About Danube’s Delta
The Danube river is the second longest river from Europe (2860 km) and originates in
Donaueschingen in the Black Forest, Germany with its upper course running eastward
through Regensburg, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, and Vác where a southbound course
flows through Budapest and then on all the way down to Vucovar. Below Vucovar the
lower course begins eastward again through Belgrade passing south of Bucharest and
swinging up to Galati to reach the river’s current estuary between Tulcea in Rumania and
Izmail in Ukraine, branching off three main effluents to the Black Sea (1).
The surface of the Danube Delta is 2750 km2 (as big as the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg), situated 44˚20’ to 45˚27’N and 28˚10’ to 29˚42’E in Romania and 45˚13’
to 45˚34’N and 29˚23’ to 29˚46’E in Ukraine. It is halfway the Arctic and the Equator
and for this reason a crossway for birds of all continents. Approximately 15000 people
inhabit the delta.
It is the most natural delta ecosystem left in Europe. (2) Only 9% of the area is
permanently above water and it is a vitally important buffer between the hydrographical
basin of the River Danube and the Black sea.
The constantly developing landscape of the delta is a labyrinth of waters and land, with
numerous freshwater lakes connected by narrow channels, huge expanses of aquatic
vegetation and flooded islets. The delta grows every year with 3 à 4 ha (almost 6 meters).
It is the largest continuous marshland in Europe and contains what are probably the most
extensive reed beds in the world.
The earliest signs of occupation are found around the lakes Razelm and Sinoie. 3200 to
2500 years ago during the Iron Age a series of fortified settlements were established on
hills at Sinoie, Enisela, Babadag, Bestepe, Balteni, Malcoci, Tulcea and Somova. Next to
these setlements remnants of Greek and Roman settlements are found, evidence of the
very long history of trading along the Danube. (3)
Villages around the delta, s.a. Mahmudia, Bestepe, Babadag e.o. show a Turkish
influence due to the Ottoman reign which took place from the 15th century until the end
of the Crimean War in 1853. After the War for Independence, Dobrogea became part of
Romania in 1878.
The gateway to the delta is Tulcea. It is inhabited ever since the 7th century B.C. The
ancient Castrum Aegyssus mentioned by Herodotus and later on by Ovid, was founded
by the Greek in the 3rd century B.C. and conquered by the Romans two centuries later.
From here taxi-boats run 3 time a week all three branches of the Danaube.
Chilia Veche is one of the oldest settlements known as Achillea during the Greek
antiquity.
At the time it was situated 3 miles from the seashore; at present it lies 25 miles from the
Black Sea.
Periprava which is also situated on the northern branch of the Danube is an ancient
fishery and trade centre, known as Licostoma.
Letea lays on a sanbank south of Periprava. In its proximity is the Letea forest, very much
like a tropical forest, surrounded by sanddunes.
Sfântu Gheorghe is situated at the spot where the southern branch with the same name
flows into the sea. It is mentioned for the first time in 1318 by Genoese tradesmen. Later
it became a military base of the Ottoman fleet.
Sulina was a Byzantine port around 950, named Sellina and became also a Genoese port
and later a naval base for the Ottomans. In the 19th century it was shortly given the name
of Europolis by the European Commission for the Danube.
Vylkove (Romanian Vâlcov, French Vilkovo) on the Ukrainian side of the northern
branch
was founded in 1775 by Lipovenian refugees. They digged the canals in the marshland
and built their houses on top of the newly created islands.
At that time it was under Ottoman reign, until 1812 when the Russians conquered it.
In 1856 it was taken back by the Ottomans and then by the Romanians, but Russia got it
back again in 1878. The First World War brought it back into Romanian hands until
USSR took it in 1939. In 1941 during the Second World War the Romanian army took it
again until USSR defeated it in 1944. Up from 1991 Vylkove is Ukrainian. Expression:
“In the delta we are the first to see the sunrise, but the last to see justice.”
From Vylkove originates the famous home-made Novak wine. It has three churches, two
of them named after Saint Nicholas, patron of the fishermen.
1 C. Magris, Danube. Harvill Press, London, 2001.
2 United Nations Environment Programme: World Conservation Monitoring Centre,
2007.
3 Munteanu V., Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve , Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve
Authority, 2002.