The Enisala Fortress is the only medieval fortress in Dobrogea, over 700 years old, located approximately 40 kilometers from Tulcea and only 2 km from the town of Enisala. The fortress is built on the limestone hill near Razim and Babadag lakes, and its name comes from the Turkish language: "Yeni-Sale", which translates as "new village" or "new settlement".
How we got to Enisala Fortress
We decided to visit Enisala Fortress around noon on the last day of vacation when the sun didn't want to show itself at all on the beach in Mamaia, and we didn't want to go home so early.
We quickly looked for tourist attractions in the area, and this was the one that convinced us, despite the "detour" we were supposed to make to get there. After a hearty lunch at a terrace in Mamaia, we got into the car and followed the winding road to the fortress (about 100 km of road, a quite good one, through the Dobrogea Mountains).
Once we got there, we left the car in the parking lot at the base of the hill on which the fortress is located and we walked, climbing gently, towards the ticket office.
At the time of our visit, we noticed that the visiting hours were from Tuesday to Sunday (so if you decide to go on Monday, you better look for the schedule, to make sure it’s not closed), and the price of a ticket was 10 RON, with a 50% discount for pupils, students and pensioners (we didn't fit into any of the categories, but the 10 RON each were well worth it).
Why go all the way there?
Once we bought the tickets, we started walking around through the fortress and were surprised to find that there were quite a few other tourists inside, perhaps because, beyond its history, Enisala Fortress offers you a sensational view of Razim and Babadag lakes.
I won't tell you too much about how it was built (for military purposes) in the 14th century, most likely by the Genoese merchants of the time, or about the fact that Mircea the Elder (a Romanian medieval ruler) used it for a while to defend Wallachia, but I will tell you it's worth taking a few hours out of your vacation to visit a piece of history!
And we left for home...
For us, the hours spent wondering between the walls of the fortress were an interesting experience, so I dare to recommend you to go visit it if you are in the area, either if the weather is not suitable for the beach (as was our case) or if you’ve planned a longer holiday at the sea and want to change the scenery a bit. Be careful though if you choose to visit Enisala Fortress on a scorching sunny day not to go at lunchtime, otherwise the beautiful walk and scenery could turn into an unwanted sunstroke!
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