Museums and galleries

Avramide House is a component of the Northern Dobrogean Cultural Heritage Museum Complex that belongs to the "Gavrilă Simion" Tulcea Eco-Museum Research Institute. This superb house, known among Tulceni as the House of Collections, was built at the end of the 19th century by Alexandru Avramide, of Greek ethnicity. This was a prosperous local entrepreneur, who owned several mills, workshops, various commercial premises, a sawmill, but also several agricultural areas. Alexandru Avramide is known to have arrived in the city of Tulcea in the middle of the 19th century, driven by a strong ambition and tenacity, which would later make him one of the richest people in the entire region. Around 1890, Avramide managed to bring two Italian craftsmen to the area, to whom he entrusted everything necessary to build the house he dreamed of as a symbol of the family's prosperity. From that moment and until the edifice became the most beautiful construction in the city, not much time passed. Located right in the center of the city of Tulcea, right next to the Church of Saint Nicholas, the house, considered luxurious, stood out especially for the rooms on the lower level. They are decorated with painted stucco, painted ceilings and benefit from doors in two wings, two main facades, and on one of them you can see an imposing staircase made of marble mosaic. After 1944, the house was transformed into the headquarters of the Greek Democratic Committee, and on November 14, 1949, the act was signed that created the "Danube Delta" Museum, which was officially opened only on May 1, 1950 The museum occupied two rooms in the entire building and had 872 complementary materials or objects in its heritage. Between 1952-1953, the School Inspectorate of Tulcea county carried out its activity in the same building. Because it was only in 1957 that the first reorganizations of the museum took place. From 1959, a special department of archeology and ethnography operated at the site of the building, but it was closed in 1962. Since 1964, when the aquarium tanks were built at the site of the building, together with the addition of a collection consisting of 1500 biological pieces , plus a voluminous herbarium, the house functioned in its complexity as a natural science museum. Recently the edifice was rehabilitated through a project called "Restoration and Rehabilitation of two heritage buildings from the municipality of Tulcea included in the regional tourist circuits" offering today, through a modern exhibition, the main historical elements of the city of Tulcea, but also of the family Avramides. Also here, various heritage objects from the collections of the Eco-Museum Research Institute "Gavilă Simion" Tulcea are perfectly displayed.

“I am happy that I can leave behind memories related to my work as a teacher, as a supporter of the cultural life of Tulcea and especially as a creative one. My drawings, lithographs and watercolors, the result of more than five decades of work, constitute the gift I leave, out of love, respect and gratitude to the places and people of Tulcea, among whom I lived with my loved ones.” wrote the artist Constantin Găvenea in his autobiography, published in 1988 and entitled “Days Lived with Moments of Sadness”. The building that today houses the “Constantin Găvenea” Memorial House was built in the first decades of the 20th century. The Tulcea artist lived in this house since the fall of 1942, following his detachment from the town of Sarichioi, settling in the city of Tulcea with his family. The house, restored by the Tulcea City Hall, contains five exhibition halls (a hall and four rooms), as well as the master's workshop in the courtyard of the house. Personal objects, manuscripts, books and albums with dedications, photographs, original documents and photocopies are exhibited, all closely related to the life and work of Constantin Găvenea. There are also lithographs, paintings and watercolors executed by the artist in all stages of his creation. The establishment of the Constantin Găvenea Memorial House is considered a tribute to the Great Man, as an example worthy of imitation, a symbolic character of this North-Dobrudzian land that we can be proud of in front of the whole of Europe. IMPORTANT: In order to visit this tourist attraction, please call in advance on +40740074244, from Tuesday to Friday, between 10:00 and 16:00. Thank you!

The "Danube Delta" Ecotourism Museum Center in Tulcea opened its doors to the public on February 25, 2009. Conceived as a complex cultural institution (museum and public aquarium), this wonderful center was created as part of a project carried out by the Program of Romania-Ukraine Neighborhood 2004-2006. The tour of the museum lasts at least an hour, with visitors having the opportunity to learn about the natural and socio-cultural heritage existing in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Thus, in a welcoming and relaxing setting, on the ground and first floor of the museum, visitors have the opportunity to learn about representative aspects of the Danube Delta: the history of its formation, the stages of inhabitation of the deltaic land, the natural environment (flora, fauna, landscapes), occupations traditional customs of the inhabitants of the delta, as well as general tourist information. Species from the flora and fauna of the Danube Delta are presented in a setting that faithfully reproduces the characteristic habitats of the three morphofunctional units of the delta: the fluvial delta, the fluvial-marine delta and the Razim-Sinoe lagoon complex, the visitor being transposed into the wonderful nature of the delta and through the voices of the birds echoing from each diorama. The permanent exhibition also includes two dioramas that present characteristic aspects of the habitats, flora and fauna of other protected areas of national importance in the Dobrogea Plateau, with particular emphasis on the Măcin Mountains National Park. The AQUARIUM, located at the base of the building, is the main attraction of the museum and houses a collection of fish from the delta fauna, as well as exotic, freshwater and marine fish. Aquariums with fish and invertebrate species found in coral reefs are among the most impressive. Through a system of two cylindrical aquariums, arranged concentrically, visitors, and especially children, have the opportunity to experience being for a few minutes in the middle of a reef, surrounded by sharks, fish and corals of varied and impressive shapes and colors , which will delight their eyes. The same sensations can be experienced by going through the tunnel related to the largest pool in the aquarium, where you can admire species of sturgeon, considered to be among the most primitive fish still living on the globe today. Additional information about the aspects presented in the basic exhibition and ecological tourism in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve can be obtained through the info-kiosks, located on each level of the visit, the documentaries running permanently on the displays, the images from the natural and archaeological sites, or explanatory panels. Information from the permanent exhibition is presented in Romanian, English and German. The center also has a reception room with free, wireless access, and for people with locomotor disabilities, an access ramp, elevator and appropriate sanitary facilities are provided. Upon exiting the Center, visitors have the opportunity to purchase various souvenirs, represented by views, albums, maps, small artifacts or handicrafts made by the locals. The Museum Center is without a doubt one of the most important tourist attractions in Tulcea and a place not to be missed, especially for families with children.

Visiting and purchasing works of fine and decorative art from the Art Galleries of the "Union of Fine Artists (UAP)" in Romania - Tulcea Branch can be done from Monday to Friday, between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. However, for various purchases outside of business hours, please call 0754407692.

The Art Museum of Tulcea is housed in a neo-classical building, built between 1863-1865, as the administrative palace of the Sangeac de Tulcea, then also called Conacul Pașei. After the entry of Dobrogea into the composition of the Romanian state, in 1878 it became the seat of the Prefecture of Tulcea County, with the County Court, the body of Portărei and the Court of Jury on the ground floor. Between 1950-1970, the Tulcea District People's Council functioned here. It finally became the seat of the Art Museum on August 23, 1982. In total, the museum has seven main collections: modern and contemporary painting (932 works), modern and contemporary sculpture (420 works), icons of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries (797 works), modern and contemporary graphics (4016 works), plates of engravings, unique in the country (400 works), oriental art from the 18th and 19th centuries (311 pieces), decorative art from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries (139 pieces). The core strength of the painting collection is represented by the works of the avant-garde period: Hans Mattis Teutsch, Max Hermann Maxy, Marcel Iancu, Corneliu Michăilescu, culminating with the 14 works (10 paintings, four graphics) signed by the well-known artist of universal renown, Victor Brauner (surrealist painter, sculptor and poet born in Piatra-Neamț). As for the rich statuary heritage of the museum, it consists of 420 modern and contemporary sculptures. The works of artists Ion Georgescu, Dimitrie Paciurea, Frederic Storck, Alexandru Călinescu, Oscar Han, Milița Petrașcu, Emilian Celine, Constantin Baraschi, Romul Ladea, Ion Jalea stand out for their special value.

The Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art in Tulcea is today housed in the former headquarters of the National Bank of Romania - Tulcea Agency. The building is one of the emblematic public edifices for the municipality, constituting, together with other constructions, valuable examples of the architecture of national forms. The construction is based on a project developed in 1924 and was erected during the interwar period (1924-1927), so at the end of the era of manifestation of the national trend in Romanian architecture. This public edifice can be considered a successful example of modern architecture, built on traditional values, which marked the first part of the 20th century. The heritage of the Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art reflects, through the diversity of the collections, a unique cultural model generated by the ethnic coexistence between Romanians and other populations. The approximately 8600 pieces make up an invaluable ethnographic fund decodable within the collections of folk art and folk wear, ethnography, industrial heritage and photo-document. The museum has recently been rehabilitated, renovated and reopened and delights visitors with its collections of erasers, metal vessels, carpets and Aromanian folk art.

The Museum of History and Archeology of Tulcea is a main component of the "Gavrilă Simion" Eco-Museum Research Institute. Its founding act corresponds to the organization of the permanent exhibition of history and archeology in 1975, on the site of the ancient fortress of Aegyssus. Currently, the institution manages over 130,000 cultural assets gathered in five collections: Archaeology, Numismatics, Medals, Modern and Contemporary History, Old Books. Most of the pieces in the museum's exhibitions and warehouses were discovered during the archaeological researches organized in the ancient and medieval fortresses of Orgamè/Argamum, Noviodunum, Troesmis, Beroe, Halmyris, Ibida, Dinogetia, etc. The Archeology Collection brings together more than 53,000 pieces attributed to a time interval between the Paleolithic and the Middle Ages. They are relevant for the study and knowledge of the first sedentary communities in Europe, the great centers of ancient and medieval civilization and, last but not least, the inclusion of the northern Dobrogean territory in the complicated political and economic gear specific to the modern and contemporary world. The Numismatics collection includes over 69,000 ancient, medieval and modern pieces, among them the largest part of the impressive hoard from Uzun Baiîr with over 23,000 Tatar dirhems, 195 Byzantine hyperperes, 92 silver ingots and cakes, objects of gold and silver ornaments, in fact the largest hoard of its kind in Europe. The Modern and Contemporary History Collection groups together objects with historical and memorial value, documents, photographs, maps and newspapers illustrating political, military, economic-social and cultural aspects of Northern Dobrogea from the 19th-20th centuries. Among the most valuable assets recently acquired by the Tulcea Museum of History and Archeology are over 400 documents that present various aspects of the activity of the European Commission of the Danube and the Directorate of the Danube Maritime. The old book collection includes approximately 3,000 pieces, among which there are volumes from the category of rare foreign books (XVI-XVIII centuries), old Romanian books (XVII-XIX centuries) and modern books (XIX-XX centuries), first editions, ex - bookplates and books with autograph dedications, manuscripts, etc. RECOMMENDATION: Once here, after visiting the museum, you must also climb up to the Independence Monument to enjoy the most beautiful vantage point. Basically, the view of the city and its surroundings is 360 degrees. All the more we recommend this place at sunset, but keep in mind the schedule of visiting the museum. Don't forget to include the hashtag #TUsiTULCEA in your social media posts.

Located on the outskirts of Tulcea, at the exit to Malcoci (in the direction of Mahmudia-Murighiol), the Traditional Fishing Village covers approximately 3 hectares and includes traditional houses, a village buffet, a cherhana, windmills, an information center and various other constructions that form a systematized theme park. The three main alleys try to reconstruct the Danube's arms, on each of them are placed buildings representative of the towns in the delta. Each house is decorated in the style of the locality it represents and, at the entrance, it displays an "identity card" in the form of a board with information in Romanian and English, where tourists and locals who cross its threshold can find out where it is where the locality is located, how to get to it, what is representative of the place, what the people in the area do and other specific information, if any. For example, next to the Periprava House, there is information about the dark past of the locality where the communists exterminated thousands of people, also helped by the high degree of isolation of the commune. Along with Periprava, there are also the houses of Ceatalchioi, Chilia, Jurilovca, Mila 23, Crișan, Sulina, Sfântul Gheorghe, Murighiol, Letea. Visiting prices: 10 lei for adults, 5 lei for those up to 14 years old and free for children up to 6 years old. Especially in spring and summer, the location hosts more and more extensive events, from painting workshops to thematic workshops and from photo sessions for newlyweds to various festivals. The first edition of the "Scrumbii de Florii" event, a complex gastronomic festival, was organized and hosted in this place by the Fisherman's Village between April 26-28. And they want it to become a tradition that is repeated year after year by Florii.