In Danube Delta has been identified a number of 1830 species of plants. Among the woody plants the most common are:

the willow (Salix alba,   Salix cinerea, Salix fragilis)	the poplar (Populus alba, Populus nigra)
the elm (Ulmus foliacea)	the flowerspyke (Myricaria germanica)
blackberry bush (Rubus caesius).

70 % of the Danube vegetation is dominated by a specific vegetation of marshes such as:

the reed (Phragmites australis)	the cat tail (Typha latifolia, Typha angustifolia)
Scirpus lacustris	Lythrum salicaria
Galium palustre	Euphorbia palustris
Solanum dulcamara	Sium latifolium
Glyceria maxima	Stachys palustris
Butomus umbellatus	Iris pseudacorus

6% of Delta' surface is are covered with forests of willow, poplar, acacia, ash, periodically flooded, and the pond waters get covered by aquatic and floating vegetation, covering 2% of Delta' surface. 

The most important aquatic family species are: Myriophyllo-nupharetum, Hydrocharitetum morsus-ranae, especially found on the channels and in lakes; Salvinio-Spirodeletum polyrrizae, in the pond waters within the swamps with acacia and Trapetum natansis, in deep waters, along with Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton luncens, Potamogeton pectinatus. Until present within the aquatic ecosystems have been identified a number of 176 species of plankton algae.

A special vegetation can be found on the banks of sands (Tragus racemosus, Cynodon dactylon etc.).

CULTURAL EVENTS IN DANUBE DELTA

„The days of Tulcea” and the International Festival of Danube Delta, event organized by the City Hall of Tulcea county on the 15th of August, representing the celebration of the Days of the city, as well as the Navy Day.

The fishing competition „Ivan Patzaichin” organized in August.

The international folklore Festival „Golden fish”, organized every year in August, in Tulcea, by Tulcea County Council.

The „Danube celebrations” Festival organized in Sulina, in August, by the City Hall of Sulina town.

CULTURAL MONUMENTS 

The Museum of Danube Delta- in Tulcea

The Memorial House „Panait Cerna"- Cerna

The Smardan Monument

HARAPU Island

Harapu Island has an area of 252 ha, of which 229 ha is forest and 21 ha the Harapu lake. The distance to Braila county is of 1 km. On the shore of Harapu arm are beaches and places for fishing where tourism is practiced during weekends and not only.  

CALIA Island

Calia Island has a surface of 685 ha, of which 466 is forest and 219 water (Lupu and Tabacaru lakes). The access is done from Gropeni village ( 2 Km to DJ 212), tourist and ornithological interest for the Ardeidae species.

CHICIUL ORBULUI Island

The Chiciul Orbului Island has a surface of 305 ha, of which 245 ha is forest and 60 water (lake Orbu, area preferred by the pelican population). Orbu branch is preferred by the fishing enthusiasts. The access to Orbu branch, 4 km to DJ 212.

CRACANEL Island

Cracanel islet has a 1080 ha surface, of which 780 ha is wood and 300 ha water (Ciontu, Chioru and Sutanu lakes). Nowdays, there are important ecological reconstruction works to replant native plopars.

VARSATURA Island

The Varsatura islet with a surface of 1234 ha, of which 1219 ha is forest and only 12 ha water, represents an excellent shelter for raindeers and wild boars during big floods. The access, 3 km from Giugeni Vadu Oii bridge (E60).

FUNDU MARE Island

The Fundu Mare Island has a surface of 1899 ha, of which  965 ha is forest and 934 ha water (Chiriloaia, Stan, Misaila and Bratusca lakes). Remarcable from the touristic point of view are the special preservation area of 857 ha from the south part of the island and the colony of cormorants, storks and egrets from Chiriloaua, of ornitologic interest together with the white-tailed nests from the south of the island. The mixed colony of storks, egrets and cormorants at only 4 km distance from Braila county was especially appreciated by the governant of Sicily, Dr. Salvatore Cuffaro and by professor  H. Alvaro from the University of Madrid.

The Small Island of BRAILA

The small Island of Braila, the most important one from a scientific and touristic point of view, among the chain of seven islands, has a surface of 9559 ha, of which 6566 ha is forest and the rest 2921 ha water (includes 18 lakes). The easiest access is through Stancuta DJ 212, 4 km, Gropeni DJ 212, Giurgeni and Harsova E60. From the touristic point of view, it presents a special interest the downstream area, Popa area and the half upstream of the Small Island: the protection area named Egreta. In the upstream area of the Small Island, the Ocmava firm, undertaker of the Navodari stock pond of the National Fishing Company, has made an objective to develop the fishing tourism by providing accommodation places.

Here the tourists can see the mixed colony of cormorants, egrets, storks and swans on the Cucova lake. On these lakes, the Cinema Production House Rosso Fuoco has produced a documentary in the memory of the Italian writer Primo Levi, movie made at the request of Cultural RAI Tv channel and the Ministry of Culture in Italy. The second special preservation area, of 4.225 ha, is situated in the south part of the Small Island of Braila. As a touristic infrastructure, there are the Egreta cottages (14 places), and the Gura Garlutei (6 places), three observatory towers for birdwatching and three marked routes.

SULINA

Is a town and harbour in Tulcea county, at the eastern extremity of Sulina arm in the Black Sea. Here you can find a maritime cemetery, unique in the country and even in Europe. Another touristic attraction point is the Sulina Lighthouse, from 1802. Sulina has become a city in the 19th century, once with the establishment of the headquarter of the European Comission of Danube, fact that has transformed the locality from a fisherman village into an important city for the maritime traffic.

SFANTUL GHEORGHE

The town is situated in the contact area of Baraolt Mountains in the low hill basin of Sfantul Gheorghe. Among the touristic attraction points, it is worth visiting the National Szeckler Museum  that includes history, ethnography and natural sciences sections, the Art Gallery where are displayed pictures of the classic painters from the area, such as Barabas Miklos, Gyarfas Jeno. Among other marked touristic attractions are the forest with the marked routes and paths outside the town, the sulfurous water fountain, Sugas spa and the area with geological and geomorphological elements from Coseni.

MACIN Mountains

Are old mountains, with a 64 km top, in the NW-SE direction, 24 km wide. Other tops: Bugeac, Pricopan, Iacobdeal, Priopcea, that enclose the low gulfs Jijila, Greci, Cerna, Mircea Voda. The maximum altitude is of Greci or Tutuiatu top with a 467 m.

BABADAG

Is a natural reserve within Babadag Forest, with various species of balcanic-pontic plants. There is also a lake situated on the east side of Dobrogea, as a continuation of the complex of lakes Razim.

In such a trip DON’T forget!

-         the camera

-         raincoat

-         long boots

-         thick clothes in the winter

-         spray against insects in the summer

-         a small medical kit in case you are allergic to insect stings

-         a hat to protect you from the sun in the summer and a thick warm one in the winter

The green decalogue of the Danube Delta:

1. Travel only on the marked routes and only in the presence of the personnel of the Delta

2. Light fire only in the special places and put it out when leaving

3. Do not bath in the Danube unless in allowed places

4. Set the tents only in places indicated in the map

5. Keep quiet when in nature

6. Protect biodiversity; is forbidden to the tourists to collect flora and fauna

7. Do not wash your cars in the Danube river and do not discharge products in lakes or in the river (liquids or solid)

8. Don’t leave garbage where you stay in the Danube Delta

9. Do not destroy the touristic infrastructure

10. Keep nature clean, so you and the children can enjoy it.

Types of tourism in Danube Delta:

Categories of tourism that can be practiced:

-         ecotourism

-         birdwatching

-         fishing

-         agrotourism

-         scientific tourism

-         educational tourism

Forms of tourism practiced:

-         tourism on the water

-         tourism on the ground

-         tourism with the carriage

The wetland of Danube in Romania, until 1964, covered 3.322 km², and formed an authentic delta. Grigore Antipa in 1910 claimed that Danube starting from entering the country and to the Black Sea had a flooding area of 891.232 ha, of which if we decrease the surface of Danube Delta (404.748 ha), results the Danube Meadow as a distinct geomorphological formation. All that nature has created here for centuries of evolution, it was detroyed in an instant by the hands of humans: damming, draining and deforestation in the 6th and 7th decades of the last century. Thus, the wetland reduced its surface five times.

The markets from Bucharest and from other big cities of the country would sell wild fish caught in the Danube Delta. Every year, on higher lands, fertilized by muds brought by floods, were harvested corn and vegetables crops. All the settlements from the area were provided with wood for the fire and rural building, from the forests on the higher lands. Also, on these higher lands, large semi-wild flocks of sheep, herds of horses and pigs used to grass within the limits of the bearing capacity of the natural ecosystems.

The first historical news about Danube Delta was left by the Greek Herodot, „the father of history”, who describes the entering of the persian fleet of Darius through the Delta, after resting at Histria (515-513 BC). Polibiu (3rd - 2nd century) describes a space with golden sandbanks crossed by arms of water. Straba (1st century BC) stated there were seven arms of water between which there were islands, statement resumed also by Pliniu cel Batran, Ptolemeu, etc.

Testimonies about the habitation of the area exist between the 1st – 2nd centuries BC. Detailed studies about Delta were presented by various geographers such as George Vaslan, Constantin Bratescu, the naturalist Grigore Antipa, etc. The negative effects triggered by the activity of men within the Delta, together with the more active actions done outside Delta, lead to increased risks of affecting the equilibrium of the natural ecosystems. For these reasons, Danube Delta has been declared by the Romanian government, in 1990, a  Biosphere Reserve.

The universal value of this area has been acknowledged by being included in the international network of biosphere reserves, within the Programme „Man and the biosphere” launched by UNESCO in 1970, and over half of the Delta surface is included in the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List, developed by UNESCO in 1972. Starting with September 1990, at the Ramsar Convention, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, was acknowledged as an important international wetland, especially as a water birds habitate.

The main objective is the preservation of specific natural areas by research and constant monitoring of the components of the protected ecosystems, preserving traditional forms of economic activities that don’t generate ecological imbalances, harmonising economic and social interests with the objectives of preservation and protection of biodiversity, informing and educating the population concerning the scientific value and the necessity of preserving and protecting the fauna, flora and the specific landscapes.

Danube Delta (3446 km²) is situated in the SE part of Romania, forming the shape of the Greek letter „A” (delta). It covers 4178 km²,  of which 82 % in Romania and the 18 %  in Ukraine. It has been clasified a Natural Biosphere Reserve at the national level in Romania, under UNESCO protection in 1991, as well as a National park within the international taxonomy of IUCN.

Danube Delta is divided into three large islets: Letea, Sfantul Gheorghe and Dranov by the three arms of Danube, Sf. Gheorghe arm - 69.7 km, Sulina arm - 63.7 km and Chilia arm -120 km. The surface of the Delta is crossed by numerous secondary branches, canals conecting the river to the lakes and marshes. The South part is occupied by the Reazelm complex of lake (1015 km²), along with the Reazelm, Babadag, Sinoe, Golovita and Tuzla lakes.

During the year, the surface of Delta is covered 80 % by waters.

28º 10’ 50’’ east longitude (Cotul Pisicii)

29º 42’ 45’’ east longitude (Sulina)

45º 27’ north latitude (Chilia branch, km 43)

Access Way to Danube Delta:

By car : 

DN24-DN25-DN22 Iasi - Galati – Tulcea 

DN22 (E87) Constanta – Tulcea

DN3-DN2-DN22 Bucharest - Urziceni - Slobozia - Harsova – Tulcea

By train:

Tulcea Railway station

By ship:

There are ships/ boats (scheduled) that leave from Tulcea to different localities of Delta.