Danube Delta - Places to explore
The Danube Delta is comprised of an intricate network of waterways and lakes divided
between the three main estuary channels of the Danube. This area of floating reed islands,
forests, pastures and sand dunes covers 3,000 square miles and is home to a fascinating
mix of cultures and people as well as a vast array of wildlife. Located at the tip of the three
channels, Tulcea makes a great starting point for exploring the Danube Delta.
Chilia Arm (Bratul Chilia)
Tulcea – Chilia Veche - Periprava
Access: Scheduled boat service between Tulcea and Periprava with stops in:
Ceatalchioi, Plaur, Pardina, Tatanir, Chilia Veche
The youngest arm of the Danube Delta stretches for some 72 miles along the border with
Ukraine and has the greatest flow of water (approximately 60%) of the three arms.
Its shores are home to several scattered villages – Patlagean, Ceatalchioi, Pardina, Tatanir
and Chilia Veche, a settlement with a long history (initially a Greek colony called Achillea).
Centuries ago, Chilia was a port on the Black Sea, a vital link between Europe and the Orient. In time, the alluvium deposited by the Danube has extended the land ever further into the Black Sea. Today, Chilia stands more than 25 miles from the sea. First documented in 1241 in the works of the Persian chronicler, Rashid al-Din, Chilia Veche was the site of a battle between the armies of Mahomed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, and forces led by Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler). A town on the Ukrainian side of the Danube, known as Novo Kilia (Chilia Noua, or ‘Newer Chilia,’ in Romanian) was founded by Stephen the Great of Moldavia in the 15th century in order to counteract the Ottoman Empire.
Lake Rosca (Lacul Rosca), a strictly protected reserve located between Chilia Veche and
Periprava, is home to Europe’s largest white pelican colony; the area also harbors geese,
egrets and storks.
Periprava, downstream from Chilia Veche, is the last site served by passenger boats on
the Chilia arm. South of Periprava, you can explore the impressive Letea Reserve
(Padurea Letea) with trees more than 500 years old. Oak, black poplar, elm, ash and
thorny shrubs are smothered in the tropical creeper named periploca, a Mediterranean
plant with reddish-brown bark and simple, glossy leaves, giving the Letea Forest its
tropical looks. Here, you may encounter black-bellied foxes, wild horses, boars, falcons
and white-tailed eagles. The surrounding sand dunes are home to tortoises and lizards.
Note: Access to Letea Forest is permitted only with a guide (warden) on the designated route.
Sulina Arm (Bratul Sulina)
Tulcea – Crisan - Sulina
Access: Scheduled boat service between Tulcea and Sulina with stops in: Partizani, Maliuc,
CrisanThe Sulina Arm, shortest of the three, stretches some 42 miles from Tulcea to Sulina.
Although it only carries 18% of the total water flow, Sulina is the main navigation route for
passenger and commercial traffic. Between 1880 and 1902, a canal was dug to facilitate
river traffic, shortening the natural course of the Sulina arm and allowing for easier access
to villages in the Delta.
Maliuc (15 miles east of Tulcea)
Maliuc is one of the Delta’s youngest settlements. Lake Furtuna, one of the region’s
largest lakes, lies just to the north of Maliuc. Pairs of swans and numerous moor hens
and wild ducks mingle with other species while white pelicans often gather in huge
numbers to feed and roost around this lake.
Crisan (28 miles east of Tulcea)
Crisan is the main stepping-off point between Tulcea and Sulina. A fishermen’s village
with a few houses spreading over the right bank and a fishery on the opposite shore, it
makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding lakes and canals. Private
guestrooms and B&Bs are available. From here, you can rent a boat, or lotca, from the
locals, and travel on the Old Danube Canal to Mila 23 or to Caraorman (Black Forest in
Turkish) village and Caraorman Forest, a strictly protected reserve with brown oak trees,
white and black poplars, white willows and fluffy ash surrounded by sandbanks.
Owls, white-tailed eagles, falcons, wildcats, boars and wolves, as well as many rare plants,
thrive in the area.
Note:
Access to Caraorman Forest is permitted only with a guide (warden) on the designated route.
Mila 23
English engineers measured the course of the Danube in miles, starting with mile 0 in
Sulina on the Black Sea coast. Hence, 23 miles inland, you will find Mila 23, a quaint
traditional fishing village. Located on a bend of the Sulina arm known as the ‘Old Danube’
(Dunarea Veche), Mila 23 is one of the main settlements of the Lipoveni, descendants of
Russian refugees who fled from religious persecution in the early 18th century and who
make their living from fishing, livestock breeding and reed harvesting in this vast area.
As this is a good starting point for trips to the nearby waterways, many villagers rent rooms
to visitors.
Sulina
Sulina, the terminus point for cruise liners sailing across the Delta, was mentioned for
the first time more than 1,000 years ago under the name of Selina in a work written by
Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenetes. This port town once bustled with
traders from Europe and the Middle East, adventurers and sea pirates. The town served
as headquarters for the European Danube Commission during the 19th century when the
Danube was turned into a waterway suitable for commercial shipping. This huge project
attracted workers from all over Europe, and the Anglican, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox,
Muslim and Jewish tombstones in Sulina’s cemetery bear witness to this former
international community.
Sulina is the easternmost point of Romania.
Notice the 19th century Greek Church of Saint Nicholas on the waterfront.
The 60-foot-tall lighthouse, located in the middle of town, was built in 1802 and restored
in 1870 by the Danube Commission.
Enjoy a stroll along the 25-mile-long fine-sand beach.
Sfantu Gheoghe Arm (Bratul Sfantu Gheorghe)
Tulcea – Sfantu Gheorghe
Access: Scheduled boat service between Tulcea and Sulina with stops in: Balteni de Jos,
Mahmudia, Murighiol
A number of interesting villages dot the banks of the Sfantu Gheorghe arm, which
stretches for some 67 miles and carries 23% of the Danube’s total water flow.
Mahmudia and Dunavatu de Jos were founded either atop or near Greek, Roman and
Byzantine vestiges.
Murighiol, a traditional fishing village, is home to the ruined Roman city of Halmyris,
one of the most important ancient sites in Romania. The city was continuously inhabited
from the 6th century BC to the 7th century AD. Although a basilica and a crypt containing
the tomb of Epictet and Astion, the earliest Romanian Christian martyrs, have been
discovered here, much of the ruins remain unexcavated. A visit offers the chance to see
an ancient city still in the process of being uncovered.
Legend has it that during Sultan Mahmud’s visit to a fishing village in the Danube Delta,
he fell in love with a local girl and asked her to marry him. Upon learning that the girl was
in love with another man, the sultan commanded the girl to weave him an embroidered
shirt that was both fire- and water-proof or he would kill her lover. Sad and hopeless, the
girl walked to the riverbank and started to cry. Hearing her sobs, the Danube fairy came
out of the water’s depths and gave her an embroidered shirt. Before sunset, the girl
presented the shirt to Sultan Mahmud, thus, saving herself and her fiancé.
Since then, the village of Mahmudia has carried the name of the sultan.
Murighiol is the jump-off point for boats to Uzlina. Located 24 miles east of Tulcea, Uzlina
is home to the offices of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and the Jacques Cousteau
Foundation. The Cormoran Tourist Complex in Uzlina provides facilities for hiring boats
and guides to venture into some of the more interesting parts of the Delta.
First mentioned in 1318, the fishing village of Sfantu Gheorghe is well-known for its
traditional cooking, including the famous black caviar (icre negre).
A 30-minute walk will take you to one of the longest strips of beach on the Romanian
Black Sea coast.
Danube Delta Essentials
Visitors need travel permits to enter the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
Permits are included with tours; independent travelers can purchase permits from the
Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration (ARBDD) and travel agencies and hotels
in Tulcea. The current fee is 10 RON (approximately $4) per visit.
Separate permits are required for fishing or hunting.
Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration (ARBDD)
Address: Str. Portului 34ATelephone: (240) 518.945
E-mail: arbdd@ddbra.roWeb: www.ddbra.ro/en/index.php
Open: Mon. – Fri. 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Closed Sat. & Sun.
If you have a tight schedule, it is easier to let a travel agency organizethe trip for you
(transportation, accommodations, permits).
To experience the best of the Delta’s flora and fauna, consider a multi-day trip with
overnight stays in some of the local villages. Hiring a local fishing boat for a private tour,
or taking out a kayak or rowboat will enable you to explore more remote areas.
We recommend that independent exploring be undertaken with a guide and not alone.
Be sure to pack a strong mosquito repellent when exploring the Danube Delta.
