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Things to do in Constanța: what to see in the city, on the seafront and nearby

The restored white façade of the Casino from the boulevard side, with the large semicircular window and the entrance arcades, under a clear sky
The restored white façade of the Casino from the boulevard side, with the large semicircular window and the entrance arcades, under a clear sky · Dennis Sylvester Hurd · CC0

Nearly all the sights of Constanța are on the peninsula, the old town on the site of ancient Tomis: the Casino, reopened in 2025, the seafront from the Genoese Lighthouse to Tomis Port, Ovid Square with the Roman Mosaic Building and the Carol I Mosque, whose minaret you can climb. About 5 km to the north is the Dolphinarium, and behind Mamaia, Lake Siutghiol. In October 2026 the Museum of National History and Archaeology and the Aquarium on the seafront are closed.

Below are the places to visit in the city, what is open, what to do when it rains or in winter and what to see nearby, 13–70 km away. The current opening hours and prices are on the page of each attraction. The resorts around the city are in the Romanian seaside guide, and all the attractions in the county are on the Constanța county page and on the map.

In short

  • Most of the sights in Constanța are on the peninsula, a few minutes' walk from one another: Ovid Square, the Roman Mosaic Building, the Carol I Mosque, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the Genoese Lighthouse, the Casino and Tomis Port.
  • Constanța Casino has been open to visitors since 21 May 2025, after its restoration: in October 2026 it is open Wednesday–Monday 10:00–18:00, closed on Tuesdays, and the adult ticket costs 53 lei (cazinoul.com).
  • The Museum of National History and Archaeology on Ovid Square is closed for refurbishment, with works that began on 15 January 2026 and are planned to last 24 months; the Roman Mosaic Building next to it is open Wednesday–Sunday.
  • At Constanța Dolphinarium, from 15 September 2026 the dolphin show is daily at 12:00, in a covered hall, and the adult ticket costs 36.63 lei until 30 April (delfinariu.ro).
  • The Aquarium on Constanța's seafront has been closed since February 2023; on 30 October 2026 the website of the Natural Sciences Museum Complex still listed it as “temporarily closed”.
  • When it rains or in winter, the Casino, the Dolphinarium with the Planetarium and the Roman Mosaic Building stay open in Constanța, all of them indoors.

Constanța attractions: what to see, in one table

The table brings together the sights in the city, from those on the peninsula to those on its edge, with their status at the end of October 2026. The peninsula can be seen on foot in half a day; the Dolphinarium and Lake Siutghiol need the bus or the car.

AttractionWhereWhat it isVisit lengthOctober 2026
The peninsula (old town)Ovid Squarethe old town, on the site of Tomis~3 hfree access
The Casinothe peninsula seafrontArt Nouveau building from 1910, with exhibitionsnot publishedWednesday–Monday 10–18, 53 lei
Roman Mosaic BuildingOvid SquareRoman port building, ~400 m² of mosaic~1 hWednesday–Sunday 9–17, 25 lei
Carol I Mosque150 m from Ovid Squaremosque from 1910–1913, 47 m minaret~45 minhours and ticket not published
Museum of National History and ArchaeologyOvid Squarethe Tomis sculpture hoard—closed, refurbishment
The seafront and Tomis Portfrom the Genoese Lighthouse to the portpromenade along the sea—free access
Constanța's beachesfrom Modern beach to Pescărie3.4 km of beach in the city—free access, no lifeguards
The DolphinariumMamaia Boulevard, ~5 kmdolphin shows, Micro-reserve, Planetarium~1 h 30daily, show at 12:00, 36.63 lei
The Aquariumthe seafront, next to the Casinothe first public aquarium in Romania—closed since 2023
Lake Siutghiol and Ovidiu Islandbetween Mamaia and Ovidiu, ~10 kmfreshwater liman, 7.5 km long—the shores, free access

Visit lengths and distances from the attraction pages, from the centre of Constanța; adult opening hours and prices from cazinoul.com, delfinariu.ro and the attraction pages, checked on 30 October 2026. “Not published” = the source gives no visit length.

Constanța old town: what to see on the peninsula

Constanța Peninsula is a protected urban site and is explored on foot, starting from Ovid Square (Piața Ovidiu), with the poet's statue unveiled in 1887. On the side facing the port is the Roman Mosaic Building (Edificiul Roman cu Mozaic), run by MINAC: the mosaic is viewed from walkways, and the building reopened on 14 November 2025, after restoration. The ticket costs 25 lei, and from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2027 it is open Wednesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00.

A few streets away are the Carol I Mosque and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, with ruins of Tomis in the park in front of it, free to enter. Then walk down to the seafront, to the Genoese Lighthouse, and carry on past the Casino to Tomis Port. On Mondays and Tuesdays the Mosaic Building is closed, and on Tuesdays the Casino too, so a day from Wednesday to Sunday finds everything open.

Constanța Casino: can you visit it? Opening hours and tickets

Yes. Constanța Casino has been open to the public since 21 May 2025, after a restoration that began in January 2020. Inside you see the grand staircase under the stained glass, the exhibition on the history of the building on the ground floor and the immersive exhibition on the Black Sea in the basement. The Hall of Mirrors, upstairs, was temporarily closed to visitors at the end of October 2026.

Opening hours and tickets (cazinoul.com, 30 October 2026): Wednesday–Monday 10:00–18:00, closed on Tuesdays. The ticket costs 53 lei for adults and 26 lei for pupils, students and pensioners; children under 7 go in free with a parent. Tickets are bought online or from the machines across from the Casino. The hours change often, and the website announces the days with reduced hours. In the evening the building hosts concerts and shows, with tickets separate from the visiting ticket.

Constanța seafront: from the Genoese Lighthouse to Tomis Port

The seafront on the peninsula starts at the Genoese Lighthouse, a small stone lighthouse from 1860, next to the bust of Mihai Eminescu, passes below the Casino terrace and goes down to Tomis Tourist Port, with yachts and pleasure boats. The walk is free and can be done at any time, winter included. Below the seafront begins Modern beach, with its bay enclosed by stone breakwaters; the esplanade above it is run-down, with broken paving (October 2026).

To the north, the seafront continues as the North Promenade (Faleza Nord), above Trei Papuci beach, towards Pescărie and the Dolphinarium; in the North Promenade – Dolphinarium area, work is under way on the promenade. CT Bus line 102 runs along the North Promenade, and line 42 reaches the peninsula.

The Carol I Mosque and the museums of Constanța: what is open

  • The Carol I Mosque, from 1910–1913, has a 47 m minaret, with 140 steps on a narrow spiral staircase up to the balcony, from where you see the peninsula, the port and the sea. The opening hours and ticket are not officially published; the ticket is paid in cash at the entrance. In September 2026 the city hall authorised its restoration, with 36 months of works, which may limit the visit or the climb up the minaret. You go in without shoes, with shoulders and knees covered, and women with their heads covered.
  • The Museum of National History and Archaeology is closed for refurbishment: the works began on 15 January 2026 and are planned to last 24 months. The Tomis sculpture hoard, with the Glykon Serpent, cannot be seen until it reopens. Of the museum, only the Roman Mosaic Building can be visited.
  • The Aquarium on the seafront has been closed since February 2023 (see the section on mix-ups).
  • The National Museum of the Romanian Navy, in the former Naval School building on Strada Traian, has been closed to visitors since 14 July 2025 for structural consolidation, with works estimated at 18 months.

The city also has the Folk Art Museum and the “Ion Jalea” Sculpture Museum, which do not have a page on the site yet.

Constanța Dolphinarium: shows, Micro-reserve and Planetarium

Constanța Dolphinarium is on Mamaia Boulevard, ~5 km from the peninsula, with the “Delfinariu” stop in front. It is the first dolphinarium in Romania, opened in 1972, and the dolphin show, about 25 minutes long, is held in a covered hall with 1,300 seats. The same ticket includes the Micro-reserve, with pelicans, swans, mouflons and fallow deer, and the exotic bird pavilion. The Planetarium on the same grounds has shows under the dome, with a separate ticket.

Opening hours and tickets (delfinariu.ro, 30 October 2026): from 15 September 2026, the dolphin show is daily at 12:00; you go into the hall 10 minutes before, and latecomers miss it. The ticket costs 36.63 lei for adults and 8.88 lei for pupils and students until 30 April; from 1 May, 74.37 lei. The sea lion shows are temporarily suspended. What else there is to do here with children is in the guide to the seaside with kids.

Beaches in Constanța: Modern, Trei Papuci and Tataia

Constanța has beach right in the city: Constanța City Beaches, 3.4 km of sand rebuilt in 2014–2016, from below the peninsula seafront to Pescărie. There are three areas: Modern, in the south, with its bay enclosed by breakwaters and calm water, Trei Papuci, below the North Promenade, the longest and the most divided between beach bars, and Tataia, in the north, emptier. Access is free, with no ticket. Lifeguards are on duty only in the summer season, between 08:30 and 19:30; by law, the season on the coast runs from 1 May to 30 September.

The long beach is in Mamaia, which starts 6–7 km north of the old town. Mamaia and the other resorts are in the Romanian seaside guide.

Lake Siutghiol and Ovidiu Island

Lake Siutghiol is the freshwater liman behind Mamaia: ~7.5 km long, up to ~18 m deep, a protected area for birds. It has two sides. On the Mamaia shore are the water sports centres and a cable wakeboard park; from here you watch the sunset over the lake. On the western shore, in the town of Ovidiu, ~10 km from Constanța, there is a landscaped promenade, with Ovidiu Island opposite, a few hundred metres away.

The island, of about two hectares, is linked to the legend of the Roman poet; the legend is not attested. It can be reached only by boat, and the boats, the restaurant on the island and the water sports centres are private businesses, with no official schedule for 2026: ask at the landing stage. The shores and the promenade in Ovidiu are free to access.

What to do in Constanța when it rains or in winter

Constanța can be visited all year: the beach sectors pack up at the beginning of October, but the indoor sights stay open.

  • The Casino: the visit is indoors, all year; it is closed on Tuesdays.
  • The Dolphinarium: the show hall is covered and is used in winter too. The Planetarium has shows several times a day.
  • The Roman Mosaic Building: a covered space, Wednesday–Sunday.
  • The Carol I Mosque: the visit is indoors, but not during prayers, especially at midday on Fridays.

In winter the seafront and the peninsula make the same walk, without the crowds, and parking on the peninsula is paid only Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00. About 15 km away, on Lake Techirghiol, the water does not freeze, and in winter flocks of red-breasted geese spend the night here.

What to do in Constanța in a day or a weekend

One day is enough for the peninsula, the seafront and a beach. Morning: Ovid Square, the Roman Mosaic Building and the mosque's minaret. Midday: the Casino, then the seafront as far as Tomis Port. Afternoon: Modern beach in summer or the Dolphinarium, with the show on that day's schedule.

Over a weekend, the second day goes to Siutghiol and Mamaia or to one of the trips in the next section. In the evening the Casino has concerts and shows with a separate ticket, and from the Mamaia shore of Lake Siutghiol you watch the sunset over the lake. With children the order changes: the Dolphinarium first thing, then the beach; the details are in the guide to the seaside with kids.

Attractions around Constanța: Agigea, Techirghiol, Murfatlar, Histria

The resorts nearby, from Mamaia to Eforie Nord and further south, are in the Romanian seaside guide.

Mix-ups: the Aquarium, “Casino Mamaia” and the beach clubs

  • The Aquarium is not the Dolphinarium. The Aquarium is the building on the seafront, next to the Casino, closed since February 2023, after part of the ceiling collapsed. The fish are being moved to a space at the entrance to the Dolphinarium; on 30 October 2026 the aquarium was still shown as “temporarily closed” on delfinariu.ro.
  • “Casino Mamaia” is the Cazino area of Mamaia resort, with the Albatros car park and the end of the gondola lift, not Constanța Casino, which is on the peninsula.
  • Modern and Trei Papuci are areas of the city beach; Reyna is one of the sectors on them, not a separate beach.
  • Lake Siutghiol is not salty. The salt lake with mud is Techirghiol, south of Constanța.
  • Histria is in Constanța county, but ~66 km from the city, not in Constanța.

Getting around Constanța: bus, parking, railway station

Constanța railway station is ~3 km from Ovid Square. CT Bus: line 42 reaches the peninsula, line 102 runs along the North Promenade and Mamaia Boulevard, past the Dolphinarium, and 100M goes from the station to Mamaia. A single journey costs 3 lei, the 24-hour ticket 11 lei. From June to September the CiTy Tour also runs, with hop-on/hop-off double-decker buses between the station, the port, the centre and Mamaia: 7 lei a journey, 11 lei a day.

By car, the peninsula is Zone 0: the first 30 minutes free, then 4 lei/hour; between 1 June and 31 August parking is paid round the clock, the rest of the year Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00. In summer it is simpler to leave the car on Tomis Boulevard and walk in. What to pack for the seaside and the season in brief are in the practical part of the seaside guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main attractions in Constanța?
On the peninsula: Ovid Square, the Roman Mosaic Building, the Carol I Mosque, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the Genoese Lighthouse, the Casino and Tomis Port. In the rest of the city: Modern and Trei Papuci beaches, the Dolphinarium with the Planetarium and Lake Siutghiol.
Can you visit Constanța Casino?
Yes, since 21 May 2025. In October 2026 it is open Wednesday–Monday 10:00–18:00, closed on Tuesdays, and the adult ticket costs 53 lei (cazinoul.com). The Hall of Mirrors was temporarily closed to visitors.
Is the History Museum in Constanța open?
No. The Museum of National History and Archaeology on Ovid Square is closed for refurbishment, with works that began on 15 January 2026 and are planned to last 24 months. The Roman Mosaic Building, run by the same museum, is open Wednesday–Sunday.
What time are the dolphin shows at Constanța Dolphinarium?
From 15 September 2026, the dolphin show is daily at 12:00, and you go into the hall 10 minutes before (delfinariu.ro, October 2026). In summer the times change; check the attraction page.
Is Constanța Aquarium open?
No. The Aquarium on the seafront has been closed since February 2023, and the fish are being moved to the Dolphinarium grounds. On 30 October 2026, delfinariu.ro still showed the aquarium as “temporarily closed”.
What to do in Constanța when it rains?
The Casino (closed on Tuesdays), the Dolphinarium, with the show in a covered hall, the Planetarium and the Roman Mosaic Building (Wednesday–Sunday) are visited indoors.
Is Lake Siutghiol salt water?
No. Siutghiol is a liman with fresh water, fed by karst springs. The salt lake near Constanța is Techirghiol, ~15 km to the south.
How do you get to Ovidiu Island?
Only by boat, from the promenade in the town of Ovidiu, ~10 km from Constanța. The boats and the restaurant on the island are private businesses, with no official schedule for 2026: ask at the landing stage.

Sources

All guides