Introducing The Danube Delta & Black Sea Coast

Northern Dobrogea is undeniably a kingdom unto itself within Romania. Despite their lack of prevailing Romanian icons (breath-taking mountains, ancient churches, the undead), the Danube River (Râul Dunărea) and the Black Sea coast (Marea Neagră) contain offerings ranging from all nature to au natural. The 193.5km coastline (litoral) attracts waves of wildlife and party animals alike. Equally, those seeking waterfront seclusion, archaeological stimulation and overwhelming numbers of exotic birds won’t be disappointed.

Though widely considered to be the least ‘Romanian’ part of the country, ironically, this is where the strongest evidence of Romania’s conspicuously proud connection to ancient Rome is found in the form of statues, busts, sarcophagi and other archaeological finds. The cultural distance from the rest of Romania can be partially explained by the unusually broad ethnic diversity in the area. Sizeable Turkish, Tatar, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Lippovani/Old Believer settlements add to the mix, giving the area a refreshing burst of multiculturalism and the traveller a gratifying selection of cuisines.

History and culture notwithstanding, marine life still rules supreme here, despite tenacious attempts by humans to usurp the crown. On one hand we have the 65km stretch south of Mamaia where humans converge in beach resort towns to soothe their bodies with sunshine and curative mud. These restorative pursuits are then promptly annulled hours later by gluttonous feasts and some of the wildest clubbing in the country. Alternately, the calming and notably less opulent Danube Delta draws bird-lovers and seekers of solitude. A fantastic, tangled netowrk of ever-eroding canals, riverbeds and wetlands in Europe’s second-largest delta boasts remote fishing villages and stretches of deserted beach, where the pelicans are abundant and the fish are nervous.