While exploring Dobrogea (Dobruja ) county in Romania, I stumbled upon the ruins of a fortress from the Middle Ages, rising on top of a limestone hill, in the middle of a wetland.
Enisala Fortress is one of the main attractions in Dobrogea county. If you are a nature lover and a history buff, this is the right place for you.
LOCATION
Located in the northern part of the historical province of Dobrogea, the fortress is only 40 km away from the Tulcea city, on the DJ 222 (county road 222).
ENTRANCE FEE
Entrance fee is cheap, less than $3. Though access is granted only during the warmer months.
GREAT SIGHTSEEING SPOT
The views from the top of the fortress are breathtaking. You can see the canals connecting two big lakes: Babadag and Razim and the Babadag forest.
Razim Lake is one of the biggest lakes in Romania. It’s part of the Razim-Sinoe lagoon complex.
HISTORY
Enisala Genoese fortress it’s one of the few medieval constructions still standing within the area. Also known under the name of “Heraclia” or “Heracleea”, it was built at the end of the 13th century by the merchants from Genoa, Italy. Its construction lasted until the beginning of the 14th century.
Positioned on top of the hill, dominating the landscape, it offered a strategic military advantage because it controlled the traffic on land and on the water.
A quick visit will provide you with some knowledge on the ancient ways of the seafaring nations and how traffic on the Black Sea was ruled and regulated.
The last standing medieval fortress in Dobrogea is definitely underexploited. For a location with such a rich history, it is not exploited at its full potential.
The small museum outside the fortress provides only information on the fauna and flora of the area, along with some historical facts related to the archaeological discoveries from the surrounding area.
Once you climbed to the top of the hill, you can gaze over the lakes and plains.
The ruins of the fortress are impressive, but the views are stunning.
As you can soak up some history and enjoy magnificent views, you can picture how everything looked 1000 years ago when this location used to be a sea harbour.
It’s worth visiting and spending one or two hours there, taking photos or simply taking in the views.
While you are heading back to your car at the bottom of the hill, you can imagine that you are walking at the bottom of the sea.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Bring water
- Keep in mind there are no amenities on the premises
- Bring your camera because you can spot lots of birds and ground squirrels scurrying the hills.
Here are other travel related posts:
MORAINE LAKE, A SURREAL BEAUTY IN ALBERTA, CANADA
TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE A LIVING WHILE TRAVELLING THE WORLD
FEELING UNINSPIRED? VISIT A WELSH RETREAT: GLADSTONE’S RESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
TURDA’S 400 FEET UNDERGROUND AMUSEMENT PARK, A HIDDEN GEM OF TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA
CARIBBEAN PARADISE: BOCAS DEL TORO
BOQUETE’S FLOWERS AND COFFEE FESTIVAL, PANAMA
VISIT TO SAINT-JOSEPH’S ORATORY IN MONTREAL, CANADA
All photos used in this posts are taken and owned by myself, if you wish to use any of my images please contact me!
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@2018 LaviPicu aka The Lyme Poet. All rights reserved.
