Lighthouse of Constanța, Constanta Travel Guide

The 1960 Landing Lighthouse

The structure is Romania’s tallest Black Sea landing lighthouse: a tapering triangular concrete shaft 58 metres high, topped by an inverted triangular metal pyramid clad in light-blue anodized aluminium. Designed by architect Nicolae Vasilescu and engineer Emil Țițaru, construction ran from 1957 to 1960. Its focal plane sits 87 metres above sea level, and the light remains an active navigational aid with a characteristic of two white flashes every 29.8 seconds visible for approximately 24 nautical miles.

Architecture and Engineering

The tower’s late-1950s modernist geometry was published in Architectural Design in 1961. The west face of the metal cupola is vertical for visual balance while the east face slopes; the reinforced-concrete shaft survived the 1977 earthquake. In 2010 the lantern was modernised with a VRB-25 system; the original Russian lens is preserved at the Maritime Hydrographic Directorate museum. The tower forms part of Romania’s coastal signalling chain alongside Mangalia, Tuzla, Midia and Sulina.

The Surrounding Square

Piața Far covers roughly 10,470 square metres of level urban ground set back about 200 metres from the cliff edge. Benches, ornamental planting and a fountain on the Bulevardul 1 Mai side create a neighbourhood rest space used daily by local residents. The square is open 24 hours and functions primarily as everyday public space rather than a landscaped showpiece.

Visitor Experience

Visitors walk the square, photograph the tower against the sky, and watch the night flash. No public interior access or climbing programme exists; the 259-step stair is reserved for operational staff. Sea views are limited compared with the Casino waterfront because of the inland siting. The experience is architectural and nocturnal rather than panoramic.

Practical Context

The site lies in a mid-century residential neighbourhood near the junction of Bulevardul 1 Mai and Strada Caraiman. CT Bus stop “Far” serves several city lines. Street parking is available but not dedicated to visitors. No admission fee applies.