Events in Constanta

Location and accessibility

For Participating Crews

The origin of Constanţa’s name starts with the Argonaut legend, according to which Jason, the son of the King of Thessaly, had its throne usurped by his uncle, Pelias. On learning that Aietes, an outstandingly wealthy king, possessed the Golden Fleece, Jason entertained the thought of stealing it in order to reclaim his father’s kingdom of Iolkos from King Pelias, as promised by the latter. When he arrived in Colchis, however, he fell in love with Medea, Aietes’s daughter, who helped him get the fleece. Once Jason stole it, off he fled with Medea (and her brother, Absyrtos) by his side. Mad to learn this, King Aietes set sail to chase the two runaways. Medea cut her brother into pieces, which she threw into the sea. Aietes stopped to fish the body pieces, which bought Jason and Medea the time to sail far away.

Thence comes Tomis, the early name of Constanţa, which means “cut into pieces”. Yet it’s a long way from Tomis to Constanţa. Only in the 10th century Emperor was the city renamed Constantia by Constantine the Great in honour of his sister.
Nowadays Constanţa is one of the most attractive tourist sites of Romania and boasts the largest Black Sea port and the fourth largest one in Europe. Among Constanţa’s major tourist sights are the Romanian Marine Museum, the local branch of the National Military Museum, the National History and Archaeology Museum, the Roman Mosaic, the Art Museum, the Genovese Lighthouse, the Mosque, the Dolphinarium, the Acquarium and the Planetarium.

Further sights in the region are to be found in Mamaia, a satellite to Constanţa famous as the most modern Romanian seaside resort. For those who love entertainment, Mamaia hosts numerous night clubs, pubs and discos, as well as excellent hotels and restaurants.