Brăila

A trip to Brăila takes you to a port city whose old town tells the story of the wealth of 19th-century Greek and Armenian grain merchants. The flat Bărăgan Steppe stretches all around, and just outside the city the Danube splits into branches, islands, and marshes.

Plains, Salt Lake, and Danube Floodplains

Brăila County lies almost entirely within the Bărăgan Plain, one of Romania's breadbaskets: endless wheat and sunflower fields, small villages, and a wide sky. To the east flows the Danube, already divided into several branches here. The Small Island of Brăila Natural Park (Balta Mică a Brăilei) protects a remnant of the original floodplain landscape with willow forests, canals, and colonies of herons and cormorants; the best way to explore it is by boat. A few miles southwest of the city, the spa town of Lacul Sărat sits on a salt lake whose mud is used to treat rheumatism and joint ailments; Vărsătura is a village on the edge of this recreation area.

Sights in Brăila

The center is laid out in a semicircle around the old harbor, with streets radiating like rays toward Traian Square and its clock tower. Many buildings in the old town are faded palaces with stucco and wrought-iron balconies, and some have been restored in recent years. The Greek church, the Ottoman-era mosque, the Maria Filotti Theater, and the city garden with its view of the Danube are all worth a stroll. Brăila is the birthplace of the writer Panait Istrati and the soprano Hariclea Darclée, for whom an international singing competition is named. A new landmark stands east of the city: the suspension bridge over the Danube, opened in 2023 and one of the longest in Europe, connects Brăila with Dobruja and the route to the Danube Delta.

Cuisine, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Brăila claims saramură as its own: carp or catfish grilled over charcoal and served in a brine of salt water, garlic, and tomato, with polenta on the side. Fish soup and fish patties are also popular. The best time to visit is from May to September, when the promenade is lively and boats head out into the floodplains. Brăila lies about 125 miles northeast of Bucharest and is easy to reach by train or via the DN2B road. Galați is only about 15 miles away, so a visit to both Danube cities combines well.