The Enisala Fortress

Romania, Romania

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Enisala Fortress near Enisala village in Tulcea County, Romania, is a medieval stronghold built by the Genoese in the late 13th to early 14th century on a rocky hilltop overlooking Lake Razim—then part of the Black Sea—to control trade routes and defend against invasions, featuring an irregular polygonal layout with thick limestone walls, five massive towers (four corners and one gate), and two enclosures.

First conquered by Ottomans in 1388, it was briefly held by Mircea the Elder in 1393-1417 as part of Wallachia's Dobrogea defense system before final Turkish control, abandoned by the late 15th century as sandbars altered the coastline and Ottoman dominance grew.

Well-preserved amid Dobrogea's steppe landscape near the Danube Delta, its ruins offer panoramic views and attract visitors exploring Romania's Black Sea frontier history.