The Danube Delta

Description:

 

Delta is the largest wetlands reserve in Europe, covering an area of 2681 km2. In 1990 UNESCO included the Danube Delta, the new form of relief in Romania, out of "the progress of industrialization, in the category of reserves of biosphere.

 

Where is it located?

Delta is limited to south-west by Dobrogea Plateau, in the north it forms the border with Ukraine, and flows eastwards into the Black Sea. The Danube Delta is crossed by the parallel of 45 ° N and the meridian of 29 °, longitude E. It has with Razim - Sinoe 5050 km ², of which 732 km ² are in Ukraine, the Delta itself being awarded to an area of 2540 km ².

 

Why is so absolutely fantastic?

This amazing land of water holds more than three hundred species of birds and countless fish species, from sturgeon to carp and perch, while the variety of 1 150 plant species range from lianas on tree trunks, woven in oak forests to the water lilies. It is no wonder that UNESCO designated the Danube Delta as a "Biosphere Reserve".

For five thousand years, a small community has lived in complete harmony with the amazing ecosystem of the Delta, has earned its living by fishing, raising livestock and harvesting of reeds. Villages, where access roads are only the channels that pass through, appear to be untouched by the passage of time. As a guest, you can explore by boat this amazing natural heaven of peace and calm a full, this experience making you imagine that you really enter a story in the pages of National Geographic.

The starting point for an adventure in the Delta is usually Tulcea, a city almost as old as Rome, situated close to where the Danube divides into three main branches, so where the meadow begins. In Tulcea will find modern hotels and museums of natural sciences of the Delta. The city lies at a distance of 71 km (45 miles) of Sulina, almost as a settlement house, situated at the other end of the Sulina branch. Between these two points one can have cruises during which tourists can admire, from comfortable decks of boats, flora, fauna and the delta villages.

Eighteen reserves and protected areas that are usually called „buffer areas" are spread throughout the Delta. You can reach them crossing the narrow channel, passing by floating areas with reeds and near forests, in places where pelicans and cormorants gather to catch fish. If you want to explore this wild land in silence, rent a rowboat and walk on the lower channels. For this purpose you will need a permit from the Biosphere Reserve.

If you stop in a village, you will find fishermen cooking their own version of Russian bors outdoor. Those who have more refined tastes may try Danube herring, croquettes of cod or fried sturgeon, which can be accompanied by tasty local wines Aligote, Muscat or Merlot in restaurants of  Tulcea and Sulina. This wild land makes you discover many amazing things.

A trip to the Delta will remain unforgettable in every respect.