Danube Delta Romania (Ramsar 521)
Very important note:
We must ask the reservation for the Danube Delta trip no late than 10 March 2025, and it is necessary a pre-payment (50% of total amount/person) for this trip in the moment of reservation without possibility of cancellation after 10 April 2025.
For any supplementary information, please contact Dr. Carmen Gache via email: cgache@uaic.ro
Before its meeting with the Back Sea after a long crossing of the Europe, the Danube River splits into three arms – Chilia (natural border with Ukraine), Sulina and Saint George (in Romanian, Sfântu Gheorghe) – connected with each other through a labyrinth of canals, lakes, freshets and brooks forming the Danube Delta.
The Danube splits into the arms of delta near Tulcea town, located on the right side of the river and founded in the 7th century BC. In the middle part of delta, along the Sulina arm, Crișan village represents the crossroads of the major tourist routes in the Danube Delta, while the villages Chilia Veche and Sfântu Gheorghe, respectively Sulina town represent the localities from the mouths of the river in front of the Black Sea.
Second one as surface in Europe (4,152 square kilometres), the Danube Delta is part of the World Heritage Sites UNESCO (1991), Ramsar site (1991) and Biosphere Reserve (1998), but also part of the Natura 2000 European network as ROSCI0065 Danube Delta, ROSCI0066 Danube Delta – marine area and ROSPA0031 Danube Delta and Razim-Sinoie lagoon complex. The natural reserve includes not only the truly delta but also the lagoon system Razelm (Razim) – Sinoie. Twenty strictly protected areas are present on the territory of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, covering a total surface about 50,904 hectares, representing 8.7% from the entire natural reserve.
Sheltering the largest surface of compact reed beds in the world, the Danube Delta appears as a huge mosaic of reed thickets with lakes, canals and sandy dunes. The diversity of plants and animals is significant: more than 7200 different species and 30 types of natural habitats. On the both sides of Sulina arm, there are two large sandy dunes areas, partially covering by oak forests – Letea, on the left side and Caraorman, on the right side – with exemplars of hundreds of years old (diameters of 4 m) and tropical appearance due to the silkvine (Periploca graeca), wild grape (Vitis vinifera sylvestris), ivy (Hedera helix) and hop (Humulus lupulus) coiled on the trunks of the trees. Near Uzlina, on Erenciuc sandbank, the only alder-tree grove in the delta covers a surface about 0.5 square kilometres. The sandy beaches of the Romanian seaside along the Danube Delta present extremely fine sand and a slight growing of the sea depth, sheltering some rare plants species (Merendera sobolifera, Convolvulus persicus, Centaurea pontica, Centaurea arenaria, some orchid species).
The Danube Delta shelters 365 bird species, present during the migration time, breeding season and wintering time, including the largest breeding colony of pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus and Pelecanus crispus) in Europe, located in the northern part, between Chilia and Sulina arms. Inside the Letea Forest, we can find the impressive nests of the white-tailed eagle (Haliaaetus albicilla), while inside the compact reed beds there are colonies of hundreds and thousands pairs of herons, egrets (Ardeidae), spoonbills and glossy ibises (Threskiornithidae), but also thousands nests of swans (Cygnus olor), geese (Anser anser) and various duck species. In the perimeter of sandy dunes, we met colonies reuniting thousands nests of terns and gulls, but also tens and hundreds pairs of wader species. The Danube Delta represents one of the most important stop-over territory during the migration time in the eastern Europe, sheltering millions of birds, while during the wintering time, we can record thousands swans and tens of thousands geese, including the red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis).
Among the 51 mammal species, we note the presence of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), European mink (Lutreola lutreola), Eurasian ermine (Mustela erminea), Eats Asian racoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the recently appearance of golden jackal (Canis aureus).
There are 10 amphibian species and 12 reptile species that are present on the territory of the Danube Delta.
135 fish species are living in the waters of the Danube Delta, the fishing remaining the main economic activity of the local community. The cattle breeding, agricultural and ecological tourism represent the other economic opportunities in this territory.
On the territory of the Danube Delta natural reserve there are seven information and educational centres (Tulcea, Sulina, Chilia Veche, Sfântu Gheorghe, Crișan, Murighiol and Gura Portiței).
Danube Delta; the trip and the offers
Danube Delta, 22 - 25 May (three nights and two days, but also the way go/return from the delta):
IEOC 2025: Post-congress trip in the Danube Delta
Presentation and offers
The transport inside the Danube Delta is possible only on the water by boats of various size and by local cars (local community as owners) or pedestrian inside the villages, respectively towards the Caraorman (Letea) Forest.
The location of Crișan village is in the middle of the Danube Delta, in the southern point of the Old Danube Delta (it appears as a large M on the map), along Sulina arm of the Danube River. This allows the facile access towards any point of the Danube Delta.
- The first one-day trip is a visit in the northern side of Sulina arm, using the Old Danube way, canals and lakes towards the Mila 23 village (part of Crișan commune), the best illustration of one Lipovan community inside the Danube Delta and homeland of Ivan Patzaichin, famous Romanian canoeist (seven Olympic medals including four Gold medals and 22 championship medals). The breeding colony of pelicans from Roșca-Buhaiova, the most significant from the Danube Delta perimeter is present in the vicinity of Mila 23 village.
- The second one-day trip is a visit in the southern side of Sulina arm, using canals and lakes area towards the Caraorman Forest and village (part of Crișan commune, too), a very well preserved oak forest on the sandy dunes, with impressive old oak trees.
The costs inside the Danube Delta include:
- three nights’ accommodation,
- breakfast and a lunch-dinner (so, two meals/day) – excepting tea and coffee, no drink included,
- pick-up and back Murighiol - Crișan by boat (by the owner of hostels in Crișan village),
- two one-day trips by boat: Crișan - Mila 23 village (Old Danube trip) - Crișan, respectively, Crișan - Caraorman Forest trip – Crișan
- Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve access taxa
- auto-transport towards and inside the Caraorman Forest.
Offers
Hostels in Crișan village:
A. Two small family hostels (all the meal products are homemade produces), Floarea dintre ape (Flower between waters, https://www.facebook.com/floareadintreape/) – 20 persons (single beds and double beds – with separate blankets/covers) = 235 euro/person.
B. One large hostel, Pescarul vânător (Fisherman hunter, https://www.pescarulvanator.ro/) – 20-24 persons (single beds and double beds – with separate blankets/quilts) = 265 euro/person.
C. One large hostel (all the meal products are homemade produces), Casa Călin (Calin House, https://www.casacalin.ro/) - authorised tourism guide, speaking English, French and Russian – 20-26 persons (single beds and double beds – with separate blankets/quilts) = 405 euro/person.
Floating hotels:
D. Common category – 20 persons = 315 euro/person (the services are similar as in
the hostel offer, but the pick-up and return is from Tulcea city. The advantage is that
the arrival time for the return in Tulcea (Sunday, 25 May) will be earlier than via
Murighiol village).
The costs for the auto transfer from Iași city towards the Danube Delta regard a group of 20 - 30 persons:
a. Iași city (university) - Murighiol - Iași International Airport = 50 euro/person.
b. Iași city (university) - Tulcea - Iași International Airport = 45 euro/person.
c. Iași city (university) - Murighiol - Otopeni (Bucharest) International Airport = 75 euro/person (we must cover the bus travel back to Iași city, finally).
d. Iași city (university) - Tulcea - Otopeni (Bucharest) International Airport = 65 euro/person (we must cover the bus travel back to Iași city, finally).
Very important note:
We must ask the reservation for the Danube Delta trip no late than 10 March 2025, and it is necessary a pre-payment (50% of total amount/person) for this trip in the moment of reservation without possibility of cancellation after 10 April 2025.
For any supplementary information, please contact Dr. Carmen Gache via email: cgache@uaic.ro
