Constanța I (3/29/2026)

Sunday, March 29, 2026

This morning we boarded the motor coaches for the three-hour trip to Constanța, the port where we would embark on Viking Rinda for our Danube River cruise.

We arrived in time for lunch that began with a Vegetable
Consommé, then Kent had the BBQ Baby Back Ribs

I had the Penne al'Arrabbiata

Blueberry Cream Cheese Slice was Kent's choice for dessert

I had the Chocolate Mousse

The included afternoon shore excursion was Constanța On Foot, but we were taken by motor coach into town because of the tricky long walk through the working port.

We were dropped off by Mural Wanda
(2023? by Wanda Hutira) (KSS)

Constanța is Romania's largest port on the Black Sea,
which was so rough today that we were splashed by the surf

Comandamentul Naval Militar/Romanian Navy Command
Headquarters (1879-1881 as Hotel Terminus for the
Danube and Black Sea Railway that was later
replaced by the Danube-Black Sea Canal

Bustul lui Mihai Eminescu/Bust (1934, by Oscar Han)
of a 19C poet  and writer from Moldavia, who was considered
to be the most influential figure in Romanian Literature (KSS)

A view of the rough surf at Cazinoul din Constanța/
Casino of Constanța with the port to the left

Farul Genovez/Genovese Lighthouse
(originally built by traders from Genoa in 1300,
rebuilt 1858-1860 by the Danube and Black Sea Railway

Faleza Cazinoului/Casino Promenade

Constanța sewer cover

Casino of Constanța (1910, by Daniel Renard in
Art Nouveau style) was reopened in 2025 after five years
of renovation, having been abandoned since 1990

Sea-inspired design with sculptural reliefs of
waves, shells, and sea creatures (KSS)

At the top of the column is a ship's prow

Acvariul din Constanța/Aquarium of Constanța
(1955-1958, by Daniel Renard as a restaurant for the Casino)

We were lucky to enter the Casino before
its evening closing, with its Art Nouveau details

During the recent renovation, a small wooden box was
discovered with a letter written on a piece of a cement bag;
Ion Cristodulo addressed this note to his son to wish
him a Happy Birthday; other prisoners also wrote notes
or wrote their names on beams in the structure

Computer view of the note

Chandelier above the grand staircase
in front of stained glass windows (KSS)

Another unique chandelier in the grandballroom;
during World War I the casino was used as a hospital

Huge "clam-shell" window lets in light on the north side

More chandeliers above the two symbols
of the city of Constanța; a ship and lighthouse

Clam-shell window on the inner south wall

Some rooms held examples of Art Nouveau
works; the chair was designed by Queen Maria

Irises (by Queen Maria of Romania)

Basement exhibit: History of Underwater Diving (KSS)

The Depths of the Black Sea on a stratified model

Ovid's Metamorphoses: An immersive show about the creation
of the world, gods, humans, love, war and destiny, inspired by
the masterpieces Metamorphoses and Tristele: Letters from
Pontus by the great Roman poet Ovid, who was exiled here

Helix lucorum/Turkish Snail, a native in the Black Sea area (KSS)

Catedrala Arhiepiscopală Sfinții Apostoli Petru și Pavel/
Archbishop's Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul is located next
to an archaeological site of Roman ruins (KSS)

Front of the Cathedral of Sts Peter & Paul
(1883-1885, Alexandru Orăscu and
Carol Benesch in a Greco-Roman style)

The interior was designed by Ion Mincu,
including the chandelier; the dome over the
sanctuary features the Virgin Mary and apostles

The central dome traditionally depicts the Christ Pantocrator

Apparently the original paintings (1883-1885, by
George Demetrescu Mirea) of the saints were considered
religiously improper as they were done in realist style with
clothing of nobles; the paintings (1959-1961, by
Gheorghe Popescu) were redone in Neo-Byzantine style,
resulting in the church being re-consecrated (KSS)

A worshipper kisses the icon of Mary (said to be
wonder-working), in front of the iconostasis carved in oak

Relics of St Astion were discovered in 2001

Reliquary of St Panteleimon (he appears
to be holding a cell phone!)

Carved doorway of ants

Marea Moschee din Constanța/Great Mosque
of Constanța (1910-1913, by Victor Ștefănescu
in Neo-Egyptian & Neo-Byzantine styles,
with a Neo-Moorish minaret) was
commissioned by King Carol I

Casa cu Lei/House with Lions (1895-1898, by Ion Berindei
in Eclectic or Italian Renaissance style for an Armenian
merchant) was often a hotel; Hotel d'Angleterre where the
poet Mihai Eminescu was said to live in the attic, but also this
hotel catered only to the privileged, for intimate rendezvous

Primăria Constanța/Constanța City Hall (1912-1921, by
Victor Ștefănescu in Romanian National style) was later
a post office and now the Muzeul de Istorie Națională și 
Arheologie/Museum of National History and Archaeology

Statue (1883, by Ettore Ferrari, but not erected
until 1887) of Ovid, the Latin poet, who was
exiled here for unknown reasons and died in
Constanța, reinforcing the "latinity" of Romania

Former Mercur Hotel (1913-1916, in
Eclectic or Neo-Romanian style) became
the Banca Națională a României/
National Bank of Romania in 1948

To be continued.