During the XIX-th century, Romanian society wanted to avail of all the facilities of European urban life; nevertheless, in most cases, it remained entrapped in its Oriental tradition, of Ottoman origin. This contradiction was generally remarked by the foreign travelers who passed through the Romanian territories, between 1768 and 1853. The most important sources for analyzing the evolution of the culture and of the mentality of this urban society which, for a long time, tried to balance its Oriental Balkanic tradition and the new inspirations of Western origin, are, by far, the testimonies of the foreign travelers. The press of those days also conveys some important information in this respect. The travelers, due to their alien mindset, could point, in the most accurate ways, to the particularities of the social mindset of the inhabitants of the Romanian towns from the maritime Danube. In most cases, the foreigners had a direct encounter with the elites – the boyards or other wealthy people – and only noticed from far the low class people. They tended to be caustic as it regards the habits of the Romanian local population. In the towns from the maritime Danube, modernization determined a new life style, with a more precisely determined schedule, and the apparition of a mass culture. We also witness the social need to spend the leisure through cultural activities or other kinds of entertainment. The leisure could be spent individually or along with the family, friends or acquaintances, according to the season and to the material and educational level of each person. Starting with the second half of the XVIII-th century and until the first half of the XIX-th century, in Brăila and Galaţi, the most common form of entertainment was going „in the streets”. This meant either walking, either taking a ride, either anything else available as entertainment in the „street”. The parks, the locals – the bakeries, the caffees, especially those from the port area, the restaurants, the terraces – were considered as belonging to the „street” and they were generally affordable. The circus shows, the popular and dramatic theatre, the cultural evenings, music and dance, going to public baths, the parties and the celebrations were some other means of entertainment common in the area, during those days.