Brief Description: Galati is the capital of the county of the same name in Moldova, Romania. It used to be visited by royal families and was one of the richest cities in Romania. Today it’s still worth visiting for the beauty of the simple things that reside here.
County: Galați
Wikipedia: Galați
Images: Florin Mocanu
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More information – Historical attractions Sightseeing features
Galati is a port city which is easily reached by water. It is located on the banks of the Danube where the shipyard is located. The city has quite a rich history, especially as it sits on the Danube, which is Europe’s largest commercial river artery via the Danube-Main-Rhine canal. The economic life of the city developed mainly through the shipyard and the river port.
It is a city of exceptional development, even though it was burned down at least three times in 1821 by Russians, Ottomans and Greeks. After 1830 the development of Galați started and by the time when there was a Porto Franco regime (it is called “The Golden Age”), the fame of Galati had grown so great that the city was better known in the world than in your own country. Influential people of that time, among them Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Costache Negri, who prepared the unification of the Romanian principalities, seriously considered the city of Galaţi and its commercial and economic development as the new capital of the principalities.
This did not happen, but this does not affect the further development of the city. In 1900 there were no less than 40 factories in the city, 16 foreign consulates and the first tram line in the city was inaugurated.
Important details about Galati:
In 1857 the first Romanian newspaper, called Gazeta Danubiu, was printed in Galati.
In 1911, the first statue of the poet Mihai Eminescu in the country and in the world was unveiled in Galati.
In 1926 the first flight took place in Romania. The takeoff was from Galati and the landing in Bucharest.
Sightseeing features
Christmas time / Sea of lights
Galati by night
In the center of Galati
The Waterfront
Galati waterfront is an oasis of calm for residents and all tourists visiting this wonderful city. With a length of about 2 km, it is a great place for hiking and recreation at the same time. Spring walks under the blossoming trees, warm summer evenings, dreamy sunsets when the sun seems to be bathing in the Danube, jogging in the morning or going out with friends and family, all these can be special and unforgettable moments will. At the end of the waterfront there is a playground (centre of town), as well as a variety of restaurants and cafes.
City Park “Mihai Eminescu”
City Park “Mihai Eminescu” Located in the center of Galati city, Mihai Eminescu City Park is a symbol of the city. It is not only a park but also a historical monument dedicated to Mihai Eminescu.
The “Mihai Eminescu” Park was built in the years 1880-1881, in the reign of King Carol I. According to the name, this park was dedicated to the great poet Mihai Eminescu. In the park there is also a bust made of white marble. The unveiling of the statue took place on October 16, 1911.
The Park Viva
Park Viva reopened in 2013 after a refurbishment. It is equipped with sports and playgrounds for children, swings, a skate park and even a small lake with fish. It is an ideal place for the little ones, but also for the big ones to let off steam or relax.
History Museum “Paul Păltănea”
The History Museum “Paul Păltănea” was inaugurated on January 24, 1939, on the 80th anniversary of the Union of Romanian Principalities, in the house of the Cuza family, where Alexandru Ioan Cuza lived during his time as judge and prosecutor of Covurlui County.
The beginnings of museology in Galați date back to the end of the 19th century, when a permanent exhibition was opened at the “Vasile Alecsandri” College, thanks to the donation of the academician Vasile Alexandrescu Urechia, which includes objects of plastic and decorative arts, coins and other documents from the modern included. A little later, in 1913, through the efforts of teachers Paul and Ecaterina Pașa, in a classroom at Boys’ School No. 6, an exhibition was organized with cultural assets donated by the people of Galaţi. The cultural assets of the two thematically different exhibitions formed the first collections of the public museum facility opened in Galaţi in 1939.
The City Garden
You should definitely go to this park where hundreds of flowers have been planted recently and redecorated the park in warm and beautiful colors. The city garden also has a playground for children, so the whole family can enjoy the beautiful view and games.
The city garden was built in 1846 when the manager, Iorga Ghicä, a good friend of Prince Mihail Sturdza, planted 3500 trees. Later the garden was enlarged and a greenhouse was built. In 1913, two greenhouses with exotic plants were built. In 1923 a water basin with a width of 20 m and a depth of 1.20 m was built. On the left were two large stone sarcophagi, one excavated on the shore of Barbosi Fortress and the second found in the Lozoveni residential area. Today one of the sarcophagi is in the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest and the other in the History Museum in Galati.
The Fortified Church of St. Precista
A beautiful church perched above the upper waterfront promenade with a gorgeous view. That’s why you should plan a visit to the church when you’re in the area.
This church is the oldest building in Galati and was consecrated in September 1647 during the reign of Vasile Lupu. The Church of St. Precisa was built on the site of an old adobe church built by a merchant named Teodor. The church has four rooms: the porch, the naos, the pronaos and the chancel and has an architectural style typical of the 17th century, with the bell tower enclosed in the church and a reinforced attic. The church architecture is Romanian and shows some specific elements: the bell tower is crenellated to watch over the Danube valley and also served as a defensive fortress when needed.
The TV tower
If you want to see the world and especially the beautiful city of Galati from above, then the TV tower is the ideal place for it.
The tower consists of a tall column made of reinforced concrete and inside the tower there is an elevator that goes up to the top of the tower where there is a modular, cylindrical construction. There are three floors, there is a restaurant on the ground floor and also there is a relay and television facilities on the other floors as the tower is an important information center for national security.
The construction was completed in 1978 and is the only one to have a restaurant at such an altitude.
The Natural History Museum – The Botanical Garden of the Natural History Museum – The Aquarium – The Planetarium
Strolling through the botanical garden with its fragrant flowers that delight the senses could be the ideal place to spend a great afternoon with your loved ones. And while you are in the botanical garden, be sure to visit the planetarium, where you can see many exotic and native fish species, visit various exhibitions or discover the mysteries of the universe with the help of the observatory, one of the largest in Romania.
The Natural History Museum was founded in 1956 as an independent institution, initially with a private mineralogical collection. Later its activity became more complex and a botanical garden, an aquarium and a planetarium were opened here, a number of exhibitions were organized and various biological, zoological and mineralogical collections were displayed.
The Botanical Garden of the Natural History Museum is by far one of the most beautiful places in Galati. The first planting was made in 1994 and today houses more than 2,500 taxa and over 260,846 trees, shrubs and flowers. The rosarium houses 5,517 roses and almost 300 varieties of roses.
The theme of the aquarium is rare and very rare ichthyofauna from the Danube region, from the Mediterranean Sea, exotic and domestic fish.
The planetarium is located on the 2nd floor of the museum complex, where you can visit the permanent exhibition “The Solar System” and the photo exhibition “A Brief Trip to the Universe”. The dome has a diameter of 7 meters and different projections can be observed here: “The Solar System”, “Giants of the Solar System” or “Nebulae and Star Clusters”, allowing visitors to make an imaginary journey in every corner of the universe.
The Zoo
The Zoo is also part of the Galati Natural History Museum and is located just 17 km NW of Galati, in a 7 hectare nature reserve. The theme of the zoo was developed in 1997 together with experts from the European Associations of Zoos and Aquariums to protect rare animal species.
The zoo is home to about 30 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including rare specimens from Europe and Asia. So here you can admire various animals such as lions, Siberian tigers, bears, wolves, foxes, deer, wild boar, rhesus monkeys, pheasants, owls, turtles, ponies, rabbits and poultry. Here you can spend a nice day with the whole family, the zoo offers horse lovers not only trained horses, but also a riding stable and well-trained staff.
The “Vovidenia” Church
The “Vovidenia” Church was built in 1790 by Busshop Ambrozie from Ecaterinoslav on the site of an old church and was consecrated on November 21 of the same year with the celebration of “The Entry of the Mother of God into the Church”.
Museum of Fine Arts
The Galati Museum of Fine Arts, inaugurated in 1967, is the first contemporary art museum in Romania and was specially designed to reflect the new trends of the plastic phenomenon of the 20th century that it nurtures to this day.
The Greek Church
19th century construction, monumental and significant for what meant the Greek community in ancient Galați.
The Dramatic Theater
The Dramatic Theater “Fani Tardini” is over 45 years old. It is a repertory theater with a dramatic profile, with a permanent troupe of 25 actors, 2 directors and a set designer.
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