Braila Travel Guide, Romania

Braila Travel Guide – Location

Braila is located in the south east of Romania, on the left banks of the Danube River and is the largest city of the county with the same name.

The city is one of the main Romanian Danube ports, at only 20 km distance from Galaţi, another important Danube port, thus making this region a strategic one from many points of view.

Braila Travel Guide – Topography

This region has a rather uniform landscape due to the presence of the plains, the only exception being offered by the valley of the Danube River that crosses the city on its southern side. The Danube River has a defining role over these lands, being the main landscape generating factor.

The old city is located between the Danube and the remains of the town’s medieval fortress. All the streets of the city have a semicircle shape, starting from the Danube and ending at the Danube.

Braila is one of the few Romanian cities that have not changed the street names over the last 130 years and that still has many intact buildings dating back from the nineteenth century, thus making the city a real architectural reservation for the interested ones.

Braila Travel Guide – Climate

These lands have a temperate climate with excessive continental influences from the western part and marine ones towards east. Due to the presence of the Black Sea nearby, the whole region has temperatures with about 1,5 degrees Celsius higher than the surrounding lands.

The average annual temperature is of 11,1 degrees Celsius, during summer varying from 22 to 35 degrees Celsius so that in mid summer there are tropical values.

Braila Travel Guide – Flora and Fauna

Most of the local flora has been replaced with cultivated species due to the large plain surfaces suitable for agriculture. Most of the lands are used for crops and only a small surface remains covered with characteristic species for the plains and river meadows.

The spontaneous flora can be observed in some areas of the Danube valley where we can find species of poplar trees, alder trees and many species of water plants. The fauna is very well represented by many species of fish in the waters of the Danube and different characteristic species for the steppe like rodents, hares, pheasants and more.

Braila Travel Guide – Population

Braila is a city with about 212.501 residents as mentioned at the last census that took place on the 1st of January 2009. Most of the population is made up of Romanians who live together with Aromanians, Macedonians, Greeks, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Turks, Germans and Jews.

The main religion here, as in all Romania, is Orthodox with about 90% of the population. The rest of 10% belong to other religions such as Catholic, Mosaic and Mohammedan.

Braila Travel Guide – Transport

The city has a well developed transport infrastructure with modern roads, railways and the Danube port. Braila travel guide recommends the easiest and fastest way to travel and that is by car or train due to the fact that there is no local airport here yet. The nearest airport is the Mihail Kogãlniceanu International Airport in Constanţa, at 130 km distance and the Otopeni International Airport in the capital city of Bucharest, 200 km away. For getting around, there are many rent a car companies and train stations connecting Braila with the rest of the country. Still, we must not overlook the transport by water so accessible here and usually used in commercial activities.

Local transport in Braila is offered by the town hall and is made by public buses and trams. Braila is also one of the first Romanian cities with an electric tram since 1897.

Braila Travel Guide – Economy

Since time immemorial the local people have worked the lands, had animals and went fishing on the western shore of the Danube. A sailing ship, the town’s symbol, used to be the symbol of commerce, the main occupation of these areas’ inhabitants.

Even today some of the main ingredients of the local economy are agriculture, livestock, fishing and port connected activities. Due to the presence of the port some important industrial activities have developed here. Food industry, metallurgic industry and shipbuilding industry are the most developed, offering thousands of jobs for the locals, thus keeping under control the number of unemployed people.

Braila Travel Guide – Festivals

There are numerous festivals held in this city especially music and theatre related ones. One of the best known music festivals is the “George Grigoriu” national and international music festival gathering both music fans and singers from all over the country, the folk music national festival and the canto music festival “Hariclea Darclee”. There is also the “Days and nights of European theatre” festival for all the people that appreciate a good theatre performance.