16-northern-dobrogea-rom5.indd 290 NORTHERN DOBROGEA abundant andthefishare nervous. delta boastsremote fishingvillagesandstretches coast,where ofdeserted thepelicansare tangled networkofever-eroding canals,riverbeds andwetlandsinEurope’s second-largest notably lessopulentDanubeDeltadrawsbird-lovers of solitude. andseekers Afantastic, tonous feasts andsomeofthewildestclubbingincountry.Alternately, thecalmingand and curative mud.These restorative pursuitsare then promptlyannulledhourslater byglut- where humansconverge townstosoothetheirbodieswithsunshine inbeachresort attempts byhumanstousurpthecrown.Ononehandwehave the65kmstretch southof Believer settlementsaddtothemix,giving thearea arefreshing burstofmulticulturalism. ethnic diversity inthearea. Sizeable Turkish, Tatar, Bulgarian,UkrainianandLippovani/Old explainedbytheunusuallybroad cultural distancefromtherest ofRomaniacanbepartially Rome isfoundintheformofstatues,busts,sarcophagi andother archaeological finds. The is where toancient thestrongestevidenceofRomania’sconspicuouslyproud connection and overwhelming numbersofexoticbirdswon’tbedisappointed. seclusion,archaeological stimulation waterfront animalsalike. Equally,thoseseeking party ing fromallnature to Danube River (RâulDun of prevailing mountains,ancientchurches,theundead), Romanianicons(breathtaking untoitselfwithinRomania. Despite Dobrogeaisundeniablyakingdom thelack Northern Dobrogea Northern 290 ©

History andcultureHistory notwithstanding,marinelife stillrulessupreme here, despite tenacious Though ofthecountry,ironically,this widelyconsidered tobetheleast‘Romanian’part L

     HIGHLIGHTS

o Hit amidsummer musicfest Hit andsoakin Hearthe soundofthousandspelicansin Relive ancientGreece in Disregard prudenceandwallowinstinky Test thelimitsofsun,carousingandyour n e some counter-culture vibesat ( p307) ofthe the canalsandlakes (p301) black mudinEforie Nord beach modestyaround ( p305) l y

P l a n e t au natural. The 194kmcoastline ă rea) andtheBlackSeacoast(Marea Neagră Mamaia Histria ( p307 ) Danube Delta ( p299)

(litoral) waves attracts ofwildlife and Vama Veche Nord Mamaia Histria ) containofferings rang- Danube Delta 12/02/2010 10:51:21 AM M A

NORTHERN DOBROGEA 3 2 : 1 5 : 0 1 291

a and

ţ 0 1 0 2 / 2 0 /

2 Sulina

112/02/2010 10:51:23 AM

Gheorghe

Sf©ntu Vylkove

Arm e (1895), a vital rail vital (1895), a rail h S E A

ă rg

B L A C K

eo

Periprava h Ὀ ὈὈ G 00 20 miles 40 km

tu

Sulina Arm Sulina Kilija U K R A I N E Sfân Delta Danube

Murighiol Chilia Arm Chilia Ozero Lake Razim Katlabuk ὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Once Romanian flags flew over Dobrogea, Dobrogea, flew over Romanian flags Once Mahmudia

Izmayil Lake ECOLOGY ECOLOGY much was done to integrate it to the ‘main- done to integrate was much the com- as possible, and with land’ as soon the over bridge the formidable pletion of CernavodDanube at link was established between Constan the capital. to started At this time, the coast destination; to develop leisure as a summer of tourism is the backbone this day, summer economy. region’s the Litoral Beaches though here, beaches no Blue Flag are There and fi- bureaucracy of a matter this is more as many beaches nances than cleanliness, meet (see the 27 criteria www.blueflag.org). Sinoie

Jurilovca Tulcea

E87 Babadag ὅὅὅ ὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ

Constan»a Eforie Sud Eforie Neptun-Olimp

Jupiter Eforie Nord Eforie Costine¢ti

Mamaia

N©vodari Lake Mamaia (Siutghiol) Saturn

Lake Tasaul Histria Doi Mai () Vama Veche Ozero Jalpuch 22 Mihai-

Danube E87 Viteazul

(Dun©rea) Mihail Niculi»el Airport

Techirghiol Basarabi Horia Ciucurova (30km) Kog©niceanu To Varna Ozero

Kahul Isaccea Canal Danube-

Black Sea

Reni

Lake

Crapina ) e h e c

V

M©cin a

e E60

r

© 1

To Dobriç (34km)

n

e

Prut u b

u

n

D

a

( 9

D )

a

e

d

r 2 l

O

©

Gala»i Cernavod©

n

u

D

( d

Br©ila D ) a

n D u u b d a e (

n e e © r

b n u i

. n 5

Hâr¢ova a NORTHERN DOBROGEA •• History

D

m Fete¢ti o r - a e g Ion Corvin

o

T©nd©rei r u

b Siret © o B U L G A R I A d

- Buz n Însur©»ei r In antiquity the Dobrogea region was was region the Dobrogea In antiquity e NORTHERN DOBROGEA h (90km) To Buz©u W A L L A C H I A To Bucharest (190km) t (190km) To Bucharest HISTORY HISTORY Dobrogea later fell under Byzantine control fell later Dobrogea the Turks. by and in 1418 was conquered province of Moesia Inferior. At Adamclisi Moesia Inferior. of province a de- the Romans scored (Tropaeum Trajani) the Geto-Dacian tribes, thus victory over cisive the Danube. north of expanding into regions Romans, both of whom left behind much for much left behind whom of Romans, both Histria, the oldest Greek to admire. visitors settlement in , was founded in 657 BC. was the Roman From AD 46, Dobrogea Romania when a combined Russo-Romanian a combined Russo-Romanian Romania when Southern the Turks in Bulgaria. army defeated to Bulgaria. was ceded Dobrogea by the and then colonised by the first In 1878 Northern Dobrogea became part of of became part Dobrogea Northern In 1878 lonelyplanet.com r o n - 6 E60 116-northern-dobrogea-rom5.indd 291