many belle époque buildings are propped and empty. The casino restoration has run for years and access has been limited. The city beach is average and the good sand is at Mamaia to the north. Museum labelling is largely Romanian.

Nearby

Mamaia is immediately north; Histria and the Dobrogean sites lie inland and north.