Main points

In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, Galați is the port at which Count Dracula disembarked on his way back to Transylvania.
The name "Galați" is derived from the Cuman word "galat" which is borrowed from the Arabic word "fortress”.
Galați is the capital city of Galati county which is part of Moldavia region (not to be mistaken with Bessarabia region, the independent state Republic of Moldova).
There is evidence of continuous inhabitation of Galați since the 600s.
Galați is the largest port town on the Danube, the second longest river in Europe.
Galați was first mentioned in 1445, in a document signed by Stephen II of Moldavia.
In 2004, in Galați was opened Romania's first information technology park.
In 2005, Galați ranked in the top two cities in Romania for green space per capita.
Galați is the 8th most populous city in Romania.
Galați has the largest iron and steel plant in Romania, the ArcelorMittal Galați.
Romania's largest shipyard is located in Galați.
School Nr. 24 (Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel) is the oldest school in the county. It was founded in 1832.
The best romanian high school is placed in Galati.

Money and cost of living

Romanian currency is leu (1€ = approximately 4.3 leu). Prices differ from one part of Romania to another, but Galati is very affordable place to live in. You can get hilarious meal with a desert for only 10 leu, and for 5 lei you can get a hugest shaorma ever. Of course, you should know such a special places because it’s not everywhere that cheap. Also you can cook by yourself. Prices in supermarkets aren’t high, especially comparing to that one in Bucharest. And supermarkets or at least local stores where you can buy fresh cooked bread are everywhere. You can also get traditional dinner in Chinese, Italian or French restaurants, which will cost you twice as more. And if you’ll get bored improving your gourmet taste, don't embarass yourself, go and buy yourself something at MacDonalds.You know the price.

Taxi also is cheap, with usual price 1.39 lei/km. You can get almost everywhere just for 10 lei. Divide it for three-four people in one cab and pay even less. Ticket for a bus, trolleybus or city train cost 1.5 leu. And if you want to save little money for yourself, take a walk between beautifull streets of old town leading to your university.

Choosing an accommodation must be easy for you. Price depends from place to place, but it’s possible to rent nice double room in dorm in the old part of a town just for 230 lei. By the way, old city is concentrated on the Danube riverside which is a very nice place to refresh yourself with traditional drinks and snacks or just take a promenade.

Banks and exchange office aren't rareness. As a rule exchange rate will be better outside shopping malls. Be prepared to show your ID card as it is often demanded. In Galati you can find international banks such as Agricole, Piradeus bank, Raiffaisen Bank, Ciprius Bank and also a lot of Romanian banks. MoneyGram and Vestern Unior are working almost everywhere.

As for shopping malls, there are enough of them also. You can find famous brand and souvenirs also.

Just check it out yourself!

A typical student budget for one month in Galati (€/month)	min	max
Tuition and student fees	220	320
Study materials (books, chemicals etc.)	10	25
Field trips	up to	10
Rent	85	200
Food (incl. student restaurant)	10	25
Public transport	5	25
Summary	365	625

Please note that the above list does not include personal expenses for clothing, phone bills, hygiene articles, leisure, etc. It's up to you!

Food

"The central characteristic of the Romanian cuisine is its great variety. It is a cuisine influenced by repeated waves of different cultures: the ancient Greeks, with whom Romanians traded; the Romans, who gave the country its name; the Saxons, who settled in southern Transylvania; the Turks, who for centuries dominated Romania; as well as Slavic and Magyar neighbours. All of these influences gradually blended into the varied and delicious Romanian culinary tradition"

Nicolae Klepper — Taste of Romania

The main ingredients used by Romanian chefs are meats such as pork, beef and lamb, fish, vegetables, dairy products and fruit.

A Unique Romanian Cheese - Transylvanians maintain a centuries-old culinary tradition.

On the grounds of the Academy of Agricultural and Silviculture Sciences, dozens of small plywood kiosks with gingerbread detailing display trays of what the uninitiated might dub downright odd: slices of sheep pastrami, jars of sweet green walnut jam, and portions of toba de casa(tongue, kidney, heart and other organs wrapped in a pig's stomach).

Among these culinary curiosities is a foodstuff even more bizarre in its appearance: a trio of what appears to be micro-size tree trunks. Many visitors look at the woody specimens and keep walking. What they're missing is what the Romanians call branza de burduf in coaja de brad, literally "cheese in fir tree bark."

Drinks

Drinks are cheap and rather good, you should try a decent-sized sample of Romanians various forms of booze. Romania is known internationally for its cheap yet good wine, Romania also offers some decent beer and very strong spirits.

Romania is one of the world's top-ranking producers of numerous delicious wines, some of which never leave its borders.

Romania has a long, proud history of brewing good beer, and while today there are just 20 breweries in the country (there were more than 120 breweries in 1989 Țuica is a traditional Romanian spirit that contains 28%-60% alcohol by volume (usually 40-45%), prepared only from plums. Other spirits that are produced from some other fruit or from a cereal grain are called "rachiu" or "rachie". Similar to tuica is palinca, a more refined (it is distilled twice) spirit made usually from a mixture of fruits. Both tuica and palinca have exceptionally high alcohol content. Other local spirits include the less alcoholic afinata, visinata and zmeurata.

Transportation

Transportation system in Galati works efficiently due to the reason that they have a lot of maxi taxies, buses, trams and trolleybuses. One time ticket costs 1.5 lei (approximately 0.3 euros). Taxes in Galati are really cheap and with 10 (approximately 2.5 euros) Lei you can travel from one side of the town to the other side. Check it out here!

Electricity

Romania's electrical current is 230 V; 50 cycles and sockets take the standard continental European dual round-pronged plugs. Image of a plug adaptor - required for non-European appliances. Please remember that simple adapters do not convert voltage or frequency. A power converter is necessary appliances requiring 110 V.

Main attractions

The Danube’s water front

The waterfront is a green recreational area for walking, sports competitions and recitals. Boats moored on the shores of the Danube are converted into restaurants.

The Restaurant of the Television Tower

Is located at the highest altitude in Romania and has an international quotation. Only Berlin and Toronto are located in greater heights premises. And that is something unique for our country.

The Botanical Garden

It is built on an area of 2km. It owns collections of plants from tropical and subtropical areas (cactuses, euphorbia, palm trees, croton, geranium, begonias etc.) and the rosary which includes over 200 varieties of roses.

Orthodox cathedral

Built between 1906-1917, the Orthodox Cathedral was built after the plans of architects Petre Antonescu and Stefan Burcus, who combined the styles of the time with local tradition. Cathedral hosts an important treasure of sacred objects with historical value and outstanding patrimony.

Natural Sciences Museum Complex

The Botanical Gardens on the south bank, hosts a 7 metres (23 ft) planetarium. There is also an aquarium displaying rare species of the Danube basin and the Mediterranean Sea as well as exotic fish.

Galați History Museum

The museum was inaugurated on 24 January 1939. This was the 80th anniversary of the union of the Romanian principalities. It is housed in the residence of Cuza, Galati's chief magistrate. In 1951, after world war II, scientific activity resumed at the museum. In 1956, some items were donated to the Natural History museum and the museum of art. The finds from Tirighina-Barbosi, are housed in this museum.

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Memorial House

Cuza's former residence houses a retrospective display of his life.

Visual Arts Museum

When the Galati visual arts museum opened in 1967, it was the first contemporary arts museum in Romania. It has halls and outdoor exhibit spaces. There are also spaces for artists' workshops. The heritage section exhibits Romanian art in the second half of the nineteenth and avant-garde art from the twentieth century.

Nightlife

Galati's nightlife can be easily matched with the one that you usually see in other European countries and cities. There is something for everyone here, and the lively people and the great atmosphere make any choice as a good one for a night out. Whether you are having a traditional dinner in a fancy restaurant, get a cheap and tasty beer in a student's bar or just dancing all night long in a posh nightclub among beautiful Romanian women. In the weekends it is possible to party starting from evening to the dawn. Come and check it out yourself! Students like to gather in bars and have cappuccinos, imported beer and cocktails. It is a great way to spend few hours with your friends and check the local atmosphere. Locals also love to go in underground pubs, with good live music and medieval atmosphere.

The nightclubs are the favourite places for the wealthy to steam off, but students also love the hip-hop haunts and the latest sounds of the pop charts. The entrance fees are much lower than the western ones. Generally, the safety in Romanian nightclubs is not a problem. The only caution you must take is to watch your pockets and avoid leaving any handbags or personal items (like cell phones, sun glasses on the table while heading on the dance floor).