Galați is a port city on the Danube in eastern Romania, close to the border with Moldova and Ukraine. With around 250,000 people it is one of Romania's larger cities, though it rarely features on tourist itineraries. The massive ArcelorMittal steelworks — formerly SIDEX, once the largest in southeastern Europe — still dominates the skyline and the local economy.
The city's position on the lower Danube gives it a rough charm. The waterfront promenade — the Faleza — has been modernised, and the old centre along Domnească Street has a scattering of 19th-century buildings, the fortified Sfânta Precista church, the neo-Byzantine cathedral, and a surprisingly good Museum of Visual Arts. The "Dunărea de Jos" University brings student life to the city. Galați can serve as a base for exploring the Danube Delta, which begins not far downstream — though most travellers head to Tulcea for that.