Funding Approved for New …

Romania is set to open its most ambitious public aquarium to date after the Constanța County Council formally signed the funding contract for a new aquarium project valued at RON 115 million, approximately 23 million euro including VAT. The project is financed through the Southeast Regional Programme 2021 to 2027 and is planned to become the largest aquarium in the Balkans upon completion. It represents a transformative upgrade to one of Romania’s oldest natural history institutions on the Black Sea coast.

The new facility will be constructed within the grounds of the Constanța Natural Sciences Museum Complex, located at 255 Mamaia Boulevard in Constanța. The city has been home to Romania’s only public aquarium since 1958. That original aquarium, housed in a building constructed in the early twentieth century as an annex to the iconic Constanța Casino, currently displays over 100 species of fish and aquatic wildlife across three modest sections covering marine, freshwater and exotic fish. The new project effectively replaces it with a purpose-built, world-class facility on a completely different scale. Anyone inspired by large-scale aquarium builds to set up their own home system can find a practical starting point in our fish aquarium types and setup guide, which covers every format from beginner tanks to large display aquariums.

What the New Aquarium Will Include

The confirmed project scope is considerably more ambitious than anything currently available in the region. The new aquarium will occupy four levels and include a range of dedicated environments and facilities that go well beyond standard display tanks. The confirmed features include the following, based on the official project announcement from Constanța County Council.

Florin Mitroi, president of the Constanța County Council, described the project as one of the most significant investments in tourism and education in the region. He estimated the construction timeline at 24 months from contract signing, with a target completion date of December 2029. The investment is framed as an upgrade to the Museum Complex infrastructure that will position Constanța as a leading tourist and educational destination on the Black Sea. For a sense of the scale involved in very large aquarium tank systems, our guide on how big a 200 gallon fish tank is provides useful context on just how much water large public display tanks hold.

Why This Matters for the Aquarium World

The announcement is significant for the public aquarium sector in Central and Eastern Europe, a region that has historically lagged behind Western Europe in terms of major purpose-built aquarium infrastructure. A Balkans-scale facility of this scope, with an underwater tunnel, multi-ecosystem displays and dedicated scientific infrastructure, would represent a step change in what the region offers to both the public and to the research community that uses public aquariums for outreach, education and species conservation programmes.

The inclusion of a dedicated Black Sea exhibit is particularly noteworthy from a conservation and science perspective. The Black Sea is one of Europe’s most ecologically significant and under-studied marine environments, home to unique endemic species and facing ongoing pressures from pollution, overfishing and climate-driven temperature change. A purpose-built public display dedicated to Black Sea ecosystems could meaningfully contribute to public awareness and education about a sea that most Europeans know very little about despite its proximity. This kind of conservation storytelling through public aquariums is closely connected to the broader principles covered in our fish aquarium problems and solutions guide, which addresses the water quality and ecological science that underpins all responsible aquarium keeping.

The penguin habitat element will attract significant public interest. Penguin displays are consistently among the most visited sections of any aquarium globally and signal an ambition to attract family visitors at a scale that goes well beyond regional tourism.

Context: Constanța’s Aquarium History

The existing Constanța Aquarium, formally named after marine biologist Ioan Borcea, opened on 1 May 1958 and was for many years the only public aquarium in Romania. The building it occupies dates to the early twentieth century and originally served as a restaurant for the adjacent Constanța Casino, itself a landmark Art Nouveau building now designated as a National Monument of Cultural Interest. The existing aquarium’s three sections, covering marine, freshwater and exotic fish, provide a historically significant but now clearly outdated visitor experience. The new facility will retain the existing site within the Museum Complex while creating an entirely new purpose-built structure alongside it.

For aquarium hobbyists who have visited public aquariums and been inspired to set up their own displays at home, our complete beginner’s guide to fish care is the ideal starting point. For those considering a larger home display, our 100 gallon fish tank complete guide covers the dimensions, weight, equipment and setup process for one of the most impressive home aquarium sizes available.

For the aquarium hobby community, the Constanța project is a reminder of the sustained public and institutional investment in aquatic education and display worldwide, and the enduring public appetite for immersive, high-quality aquarium experiences that connect visitors to marine and freshwater ecosystems they could never otherwise encounter.