# Enisala Fortress

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Dobruja](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/dobrogea) › [Tulcea County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/tulcea) › [Enisala](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/enisala)

> The ruins of a 14th-century fortress, probably built by the Genoese on a limestone hill above lakes Razim and Babadag, with one of the widest views in Dobruja.

**At a glance:** Fortresses and fortifications in Enisala, Tulcea County. Opening hours: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 – 18:00. Ticket: 20 lei. Information verified on 29 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 – 18:00 — Summer hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed on Mondays. From 1 October 2026 winter hours apply: Tuesday–Sunday 08:00–16:00, closed on Mondays. Hours may change on public holidays — check the announcements on the ICEM Tulcea website.
- **Ticket:** 20 lei — seniors 10 lei, pupils 5 lei
- **With kids:** Yes — short climb up steps
- **Best season:** April – October — summer, no shade on the hill
- **Address:** On the DJ 223A, ~2 km from Enisala village, Enisala, Tulcea County
- **Coordinates:** 44.8838, 28.8351
- **Website:** https://www.icemtl.ro/cetatea-medievala-enisala/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enisala,_Tulcea
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q989764
- **Categories:** [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/fortresses-and-fortifications), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monuments-and-historic-sites)

## About Enisala Fortress

Enisala Fortress stands on a rocky limestone hill at the edge of the village of the same name, looking down over lakes Razim and Babadag. It was built in the second half of the 14th century, most probably by Genoese merchants, who then controlled shipping on the Black Sea: at the time Razim was still a bay open to the sea, and the fortress watched over the routes by water and by land near the mouths of the Danube. Its custodian, the Eco-Museum Research Institute in Tulcea, calls it the Medieval Fortress of Enisala; older sources name it Yeni-Sale or Heracleea.

Under Mircea the Elder the fortress became part of Wallachia's defences, and after the Ottoman conquest of Dobruja in the early 15th century it received a Turkish garrison. By the end of that century it had lost its purpose: the Ottoman frontier had moved north of the Danube mouths, and the sandbars that gradually closed off Razim cut it off from the sea. The fortress was abandoned and slowly fell into ruin.

The walls follow an irregular polygonal plan that traces the outline of the rock, and in places still stand 5–10 m high. Excavations, begun in 1938 and resumed in several stages until the late 1990s, have turned up Byzantine, Genoese, Tatar, Wallachian, Moldavian and Ottoman coins.

### What you can see

From the car park at the foot of the hill you walk a few hundred metres up a tarmac road and then metal steps to the gate. You enter through the great gate tower, trapezoidal in plan, with its double arch and a slot in the masonry through which defenders could strike from above. The enclosure is lined with corner towers and buttresses linked by curtain walls; inside, the only surviving stone building is the garrison's water cistern, set against the south-eastern wall.

Most of the visit, though, is about the view: from the walls you can see Lake Razim stretching into the distance, Lake Babadag, Enisala village and the hills of northern Dobruja. On the slopes you can still make out traces of a second enclosure, surviving only at foundation level.

### Good to know

The hill is completely exposed: there is no shade in summer, so bring water and a hat and, if you can, come in the morning or towards evening. The peasant farmstead in Enisala village, the museum's other site in the area, is closed for restoration works. Every August the "Enisala – Unity at the Fortress" festival is held at the foot of the fortress.

## Don't miss

- The gate tower, with its double arch and the slot through which the entrance was defended from above.
- The view from the walls over Lake Razim, which in the Middle Ages was still a bay of the Black Sea.
- The garrison's water cistern, the only stone building surviving inside the enclosure.
- The fortress silhouetted on the rocky ridge, seen from the access road, especially at sunset.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Tulcea take the E87 towards Babadag, then the DJ 223A towards Enisala; it is ~40 km, about 45 minutes. It is ~12 km from Babadag (~15 minutes), ~105 km from Constanța (~1 hour 40 minutes) and ~315 km from Bucharest (~4 hours, via the A2 and E87). The fortress is ~2 km from the village and can be seen from afar on the ridge.

**Public transport:** the nearest railway station is Babadag, on the Medgidia–Tulcea line, ~12 km away; from there, continue by taxi. No public transport link to the fortress itself is known.

### Where to park

The car park is at the foot of the hill, next to the toilets; from there it is a walk of a few hundred metres up a tarmac road and then metal steps to the fortress entrance.

### Fees & discounts

Adults 20 lei, seniors 10 lei, pre-schoolers, pupils and students 5 lei. There is also a combined ticket with the Enisala peasant farmstead (adults 24 lei, seniors 10 lei, pre-schoolers, pupils and students 6 lei), but the farmstead is currently closed for restoration. Professional photography costs 100 lei/hour and professional filming 500 lei/hour.

### Rules

Professional photo shoots and filming are charged separately (see the prices). The ground inside the enclosure and on the hill is rocky and uneven: wear comfortable shoes and keep an eye on children.

### Facilities

Toilets at the car park at the foot of the hill · information panels in the fortress · virtual tour on the ICEM website

## Details

- **Construction period:** 14th century
- **Founder:** the Genoese (probably)
- **State of preservation:** consolidated ruin
- **Historical period:** Middle Ages
- **Civilisation:** Genoese, Ottoman

## Frequently asked questions about Enisala Fortress

**How much is a ticket to Enisala Fortress?**

A ticket to Enisala Fortress costs 20 lei (seniors 10 lei, pupils 5 lei). More under “Fees & discounts”.

**What are the opening hours of Enisala Fortress?**

Opening hours at Enisala Fortress: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 – 18:00. More under “Opening hours”.

**Can you visit Enisala Fortress with kids?**

Yes, Enisala Fortress is suitable for children (short climb up steps).

**How do I get to Enisala Fortress?**

Enisala Fortress is located at On the DJ 223A, ~2 km from Enisala village, Enisala, Tulcea County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Enisala Fortress?**

The best season for Enisala Fortress: April – October (summer, no shade on the hill).

## Nearby attractions

- [Lake Razim](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lake-razim) — Lakes · Sarichioi, TL · Free · 9 km
  Romania's largest lake, a lagoon of about 415 km² south of the Danube Delta, with Lipovan fishing villages on its shores, protected islands and the ruins of Enisala and Argamum above the water.
- [Jurilovca](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/jurilovca) — Villages and traditions · Jurilovca, TL · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · 19 km
  A Lipovan fishing village on the shore of Lake Golovița, in the south of the Danube Delta: a tourist harbour, white and blue reed-thatched houses and the boat departure for Gura Portiței.
- [Argamum Citadel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/argamum-citadel) — Fortresses and fortifications · Jurilovca, TL · 1 – 1½ hours · 21 km
  The ruins of the Greek city of Orgame and the late Roman fortress of Argamum on Cape Doloșman, above Lake Razim: walls, a gate and four early Christian basilicas in a wild landscape.
- [Gura Portiței](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gura-portitei) — Seaside · Jurilovca, TL · Free · 5 – 5½ hours · 33 km
  A strip of sand between the Black Sea and Lake Golovița, in the Danube Delta, reached only by boat from Jurilovca: a wide beach with reed sunshades and a single resort.
- [Mahmudia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/mahmudia) — Villages and traditions · Mahmudia, TL · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 40 km
  A Dobruja village on the bank of the Sfântu Gheorghe arm, ~31 km from Tulcea, with a Navrom landing stage, the ancient remains of Salsovia and the Beștepe hills behind it.
- [Murighiol](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/murighiol) — Villages and traditions · Murighiol, TL · 5 lei/day · 3½ – 4 hours · 40 km
  A village on the edge of the Danube Delta, ~38 km from Tulcea, with a harbour on the Sfântu Gheorghe arm, where the boat routes to the southern lakes, Uzlina and Gura Portiței set out.

## Featured in the guides

- [The Danube Delta: map, what it is, the villages and what to see](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/danube-delta) — The Danube Delta on the map: the Chilia, Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe branches, villages and sights. A 580,000 ha reserve, UNESCO since 1991. Water in 2026.
- [Danube Delta trip: one, two or three days, where to start and how to get to Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/danube-delta-trip) — From Tulcea, 300 km from Bucharest: a day by boat to Mila 23, the Navrom ship to Sulina (66 lei, 3 h 30) and Sfântu Gheorghe. Murighiol, Mahmudia, Jurilovca.
- [Things to do in Tulcea: what to see in the city and around it](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/things-to-do-in-tulcea) — Ecotourism Museum Centre (the aquarium, 30 lei), museums, waterfront, river station; Celic-Dere 26 km away, Cocoș, Saon, Enisala, Halmyris, Noviodunum.
- [Fishing in the Danube Delta: the fishing permit, the 2026 closed season and where you may fish](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/fishing-in-the-danube-delta) — The ARBDD fishing permit is free but needs the access permit too (5 lei/day). 2026 closed season: 9 April–7 June. Up to 5 kg a day, only in 31 zones.

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Last updated: 29 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania