The Danube Delta

This amazing wetland is the most recently formed land in Europe and is still growing year by year. Nowadays, the Danube Delta - a network of channels, lakes, reed isles, tropical woods, pastures and sand dunes, covers nearly 6,000 sq km. It is the second largest delta in Europe and one of the largest and most compact reed areas in the world (2,400 square kilometres).

Excluding the main cities in the region, the population of the Delta is rather sparse, amounting to about 15,000 people. The Danube Delta has a rural community consisting mainly of Lipovani who are descendants of the Old Believers who left Russia around 1772 to avoid religious persecution. They are skilled fishermen, speaking a Russian dialect as well as Romanian, who still possess a traditional culture and are very hospitable.
A trip to the Danube Delta is not complete without a taste of its traditional cuisine based on fish products like fish borsch, sturgeon steak or brine pickle of fish with garlic dressing, washed down with regional wines like Niculitel, Muscat or Merlot.
Your time in the delta will be a memorable experience in every way!

The diverse natural life of the Delta includes over 300 species of birds, of which 70 are visitors from outside Europe. Many nest in the Danube Delta and 178 are strictly protected by law. Here, one can find Europe's largest pelican colony, otters and a rare relative of the weasel, Mustella lutreola.
This unique ecosystem shelters many species of fish from royal sturgeon to carp and perch, while its extremely rich vegetation includes over 1,000 plants, ranging from sinuous lianas in the oak forests to water lilies in the lakes, streams and ponds.
Eighteen protected reservations and buffer areas are scattered throughout the Delta. To see the wildlife in solitude and without disturbing it, you are recommended to take a rowing boat into the smaller channels.