Braila Harbour is one of the oldest and most important river ports in Romania. From the first documentary attestations in 1368 to the present day, the history of the port is intertwined with the history of commerce and navigation on the Danube.
Braila Harbour was historically attested for the first time in 1368, as a zone towards which goods from the three Romanian countries were directed both by land and by water. Braila was already an active commercial centre, connecting medieval Romania with European and Oriental trade networks.
Following the liberation of Braila from Ottoman domination, through the clauses of the Peace Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, the activity of Braila Harbour underwent numerous transformations and developments. The port gained freedom of navigation on the Danube, becoming a commercial hub of European importance.
In 1891, the Docks of Braila Harbour and its warehouses, brilliantly designed by the famous engineer Anghel Saligny, officially started to operate. This modern infrastructure transformed Braila into a European-level port, capable of handling massive volumes of goods, especially cereals.
Cereals had an important share within the structure of trade. Facilities were limited to 5 electrical quay cranes, 3 tugboats, and manual labour by approximately 2,850 workers. Braila was one of the main cereal export ports in Eastern Europe.
The Second World War had ill-fated consequences on the harbour. Beginning with 1948, the harbour activity was improved by increasing the number of vessels operating in the harbour and diversifying the traffic of goods. Massive infrastructure investments brought the port back to full capacity.
Major investments radically transformed the port. Traffic skyrocketed from 428,000 tons in 1950 to an astounding 2,360,000 tons in 1987, handling diverse materials like phosphates, ores, and rolled products. Braila Harbour became one of the most active river ports in Europe.
Over 650 years of uninterrupted commercial activity on the Danube.