TELEGONDOLA MAMAIA | CONSTANTA - ROMANIA

Close to Constanta is the resort of Mamaia and the Telegondola.Telecabins are quite common in Romania, but then in the mountain regions bringing skiers or hikers to great peaks in no time the year round. Having a telegondola running above a popular beach however is a brand new thing. If you know a bit about the "new and modern" Romania, you know it had to be Constanta and Mamaia that were able to put this project into reality.

While several projects in this country seems to vanish into a foggy bla-bla ( like the Dracula Park for instance) ideas introduced in the seaside port of Constanta have the rare ability to come true. The main streets have been repaved, new buses have been bought and a renovation of the main hospital has started. All visible projects for the common eye - and tax payers.

The fact that towns and regions around Constanta now start to copy the way of doing things, may even have a more comprehensive impact. A small thing like having a good website telling the inhabitans what is up next, is also one aspect that adds the impression of having things done. | www.primaria-constanta.ro |

The natives praise their mayor for this, and though he of course is not alone, he seems to be the most creative and effective - and controversial - Romanian primar around. 1st July 2004 he opened the water park Aqua Magic in Mamaia turning it into an instant success, and 17th July 2004 he opened Telegondola Mamaia and the success seems to be even more instant. While spending a day in Aqua Magic is rather expensive for an average Romanian family and only affordable for those with a few extra bucks, the Telegondola is reasonably priced with 10 RON a ride and reductions when buying more fares.

So is the Telegondola Mamaia worth the ride? Absolutely yes, at least once.The ride gives you a real panoramic view of Romania's most popular resort, and beyond. The Telegondola does not close until after midnight so having a ride while Mamaia puts on her flashy neon lights may be even more impressing. The ride is short, 7 minutes and some say it runs too quickly to enjoy all the view, and that it is a bit of a rush to get on and off since it really never haults, but anyway. And it is in fact a mean of transportation from one busy end of Mamaia to another busy end. The ride covers about the half of the Mamaia beach. After the Delta Casino at the north end Mamaia the atmosphere is more peaceful and not so crowded, and it feels right that the Telegondola does not cover this part.