Constanța Casino

About Constanța Casino

The Casino stands at the tip of the peninsula where the old city was born, facing the sea with its back to Regina Elisabeta Boulevard. On or very near this spot, two wooden casinos stood from the 1880s, each destroyed or demolished in turn. Today's building was put up on the town hall's initiative between 1904 and 1910, after a long and contentious building site: Petre Antonescu proposed a Neo-Romanian design, but in the end it was architect Daniel Renard's Art Nouveau version that was built, with curving lines, shell-shaped ornaments and large windows onto the sea. It was inaugurated on 15 August 1910, in the presence of Prince Ferdinand.

In the years before the war the Casino was the place for balls, concerts and gaming tables for the seaside elite, even though the press of the day attacked it harshly for its ornate style. In the First World War it became a hospital, and the bombings of 1916 and 1941 badly damaged it. In 1951 it was rebuilt by political prisoners brought from the Poarta Albă camp, and later housed a house of culture and a restaurant. Closed in 1990, for years it became the symbol of a famous ruin: in 2018 Europa Nostra listed it among the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe.

Restoration began in January 2020 and took five years. Since 21 May 2025 the building has been open to the public again as a cultural venue run by a city-owned company: you visit with a ticket, and in the evenings it hosts concerts, shows and events.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Bucharest it is ~225 km on the A2, about two and a half hours. In Constanța head for the peninsula (the old town); the Casino is on the seafront at the end of Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, close to Tomis Harbour. The streets of the peninsula are narrow and busy in summer, so it is easier to leave the car further away and walk.

Public transport: CT Bus route 42 (Tomis Nord – Centru – Portul Tomis) drops you a few steps from the seafront. In summer the CiTy Tour hop-on/hop-off double-decker line also runs, with a stop at the Casino. Trains from Bucharest reach Constanța in two to three hours, and the peninsula is about 3 km from the station.

Where to park

The Casino has no car park of its own. The whole peninsula is parking Zone 0: the first 30 minutes are free, then 4 lei/hour, 30 lei for 24 hours. From 1 June to 31 August charges apply round the clock, including weekends and public holidays; the rest of the year only Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00. You pay at the meter, by SMS or through the Constanța Parking app. In summer spaces on the peninsula fill up quickly.

Fees & discounts

A visitor ticket costs 53 lei for adults and 26 lei for pupils, students and seniors. Children under 7 go free, but only when individually accompanied by a parent or guardian, not in school groups. People with disabilities and one companion go free. A guided tour for groups of 25–30 people costs 106 lei per person. Tickets are sold online at bilet.cazinoul.com or from the payment machines opposite the Casino. Temporary exhibitions, shows and events may be priced differently.

Rules

There is a security check at the entrance, and visitors go in in groups of up to 50. The ticket is valid for the day, but there is no re-entry once you leave the building. Photography for personal use is allowed, without flash; professional or commercial photography and filming carry a fee and need the management's approval. No animals except guide dogs. Food and drink only on the terrace and at the bar. Pushchairs are not allowed in the exhibitions: leave them at reception.

Facilities

Cloakroom · bar and terrace facing the sea · audio guide · wheelchair access, with mobile stair lifts (ask at the entrance) · online tickets and payment machines