Western Tulcea

The Dobrogean Steppe Country

In this Guide:  This Western Tulcea Guide covers Isaccea, Măcin and the Măcin Mountains including the major monasteries, wine country and northern towns.

One of the most diverse counties in Romania, County Tulcea has arid mountains near Măcin, steppe country, wineries, highland forests, inland lakes and the massive Danube Delta wetlands. See too our City of Tulcea Guide for great sights.  Click anywhere on the map for more great Rest Romania Guides for Tulcea! Image: © REST ROMÂNIA

Other areas like Cataloi, Babadag in the Dobrogean Highlands part of our Guide to County Tulcea, along with the Delta Margin towns like Murighiol.  Our City of Tulcea Guide offers more in-depth information for the city, and our special guide to the Danube Delta covers flora, fauna and getting around the beautiful Danube River Delta expanse.

The Wild West of County Tulcea

We made a different guide for the wild west of Tulcea, just because it is so very different to the Danube Delta or the Dobrogean Highlands.

 This western area is less known by tourists than the area between the city of Tulcea and Babadag in the south, not to mention the Delta Margins and the Danube Delta areas of Northern Dobrogea, all of which are handled in our Guide to County Tulcea main page.

Tulcea Fun Activities, Maps, Lodging, Agents, History

Almost everyone is surprised to hear how the western Tulcean landscape is so different when compared with the wet and green lands of the Danube Delta!

Indeed, the most arid and oldest mountains in Romania loom high on the horizon, home to a unique blend of animals and plants, looking more like somewhere in Utah than the better known parts of Romania.

Curiously, tourism officials in the region tend to think that Western County Tulcea is too underdeveloped to support a tourism trade, forgetting that Americans, Australians, Canadians, and other are increasingly doing their vacations by "living like the locals" wherever possible, for that authentic touch of true culture, great photos, and lasting memories.

As a tourist, Western County Tulcea can be a deeply rewarding region to explore, precisely because it is seldom travelled by those from outside Romania, despite being so close to the mega-destination of the Danube Delta. 

The most amusing part about this area is that it holds no particular snob-appeal to Romanians, and hence is off their holiday maps for the most part as well.

County Tulcea In Dobrogea

The Măcin Mountains The crowning glory of Dobrogea's western lands.

Photo:  Radio Romania

Tour with the Best! Get a great guide and explore Western County Tulcea with someone who knows the terrain!

Photo:  rucksack

Not everyone has time to combine both a seaside and mountain holiday together, but the Măcin Mountains National Park of Western County Tulcea can provide you with those extra experiences and great holiday photos you need to make your friends back home ten shades of green!

But you will be deeply rewarded by the stunning views from the Măcin mountain crests, the unique and rare wildflowers, and the cultural riches of old mosques mixed with inspirational monasteries.

As with so many communities throughout Romania, the birth rate is on the decline, meaning that entire farms and villages have new lands, buildings and potential accommodation points becoming fully available for the tourist market.   What was once a charming farm house can now house a large family for their weekend or week-long sojourn into the mountains near Niceliţel, Nifon, Greci or Luncaviţa.   

 The Danube Flowing North

From Smârdan (on the opposite side from Brăila) until Pătlăgeanca (close to Tulcea) the Danube consolidates and  has only one main natural course, around which there are an immense number of lakes and small channels. 

The Danube really does separate Dobrogea from the rest of Romania, and in centuries past was far more formidable and significant a border than it is today, spanned easily by bridges for rail and road, not to mention airports and shipping which today supply Dobrogea from the outside world.

And the highlands and steppe of Dobrogea (the steppe extends north into the Ukraine) really do encapsulate a different landscape from the rich alluvial soils of the Wallachian plain to the west and north-west. 

Western Tulcea Activities

This wonderland of variance and things to do for all ages requires just a little planning, forethought and good sense in your abilities.

Your choices include rock-climbing in the Măcin Mountains, a leisurely hike or drive along the Beechtree Gully south of Luncaviţa, a fun morning in the vineyards near Tulcea, or a rather inspirational experience visiting the glowing white Trinity of Monasteries. 

Please read on through the town and area guides below for details for what makes you smile most!

 Isaccea and the Northern Towns

 Isaccea is the only town of any size between Tulcea and the Măcin area, with 5,500 townsfolk happily fishing and enjoying the Northern Dobrogea sun.

About halfway along the DN22/E87 highway between Tulcea and Brăila, Isaccea is north-west of Tulcea, and south-west of the mighty river city of Galaţi.   Administratively, Isaccea includes the nearby villages of Revărsarea and Tichileşti.

The Reason for Being

From the Visigoths to the Cumans, the Cossacks and the Turks, Isaccea has simply been a great place to cross the Danube.   Benefiting from a slightly higher elevation thanks to being on the very northern-most side of the Măcin mountain sheild, the land right up to the banks of the river were always just that bit more stable than the swampy areas to east and west along this part of the Danube River.

Isaccea Lippovaner Orthodox Church From Russian roots and using old rites during services, one of the few non-Romanian Orthodox churches anywhere in Romania

Photo:  Rennkuckuck

The Isaccea Castle Walls Not missing a thing, the County Tulcea Museum fills with antiquities from the castle at Isaccea

Floodplain Living A little hut for feeding livestock at the informal juncture of canal and land near Isaccea

Photos:  Rennkuckuck

Fishing near Isaccea By far the most pleasing method of spending some time in Northern Dobrogea!

This made the Isaccea the easy link between the Balkans and the steppes of Southern Russia. The Danube was for a long time the border between the Romans, later Byzantines and the "barbarian" migrating tribes in the north, making Isaccea a border town, conquered and held by dozens of different peoples.

At one time, many lakes could be found in the town, but some of them were dried out by the Communist authorities in order to use the terrain for agriculture.

This initiative was really dumb, as the soil of the area proved to be not particularly fertile. Some of the larger lakes still remain, including Lakes Saun, Telincea, Rotund, Ghiolul Pietrei, and Racova. Sadly, in April 2006, the dyke which protected this terrain failed and the Danube flooded again the areas which used to be wetlands.

 Isaccea Today

Today, Isaccea is an agricultural town surrounded by fields of grain, vinyards, and fruit tree orchards.  

The more lucrative businesses these days in the area tend to be the orchards and fishing industries, animal husbandry, and major quarries have their presences at both Isaccea and in Revărsarea.  

Gazprom has their regional offices in Isaccea to monitor and maintain their all-important pipeline supplying natural gas to south-eastern Europe from the gas fields of the Ukraine and Russia.

Timber is transferred to ships at Isaccea from the surrounding forested lands to the south in the Măcin mountains., and in the past a cigarette factory pumped out Dobrogea's finest Turkish weed.   Today's factories are more likely to pump out footwear and fabrics rather than tobacco.

 To See and To Do in Isaccea

The Roman Fortress of Noviodunum

The Roman castle of Noviodunum stood proudly over the Danube, one of the oldest castles in Dobrogea.   Today it's in the process of being fully excavated from the centuries of dirt which has preserved in perpetuity the artefacts and walls. 

The County Tulcea Museum is overseeing the current dig, with objects carefully catalogued and displayed in Tulcea.  Each summer the Eco-Musuem Research Institute (Institutului de Cercetari Eco-Muzeale or ICEM) features the "Noviodunum Castle Days", where guides are provided to tourists at the archaeological site and specialist staff offer visitors information about the recent archeological discoveries here. 

The castle was the headquarters for the Roman fleet on the Danube, and the basis of civic life for the settlement for centuries, and saw Goths, Slavs, Alans, Wallachs, Turks and finally Romanians standing on it's soil.   See more in History below

The Grand Mosque at Isaccea

With a 25-meter high minaret, this 17th Century Grand Mosque (called "Grand" because it had it's own Imam and governed a few outlying mosques) was for hundreds of years the cultural focus of the community.  With inscriptions in stone and some great architectural features, it's still a marvel to behold on the inside.  On the outside, thanks to the nutty-nut-nut Ceausescu, it's surrounded by some low apartment blocks, not exactly a grand setting.  

The Isaccea mosque like all in Dobrogea, report to the regional Mufti (spiritual leader) in Constanţa.  Dobrogea once had 196functioning mosques in towns, villages and markets, with a dozen seminary schools, 8 gymnasiums and 56 primary schools.

Long a crossing point on the Danube, Isaccea was an important city during the Ottoman rule of Dobrogea.  To this day, the Turkish community at Isaccea still celebrate the sacrifice of the ram each year, or Curban-Baiaram, an important day on the local calendar.

Str. 30 Decembrie 19, Isaccea, Jud. Tulcea, 825200

The Saint Gheorghe Church

The 18th century "Saint Gheorghe" Orthodox Church was built on the walls of a catacomb.  The church was burried in dirt during Ottoman rule, as the turrets of Orthodox churches were not supposed to be higher than the minarettes of the Turkish mosques of the day.  The church is on Vlad Ţepeş Street in Isaccea, who was once a resident in the town during his campaigns to push back the Turks.

Inside the church, you'll find an iconostasis (the partition wall which is lavishly decorated with painted icons that divides the sanctuary from the nave) created during the rule of Moldovan Prince Vasile Lupu.   The icon screen was transported across the Danube from the Moldovan port city of Galaţi.

Also of note is construction works of cathedrals started in 1906 next to the old Saint Gheorghe, still there today looking like ruins at only tall.   Oddly enough, the founding day when the committee decided to construct the new churches was on June the 4th in 1906, which was the very same date that the saints Mucenici Zotic, Attal, Kamasie and Filip were discovered buried here in 1971. 

The Sainted Princes Church

The Sfânti Voievozi church was built following the legends of a Russian, who being in danger of drowning in the Danbue waters, promised God that if he escaped with his life, to construct a church on the right bank of the Danube.  Today, this church serves about 1400 families. 

The Grave of Isac Baba

Believed by the local Muslims for centuries to be the founder of the town.

Check out the Isaccea City Website for more information.

 Tiny Tichileşti

Tichileşti is home to the European Union's only leper colony.  

Visitors are not allowed and the centre is only open to staff and family.  It was established during the communist years and a few residents remain.    For those interested, there is another rarity in Romania at Tichileşti:  A Baptist church!

The Sarica-Niculiţel Winery

 The Sarica Vineyards

Indeed where you have open plains, a Mediterranean climate and colourful monasteries left and right, why not a few grape vines to make the day perfect?

They realised the soil was great in 1954 and stuck some vines in the ground, now producing white wines for the booming export market such as Aligoté, Italian style Riesling, and White Fetească. 

The vineyards here enjoy a long hot and dry summer and mild winter. Due to the unique placement on a plain, bordered by forest and swamp zones, the climate is more mild and humid than that specific to the rest of the Dobrogea Region.   With an annual average temperature of 10.8°C and the average quantity of precipitations is 527 mm/year.

With annual precipitation around 440mm/mp, the comparative dryness of the region benefits the vines muchly. Call ahead or e-mail first, and stop in if you're in the area. 

If you're very lucky, you can get a bottle or two of their smokey Merlot, happy Cab Sav or rather expert Feteasca Neagră.   Check out the excellent Sarica-Niculiţel Winery website for a quick look a the operations here. 
 

The Sarica-Niculiţel Winery , Sarica near Niculiţel  The winery is just off the main Tulcea-Brăila highway  +40 (240) 540 093, FAX: +40 (240) 540 092

 Niculiţel Township

Either a sweet little town or a really big village, hard to say, but Niculiţel manages to pack in the charm, thanks to a cohesive little centre of 5000 residents with nearby winery and monasteries

Niculiţel is somewhat unique, in that it's the largest township in County Tulcea and at just from the big smoke Tulcea, and south of the main highway, makes for an easy weekend destination for the city folk.    The area is great for fruit tree growing and wine grapes too.

Even through the long Ottoman Empire days (4 centuries), the local ethnic Romanians tended their vines imported from the Principality of Moldova (from around Iaşi in particular) providing quality plonk to the Turkish overlords and Tatar and Turkish neighbours. 

Natural Beauty

In a happy hollow of the Niculiţel Plateau, the township is backed and cupped by the gentle Niculiţel Hills, allowing the community to be easily defended in years past, the northern opening to the valley being the only viable access route. 

Beyond the hills looms the Niculiţel Massif, with elevations up to high, not quite as high as in the Măcin mountains further to the west, but they look formidable, covered in the protected pinks, crocuses, and bellflowers of the region.  In the skies over Niculiţel you can spot storks, both the common and long-legged Buzzard, as well as kestrels, swallows and the odd cuckoo. 

History

Both in and around Niculiţel village are remains of Gaeto-Dacian, Roman, and Medieval structures.  From the Roman days, you can discern an old aqueduct, a necropolis and early Christian rites churches.  Later on, old walls of the village  have been uncovered from the 14th Century near the Saint Atanasie Church.

The crypts of four martyrs in a basilica built during the reign of the Roman emperor Valens (c. 370AD), who was busy fighting off the Visigoths in the region invading from north of the Danube.

The early Roman era Traian Wall which surrounds the village commemorates the Roman commander who conquered the Dacians and introduced the region to Roman rule.  Other earthworks found are either Roman, proto-Bulgarian, or Byzantine, it's not always clear.

The Church of Saint Atanasie

This 14th Century church is one of the earliest in the region to have survived as a functioning house of worship.  It was once part of a princely court complex and stood throughout the 458 year reign of the Turkish Ottoman empire in the region until 1878.

Located about to the west and south of the main village centre, there is also a 12th Century church with the classic three-chambered layout.

Culture

Not surprisingly, houses were built for centuries using the time-honoured adobe method, with small branches, reed and/or straw, with mud or dung and reed being used to put up the walls.  The rooves would be reeds or wood shingles.

As a functioning village through medieval times, the village nurtured essential skills and crafts including furriers (the winters are after all a bit chilly), blacksmiths, barrel-making for the wines, and weavers and tinkers.  You can still purchase the specialty fabrics woven on the loom or hand sewn, with the local motifs and patterns.

The annual village festival is in mid-autumn, honouring their patron saint, Saint Paraschiva.   The whole community turns out, many in costume, for the long day and night of celebration on the 14th of October.

Due to the sometimes arid nature of the northern Dobrogean plains, the locals have developed a rain and fertility ritual, the Paparuda, where they invoke the local spirits and their God to allow for rain and for their village girls to bring forth and multiply, on the 3rd Thursday after Easter.

The Sunday before Mardi Gras each year (Shrove Sunday) the townsfolk gather to light great pyres which shine up into the night skies, in their Orăria ritual, similar to the Sâmedru pyres in southern Transilvania (see our Guide to Bran).  But, the crazy Niceluţeleni townies actually roll the pyre down the hills.  Yes, a big ball of fire.  There it goes!  A little dangerous, but a fun local custom nonetheless.

Check in at the Niculiţel Local Council for more information of ongoing events and sites to see.

 The Trinity of Monasteries

 The Monasteries of Northern Dobrogea

Forming a triangle on the map which some consider to be religiously significant, the Monasteries of northern Dobrogea are great examples of the early 19th century building techniques.

The Ottoman Empire tolerated the Orthodox faith in it's northern-most province of Dobrogea, although this came with a height restriction to ensure the Christian churches did not reach parity with the grand mosques throughout the region. 

The Celic-Dere Monastery Founded in 1840, a perfect example of the Wallachian style in Dobrogea

Image:  webshots

A God's Eye View of Celic-Dere

Photo:  Wikimapia

The Towers of Saon

Photo:  Orthodox Resources

The Zoo at Saon Indeed a unique combination for any Northern Dobrogean Monastery, peacocks and prayer!

Photos:  webshots

The Cocoş Monastery, Serving the eastern Măcin Mountains communities nestled in the foothills since 1833

Image:  webshots

 Celic-Dere

Just west of Frecăţei and Cataloi, and 3km south of the little town of Teliţa, the Celic-Dere monastery and church is easily accessible from the main DN22/E87 trans-Dobrogean highway. 

You can choose to drive down to Teliţa from the north, by turning south off the Tulcea-Brăila road, or by turning right to the west at Cataloi, if you're driving south towards Babadag and Constanţa from the city of Tulcea. 

The gleaming white Celic-Dere monastery is completely inspirational to look at, in it's own clearing, looking like the hand of God placed it there.  Named after the Celic brook which runs through the valley, Celic-Dere is classical and impressive, especially for such a small town.
 

 The Saon Monastery

On the road between Tulcea and Isaccea (going west from Tulcea towards Galaţi, Măcin and Brăila), this hermitage-cum-monastery has the advantage of having, of all thing, a little zoo attached featuring peacocks. 

On the last high ground before the floodplain of the Danube River starts, the monastery complex is on the banks of a little river flowing into a lake adjacent to the Danube.

Founded in 1846 as a chapel by monks who left from the Celic monastery who had managed to raise out of the mud and adobe chapel and several sleeping quarters for the monks (cells). 

By 1881, through the relocation to and you Saon of some other monks from Lower Celic to the local bishop, the hermitage of Saon became independent. 

In the same year, the monks from Saon built from the local adobe and wood a church dedicated to "the Glory of God", and two wings for monks quarters in which to this day have remained to the right of the chapel.

The murals along the chapel of Saon were done by the last abbess, Marla Odudencu, together with Mother Salomeea, with the iconostasis being expertly painted by C. Kipirlin in 1957.

The tableaux render a dozen saints and at the entrance to the chapel you can revel in the scene climbing to the sky, oddly enough depicting St. Ifie being fed by the crows.

During the time of Abbot Filimon (1889 - 1905), the hermitage was burnt to the ground, just the church remaining untouched by the flames.   In 1909 the Bishop Nifon Niculescu temporarily put the hermitage under the auspices of the Cocoş administration.  On 1 Septembrie 1909, the Bishop Nifon laid the foundation of the new churches, with the dedication of "Under the Protection of the Mother of God", built out of brick and stone with three dome towers.

It's not clear whether or not the Abbot might have one day envisaged the grounds full of peacocks, guinea hens, and the odd pair of ostriches, who found refuge on the monastery grounds, after their owners realised the ostriches didn't conform to the new European Union standards (they were being raised for their eggs and meat).  

The peacocks arrived as a gift from a family of lawyers in Tulcea, and the hens have been on the grounds for generations. 

They used to have a deer that came to feed, but hunters in the area managed to put that to an end.  Whatever the exact mix of animals when you visit, Saon is sure to be a unique experience!

 The Cocoş Monastery

The Cocoş Monastery is past Niculiţel township, just a little ways up the eastern side of the first line of the Măcin mountains as you travel west towards the national park there. 

Named for the night cries of the wild cocks in the region, the monastery is beautifully crafted and is one of the more interesting and balanced architecturally.

Located from Niculiţel, the Cocoş monastery predated the Romanian invasion of Dobrogea by 50 years.   Founded by the monks Isaia, Gheratie and Visarion, the monastery is in a secluded location at the foothills of Cocoş Hill, surrounded by sweet scent of the linden tree forest.

You can stop reading here and just trust us that the Cocoş Monastery earns our 3-star destination rating for a good reason:  It's Just Great. 

However, if you'd like a bit of explanation, let's just say that the Cocoş complex has it all, from long colonnaded wings, to a fabulous church, lovely grounds, and roughly a dozen perfect photo opportunities.

The Story of Cocoş

The Cocoş monastery was founded in 1833, the founders being the monks Visarion, Gherontie, and Isaia from the Neamţ monastery, who came by the Athos mountains before stopping here.  They came as far as Isaccea, where they settled and bought a small parcel of land and constructed a little church out of adobe, without towers or a bell, respecting the laws of the Ottoman Empire of the day.

This church with improvements made over time, lasted until 1910 when it was taken down to the ground and a little open-air chapel placed (a troiţă) where the alter was to commemorate the original church.

Since there was the need for a larger and more lasting location, Father Visarion became anointed the Abbot of the Cocoş monastery.   A new church built out of stone and brick went up in 1853 with the financial assistance of a Transilvanian shepherd who donated his estate when he entered the church as a monk. 

The first church was dedicated to "the Holy Trinity" and after the Romanian and Russian troops pushed back the Ottomans in 1878 (and thusly the laws limiting the height of the church were mooted), the three church towers quickly went up to celebrate the new rule from Bucharest.

From 1862 until 1884, Abbot Daniel was in charge, under whose guidance a great new bell tower was erected, still a beautiful accomplishment which can be admired today.  Around the bell tower are six friezes.  Abbot Daniel also directed the building of the monks quarters to the west in front of the church in the eastern style, a verandah and balcony along both parts, with a tile roof, indeed worth another photo!

A Massive Cross

The church as Cocoş Monastery is a massive stone building in the shape of a cross.   The hollows on each side of the nave are quite deep and very large.  Above are three octagonal towers, striped with eight narrow high windows.   They tower over the nave is indeed tall and high, with the other two smaller ones over the verandah part.

On the exterior, the walls to the right of the nave have a freize high up with the same on the walls over the alter. The church paintings were started in the autumn of 1914, executed by the Italian painter F. da Biasse in the neobyzantine styule and finished the work in 1916.  It was extensively restored between 1957 and 1960.

The monastery at Cocoş has a museum with old icons and religious art objects from the County Tulcea paish.  The museum also has a collection of old Romanian religious books.

Măcin dobrogea's steppe capital

Map of Măcin Town On the eastern-most channel of the Danube, Măcin functions as a regional centre and a great base of operations for your trip into the Măcin Mountains National Park, about 15 minutes away.

Image:  Cartiere.ro

See an Aerial Map of Măcin Here

 Măcin Town

Măcin Town is a great place to base yourself for a foray into the parks, as is anywhere along the national roads at the base of the Măcin Mountains.

Coming into Măcin from Tulcea, you'll pass the main hotel, some pensions and two holiday camps. One of the the better-known pensions in the area is accessed from the southern end of the park at Caprioara (the Deer, near Cărăpeliţ Step about from Măcin).  

Măcin is a dusty little Dobrogean town of 12,000 townspeople, serving as a regional centre for the agricultural communities north and south.

Geographically, Măcin town is actually a fair bit closer to Brăila, but is considered more a part of Dobrogea and hence Tulcea.  Măcin is a regional centre, overlooking some fairly extensive tracts of farmland going south along the rich soils of the Danube floodplain. 

A controlled inland channel of the delta supplies water on the eastern side of the floodplain, much as the river and canal systems do in the San Joaquin valley of California.   On a channel of the Danube, Măcin even has a port, with the small ships sailing downstream to the north-west towards Brăila

The Town Centre

Măcin is a friendly little town and has all you need for a few days in the region whilst enjoying the mountains or soaking in the Dobrogean culture. 

Check out the Cultural House (Casa de Cultură) for rotating exhibits, stop by the library for a look, and the 100-seat Republic Cinema can be a bit of fun on a rainy afternoon.

The Măcin Monastery

Interestingly for a town this size, it has a nice Catholic church, Saint Anthony's, as well as a Baptist church and a Seventh Day Adventist church, along with three other Romanian Orthodox churches, an Orthodox chapel, and the St. Parascheva and Nicholas Monastery.  It's the lovely wood panelled interiors which keeps this Monastery on the must-do list for the region.

The local high school is named after it's most famous resident, the geologist and mineralogist Gheorghe Munteanu Murgoci (1872 - 1925), who spent so much time in the nearby mountains cutting his teeth on the local granite formations.  

The Arrubium Castle

Măcin is actually an ancient site, dating from the 3rd Century, when it was named Arrubium under the late Roman and early Byzantine rule.   The castle was built with a church honouring the god Jupiter, and the castle also embraced the beliefs of the local tribes worshipping Rhemaxos, akin to the Zyraxes cults common throughout the Danube area of the time.

The Romans based a cavalry unit here between 99 and 241AD and the town of Arrubium also served as a retirement town for veterans of the various regional campaigns, although nowhere near as important a centre as Adamclisi to the south. 

The Ottoman Empire moved in around 1420 and used Măcin as a garrison town, and ruled the largely agrarian and mining area until Romania across the river attacked one (presumably) last time in 1878 to take the town and Dobrogea.

The National Park Administration

The Măcin Mountains National Park have their park administration headquarters in Măcin town, complete with staff biologist (Bogdan Bajenaru) and office for the forest management staff.   Park Ranger Cristian Gutoi will be happy to answer your questions on +40 (240) 571 012, or you can stop in for maps, directions and suggestions, as well as instructions for how to keep the Măcin mountains pristine and clean.

Other Sights

In Măcin town, a few photos at the 18th-century grand mosque are worthwhile, one of the eastern-most mosques in Dobrogea and a reminder of the rich cultural history of this region.   Adjoining the mosque is also an inn which put up Ottoman travellers along the main road north. 

You can also take in the Heroes' Monument in the centre of town.

 The Măcin Mountains National Park

Dobrogea's Highland Wonders

The Măcin Mountains are tucked away in the north-west of County Tulcea, and adjoin the Delta Danube Biosphere Reservation's western borders. In the park, Mount Ţuţuiatul at  is the highest part of these mountains on the Dobrogean Highlands plateau, and have the distinction of being both the oldest and the most arid mountains in all Romania, giving them a uniqueness in look, flora and fauna.

A nature reserve in the eastern part of the mountains was established by Romania's King Ferdinand in 1927.  The King had a palace at Mamaia and often ventured into the Dobrogean Highlands to survey his kingdom's natural wonders.  An ardent amateur botanist and nature-lover, Ferdinand enjoyed the peonies, rare pinks and bird life of the region muchly.

 The mountains are nicely located just over an hour from Tulcea, and for those familiar with the region, have a very southern California feel to them, much like Kings Canyon National Park there.  

This unique area of Romania (and indeed in all the Balkans) can be accessed from the south by driving past the Tulcea airport at Cataloi, and then west to reach the main central valley of the park to the villages of Hamcearca and Nifon in the central valley, which delivers you within easy reach of the middle section of the park and the crest trail.

Further to the east is the home of the Cocoş Monastery, and you can also enter the area by going south from the DN22/E87, the main Tulcea-Măcin highway (see map below).  

The more popular areas of the park include the Pricopan Summit, the main crest trail on the mountain range, the Beech Gulley reserve in the high end of the the Luncaviţa valley on the northern side, featuring the "La Scapeţi" tourist camp. 

As always, please ensure you do not leave fires, waste
or disturb the wildlife whilst in the park!

Măcin Mountains National Park HQ, 25 Isaccei Street in Tulcea  The Park Headquarters are on the main street with the big hotels. +40 (240) 514 720

The Mountains and the Rivers

Most of the streams and rivers in the mountains flow south from the park.   One the western side, where the mountains rise up from the Danube floodplain, the town of Greci is the largest community actually perched on the foothills of the mountainous area.   

Greci was once home to hundreds of Italian stonemasons and their families, working on the rich granite at the nearby quarries in the side of the mountains.

Whilst you may think the mountains don't seem very high -- most in the eastern portion of the sheild are called "hills", you must remember that they rise suddenly out of the Danube floodplain, and make an impressive outline on the horizon, particularly the looming jagged spires along the Pricopan range in the north, looking for all the world like a facsimile of the mighty Carpathians further inland.  They are the prime reason the Danube must travel north for so long before finally breaking free once past them to make the fabulous Danube Delta. 

Thoughtful Protection

The National Park has the town of Măcin and the Greci area as it's administrative centre, ringed by the agricultural land around the townships of Cerna, Hamcearca, Luncaviţa and Jijila.  

Forestry lands take up of the park, run by the National Forestry administration out it's Măcin and Cerna branches, run from the head office in Tulcea.   The of protected reserve within the park is purposefully accompanied by large buffer areas where some forestry activity is permitted, making park a fine model of modern Romanian conservancy management. 

The protected areas feature remnant old growth forests and rare natural meadows, soaks and steppic fields, much of which are in more rocky areas, which in the past had been avoided by modern agriculture.

 Old Mountains, Great Granite!

The striking granite peaks of the Măcin Mountains are the oldest in Romania, formed about 300-400 million years ago during the formation of the Hercinic crust.

The relief of the region is very haphazard in the north-west of the mountains where the craggy Pricopan ranges delight the eye with their crazy fractured forms.  The altitude varies in the park between and most notably along the Măcin Crest and the Pricopan Peaks. 

The Măcin Crest is the main range in the Măcin mountains, and comprises of the largest part of the park, being mostly covered in forest, where the highest peak is at Ţuţuiatu at .   The number two range is the iconic Pricopan Peaks, sort of the "thumb" on the hand of the park, extending like a peninsula into the surrounding Dobrogean Highlands on the north-west side of the park. 

The alipine look of the Pricopans, with it's rocky crown made of abrupt spires of granite reach skyward up to at the Big Sulucu peak.  

The mountain climate and soils are authentically steppic here, unique in being the only such zone in the European Union, and dotted with wildflowers and springs and little waterfalls.

The geology of this interesting area are a synthesis of a specific geological period, with limestone and quartz, and granites in the south and east, crystalline rocks in the south-east.  The more eruptive and metamorphic formations are found mostly in the north of the park.  Loess deposits from retreating glaciers in the region are present mostly on the plateau areas at the lower altitudes.

 Greenpeace and the Quarries

It's undeniable that the quarries on the sides of the Măcin mountains have provided quality granites for centuries.  What is in debate now is whether or not these quarries are environmentally appropriate.

Greenpeace in Romania have been protesting against the exploration of rock in the national park and consider moves by the Environment Minister to change the park boundaries to accommodate more mining as "suspicious".  According to their press release in early 2007:

"The way in which the Environment Minister has helped out SC Hidromineral (the mining firm) to continue it's destruction within a national park unique in Europe is at the very least, suspicious.   The company lost last year it's right to explore granite resources in the Măcin mountains, but the irresponsible leadership of the Minister for the Environment moved the legal limits of the Retezat National Park to make room for the "Basescu Highway", the DN66A.  

"This treatment by the Minister applied to the protected areas are becoming symptomatic and need to be abated immediately, as such crimes against biodiversity are no longer tolerated now that Romania has entered the European Union", declared Gabriel Paun, the Greenpeace Campaign Coordinator. 

Greenpeace Romania, Bd. Corneliu Coposu nr. 3, bl. 101, sc. 4, ap.73 030601 in Bucharest  
Greenpeace monitors government policy and stages environmental awareness activities throughout Romania.
Phone/Fax: +40  (31) 805 8752

 A Unique Confluence of Zones

The Măcin Mountains and surrounds are unique in both Romania and the Balkans for the variety of vegetation which occurs there. 

In fact, these mountains are the southern-most Steppe zones in the Balkans.  The fact it's a convergence zone for plant species from surrounding areas makes it home to animals especially adapted to the unique quasi-steppic areas of the Măcin mountains. 

 Created between the Paleozoic an Mezozoic period, the lower elevations of the old mountains in the park benefit from the confluence of several zones of species.  A unique habitat is created in the Măcin Mountains due to their position where the steppe and the sub-Mediterranean and Balkan forests effectively exist cohesively. 

Flower  images: webshots

Rare Forest Endemic Species

As far a plant species go, the Măcin mountains is where the northern edge of the Mediterranean zone meets with Balkan and Pontic species, whilst in the same location you can find species only endemic to Central European and Caucasian zones.

 To top it off, these old hills are also the very western-most limit for several Asiatic species, for a total of almost 2000 species of plant. 

There are over two dozen species and subspecies of plants which are endemic to this area, including the Campanula romanica, Corydalis solida ssp slivenensis, Euphorbia nicaeensis ssp cadrilateri, Moehringia grisebachii, M. Jankae, and Silene cserei.

Rare Dobrogean beech and hornbeam forests with Carex pilosa are unique in Romania and found in the reserve areas around Măcin, and combinations of Gymnospermo (altaice) and Celtetum (glabratae) are also seen.  Five plant species from Măcin are on the European Red List classified as vulnerable. Two plant species are endemic, the Centaurea jankae and the aptly named Dianthus dobrogensis, a charming little pink and technically sub-endemic, as it's range is restricted just to County Tulcea and is quite rare.

 Fauna of the Măcin Mountains

The fauna list of Măcin Mountains includes about 2,000 invertebrate species of which half are butterflies recently confirmed in the mountains, of which 2 are strictly protected, 3 new to science and 40 new to Romania. 

Forty-one mammals roam the mountain areas, including the steppe-adapted Spermophilus citellus, Vormela peregusna, and the Canis aureus amongst others, 10 of which are strictly protected.   

Rare bird species such as Monticola saxatilis, Oenanthe pleschanca, Oenanthe isabellina, Lanius senator, and Neophron percnopetrus make their homes in the park, along with 182 other birds, 11 reptiles and 7 species of amphibians.

Dobrogean Dragons and Vipers

The Horned Viper is the most poisonous snake on Romanian soil, and enjoys sunning on the granite around the national park.  The Dobrogean Dragon is actually a very long venomous snake, the longest in Romania.  

Trails

Clearly the very best way to enjoy all of the wonders in the Măcin Mountains National Park is to follow one of the many trails to the many peaks, summits, lakes and forested areas.   The Beech stands in particular are well worthwhile, as are the stunning views where you can follow the entire route of the Danube River as it wends it's way through it's floodplains and out to the delta and coast. 

Enquire at the administrative headquarters in the town of Măcin to find out how to get to the tallest mountain, Tutuiatu Peak at tall, as well as the Căpuşa Peak () area, Moroianu Peak, or the Priopcea Peak, the top four in the park.   Also popular are the Pricopan Summit with the Sulucu Mare Peak on the southern end at high. 

Lakes of the Area

There are two remnant oxbow lakes between Măcin and Greci formed long ago by the Danube, Salt Lake and Slatina Lake, the latter of which is a beautiful recreational lake near the site of the Pricopan Summit tourist camp (this was closed last we checked -- click here if you have new info, thanks). 

The Salt Lake routes  are good for a picnic by the lake, and for perhaps sighting one of the Greek or Eurasian Tortoises in the area, and the reserved ecological area at Beech Valley Forest makes for a great out-and-back hike.

The Pricopan Peaks Trails The Blue Line trail starts in Măcin and follows the Pricopan Peaks crest

NOTE: The red cross denotes a trail marking only and there are no medical facilities or supplies at that location.  Contact the hospital in Măcin for routine care and dial 112 in the case of medical emergency anywhere in Romania Satellite Background:  multimap Overlay Art:  REST ROMÂNIA

Along the Pricopan Crest A delightful ecosystem of low vegetation and dryer soil makes this area feel much like Greece or Southern California

Photo:  webshots

Rocks and Peaks at Cerna In a mock view of the Dolomites of Romania, the photographer cheekily put some jagged rocks in the foreground.

Photo:  webshots

 On the Trail of the Sphinx!

The Măcin Sphinx is an immense rock which wind and rain has cut away to reveal the face of a man, surrounded by rock cut in strange striations overlooking the trails, frogs, green lizards and wild cats which provide such big surprises in these little mountains.

To find this marvel of nature, and to follow along the crest of the Măcin mountains, you can actually start from the middle of Măcin town, following the blue vertical line symbols and crossing the the Vâlcului Valley in about an hour. 

The Pricopan range rises rather majestically in front of you as you cross the valley floor.  If you've travelled a ways on your arrival day here, you can camp at the foot of the range near an old hermitage, well maintained and clean, with a few picnic tables and benches, and a good meadow to set up a tent if needed.

Another 15 or 20 minutes to the north along the foot of the range, the trail leads to the Miracle Fountain (Fântâna de Leac).  You can fill up your thermos here and hope for the best, as the next stop with good water is about three and a half hours away up on the Ţuţuiatul Saddle.

Keeping the blue line symbols in place, you continue the main climb of the day between the rocks and stones on the trail until the Sphinx is revealed.  

Say a merry g'day to the stone visage, and then you can set about enjoying the easier passage along the crest trail of the Pricopan Peaks.    You'll pass the aptly named Scabby Peak and Big Sulunc Peak (Piatra Râioasă, and Suluncu Mare at ).

From here and up to Îmbulziţa Hill, there's not even a valley on the way, but after that you go down the slope easily and then back up again through thicker forest, picking up the red line trail and little by little you find your way up the Căpuşa Peak.   

Just south of there you'll find yourself in the sweeping Ţuţuiatului Saddle area (say THAT ten times fast), where you can get some more mountain spring water and a truly fabulous view across to the Danube Delta to the east, and the seemingly endless Wallachian plains across the wide Danube channels to the west.

If you are not disposed to camping, you can take the opportunity to climb up Mount Ţuţuiatu, which is indeed the highest peak in Dobrogea and offers even better views to the north and south too. 

Mount Ţuţuiatu is sometimes informally called Greci Peak (Vârful La Greci, Vârful Greci), due to it's dominance behind the town of Greci along the "hem" of the mountain as Romanian's call it (poală, la poalele muntelui,  at the foot of the mountain).

Just Keep Going!

If you have camping gear and good packs, you can continue along to the south and take in all of the crest, going past Negoiu Peak and the long Oancea Saddle (another spring there down the south-west slope), and even down the south end of the crest.  

Or, you can go back up the Red Line trail and down into the Valley of the Beeches, a lovely isolated gulley with it's own microclimate perfect for the majestic tall silver imperial beech trees there, rare in the region and a fine example of how the Măcin mountains are a convergence zone for several ecosystems.

But most will be happy with their day's excursion, and simply head back down from the crest via the fairly steep trail to the town of Greci, in the foothills of the mountains.  

It's quite steep in parts on the way down going past the granite quarries, but you'll make good time and be back at the road before you know it, about 3km from Măcin town.  You can get a maxi taxi from the centre of Greci most daylight hours. 

If you think you'd enjoy the company of a local who really knows the mountains and can show your the ropes (literally), contact:

Rucksack Mountain Tours, Marian Anghel, Mountain Guide.
25 G. Cosbuc Street, C18, Apt .53  in Galaţi  
Rucksack offers expert mountaineering expeditions and tours in the Măcin Mountains and other locations throughout Romania.
  +40 (745) 33 50 25  Fax: +40 (336) 81 41 64

 The Beech Gully Wonderland

The valley of the Beeches on the north side of the park (Valea Fagilor), was in old times called "La Scapeti", or roughly, "where the Scapets live".  

The Scapets were members of an eastern orthodox sect whose adherents were castrati, for the greater glory of their deity.  Today there is a tourist camp.

The "Imperial" beeches, with thick trunks of up to a metre wide, are mixed with silver lindens, elms, field maples, ashes, and quaking aspen.   The forest in this gulley also has a remnant stand of silver beech, thanks to the protected humid atmosphere of this narrow valley so far from their better-known cousins far across the Great Romanian Plain and up into in the Carpathian mountains.

 The Fossil Fields

The Bujoarele Hills fossil fields are an official Natural Geologic Reserve, and offers the erstwhile paleontologist good chances of a nice find.

Enquire at the ancillary park office at Cerna if you have a translator with you; for more reliable English-speaking staff, check in at Tulcea or Măcin forestry offices for details.

  See More About the Dobrogea Region Here! 

Listed below are some local agents who can help you with bookings and organize local tours in Sulina.

Europolis, Str. IA,nr.190 in Sulina

 +40 (240) 543128  FAX: +40 (240) 543092 

Click on the map for details of each location shown,

or Click Here for a Larger Version with more detail

  TRANSPORT & PLANNING

 A Western Tulcea Stop on Your Tour

The lands of Western Tulcea are served by the highway running between the regional capitals of Tulcea and Brăila or Galaţi.  As such, this makes it a handy area to stop off between Moldova or Bucharest and the Danube Delta.

If you're travelling from Bucharest, Western Tulcea is most easily accessed by road or rail to Brăila.   Maxi-taxis leave roughly hourly going east towards Tulcea, taking you through the Western Tulcea towns of Măcin, Luncaviţa, and Isaccea.   You can also take the train to Galaţi first, possibly more confinement if you're coming from the more northern Moldova region. 

Of course, few will want to miss the Danube Delta, so you can either travel through the Western Tulcea country from Galaţi or Brăila, do some bushwalking/hiking, stay in or near an old monastery or pension, have a look at the winery, and soak up the very different ambiance of the region before continuing on to Tulcea and the delta.   Obviously, the other choice is to return to Bucharest of even Constanţa via the Western Tulcea area to make sure to get those shots of the Pricopan Peaks, Beachtree Gully, and other iconic wonders of nature in the region.

 Add it On!

If you have a week or so to spend in the Dobrogea Region, the Western County Tulcea area is a perfect add-on to make sure you have true variety in your trip!

Whilst the village style resort of Eforie Nord has it's allure, the beautiful sands of Gura Portiţei have their inspirational effect, and the forested islands of the Danube Delta offer an other-worldly feel, the unique steppe mountains of Western Tulcea will make people viewing your photo album feel like you went to four countries, not just ONE region of Romania!

Not everyone has time to do both the mountains and the sea shore on their trip to Romania, so the mountains of Dobrogea are a great way to get some shots of those stunning vistas of the entire surrounding Danube River and foothills going down to the Danube Delta!

Car license plates start with TL in County Tulcea, and the area code to dial the county is (x40)

  Communications

 Dialling Tulcea

All of the phone numbers in Tulcea start with (267) or (367), depending on whether the service is through the old state-run operator RomTelecom, or from one of the newer entrants into the market in Romania.

Dialling into anywhere in County Tulcea, you must remove any leading zero from the county code portion of the phone number, so that (0267) becomes (267).   Dialling a mobile number (Vodaphone, Zapp, Orange, Cosmote, etc), you do the same, dropping the zero from the (07XX) part of the number, to make it (7XX).   Both landlines and mobiles have 6 digits following the initial county code. 

 For full dialling information and a chart of county codes, see our Dialling Romania section here

 Northern Crossing:  Noviodunum

Much of the more important history of Western County Tulcea took place at the prime crossing point for the Danube River in all of Northern Dobrogea, known today as the town of Isaccea.

 This strategic and valuable area was known variously as Noviodunum under the Romans, Genucla by the Dacians, Vicina by the Genoese contracted by the Byzantine Empire to build castles, ports and to build trade in the region.  

Later, the Russians (and later still, the Lippovans) referred to Isaccea as Obluciţa, (Облучица), which is the Slavic name derived from the word "oblutak", rather poetically meaning any rock that was shaped by water into a rounder form.

Cuman Rock Soldiers The Cuman family dynasty extended as far west as into Oltenia, "Basarab" being a typical Cuman name and early Wallachian leader.

Photo:  Russian Museum

Dobrogean Tartar Dress, 1840 From near Cernavoda, typical Tartar dress of the days, complete with pipe and a defiant gaze.

Image:  Romanian Museum

The Romans at Isaccea

The town was taken by the Romans in 46 AD as Greek influence waned in the area, and became part of the Moesia province as Noviodunum.

It was fortified and became the most important military and commercial city in the area. Its ruins are located 2km to the east of modern Isaccea on a hill known as Eski-Kale (Turkish for "Old Fortress").

Noviodunum's base for the lower Danube Roman fleet (Classis Flavia Moesica), was also temporarily the home base for a couple of Roman legions (Legio V Macedonica and Legio I Iovia).

A treasure containing 1071 Roman coins was found about 3 km from the citadel, being buried during the rule of Gallienus (267AD), probably during the raids of the Goths and Heruli, who probably destroyed the fortress.  In the late 300s, the Goths crossed at Isaccea, but were pushed back, eventually signing a peace treaty to never cross the Danube again.

After the the Roman Empire had it's schism, the Byzantine Empire was in the ascendancy and Isaccea became a strategic Byzantine naval base on the Danube.

The Huns attempted to hold the town but were similarly pushed back across the Danube by the Byzantine commanders, and later in the 500s, the Slavs did the same, by 602 with the Avars successful in their bids to hold the community.  

Not much happened at Isaccea until the latter days of the Byzantine Empire, whern in 971, Isaccea was reinforced as a garisson outpost. In 1036, the Pechenegs being driven southward by the Cumans, settled in Scythia Minor (today Dobrogea).

The Pechenegs traded with the Byzantines, which led to a growth in the economic life of the region, as shown by the number of coins found in Isaccea, reaching 700 coins for the period of 1025-1055. However, the Pechenegs were eventually assimilated and faded from history.

Vicina

 1210:  The Italians Arrive, Again

In early 13th century, the Genovese navigators built near Isaccea a port named "Vicina" and by the end of that century there was a flourishing community which lead by a consul and was under Byzantine jurisdiction.

The area fell under rule of Theodore Svetoslav (1300-1321) who took the control over all Dobrogea, althoguh the Genovese refused to continue trade under Bulgarian rule, because of the customs they'd have to pay when trading with the Byzantine Empire. After his death, the Tatars gained control of Isaccea/Vicina. 

However by 1331/1332, Vicina was again under Byzantine rule and in 1337/1338, it was occupied by the Tatars. The Metropolitan of Vicina, Makarios, however promised to the Patriarch of Constantinople that he would flee even though they were under pagan rule. The Genoese did not flee either, but soon the town's importance faded.

 1332:  The Turks and Tatars Move In

The Nogai Tatars settled in the town in mid 13th century through to the beginning of the 14th century, according to the Arab chronicles, and other places in Central Europe from 1250 onwards.

Nogai Tatars consider themselves as descended of the people of the Golden Horde. They take their name from Nogai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan.  Abulfeda mentioned the town, placing it in the territory of the "Al-Ualak" (Wallachs), having a population mostly Turkic and being ruled by the Byzantines.

A Byzantine despotate existed in Northern Dobruja with Isaccea as its centre, which sometimes between 1332 and 1337 became a vassal of the Golden Horde of Nogais under the name "Saqčď".

The Tatars held an important mint in Isaccea (at the port Vicina), which minted coins marked with Greek and Arabic letters between the years 1286 and 1351.

Various types of silver and copper coins were minted, including coins bearing the mark of the Golden Horde with the names of the khans as well as the names of Nogai Khan and his son Čeke (minted between 1296-1301).

1392-1601:  Wallach and Turk Skirmishes

In late 14th century it was ruled by Mircea cel Bătrân, became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1417, regained by Vlad Ţepeş in 1462 during his campaigns against the Ottoman Empire.

It was only a matter of time when in 1484 it was taken again by the Ottomans, being included in the Silistra (Özi) Province, which comprised Dobrogea, much of present-day Bulgaria, and later also Budjak (Bugeac, north of the Danube) and Yedisan.

The Ottomans built in Isaccea a fort for defending their northern border. On 6 October 1598, Mihai Viteazul defeated the Ottoman army at Isaccea, recapturing the town, but this lasted only a short time, since after Mihai's death in 1601, the town was regained by the Ottomans.  In December 1673, at the Ottoman army camp in Isaccea, Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino was chosen Prince

of Moldavia.

 1711-1878:  Romania and Russia Invade

During the wars between the Russians and the Turks of the 18th and 19th centuries, it occupied by each side for several times, being several times set on fire and almost completely destroyed.

During the Prut Campaign (1711), the Russians tried to block the Ottomans crossing of the Danube at Isaccea, but failing to do so, the two armies clashed at Stănileşti, on the Prut River. 

Isaccea was besieged three times in the 1770s: in 1770, 1771 and 1779: in 1771, it was conquered by the Russians in the wake of the Battle of Kagul, the Russians destroying the fortifications and the mosques.  After Russian annexation of Crimea in 1783, some Crimean Tatars came to Dobrogea and settled in Isaccea and also further south.

 During the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829, the town was again overrun by the Russians. However, unlike many other settlements in the region, it was not razed, but after ten years of devastating war, only 150 houses were still standing. In 1853, during the Crimean War, it was sieged again by the Russians, before the war theatre moved to Crimea.

 1877: The Russians Oust the Ottomans

Incredibly, the Russians decided to position troops in southern Romania (Wallachia), in an uneasy alliance between Romania's Foreign Affairs Minister Mihăil Kogălniceanu (who had the post from 3 April 1877 to 24 November 1878) and the Russian crown.

The Romanians (then comprised of the united principalities of Wallachia and Moldova) joined to invade the Ottoman Empire in Dobrogea, the town became part of the new state of Romania in a sweetheart deal which traded Dobrogea for Moldova's territories in Bessarabia and Bugeac.

A local legend explains the existence of a mound near the old bridge in Isaccea this way: during the Russo-Turkish wars a Turkish general accused of treason was buried alive (horse included), each of his soldiers being forced to bring a fez full of dirt and throw it over the general.

Local churches and town halls across the Northern Dobrogea towns were quickly converted to hospitals and headquarters for the combined Russian and Romanian troops. 

After the Crimean War, an European Danube Commission was established, which decided to clear the silt between at the mouths of the Danube, between Isaccea and the Black Sea, however the increased trade on the Danube sailed right by wee Isaccea, now just a little riverbank town without any particular significance.  Isaccea in 1899 had a population of 3,335 inhabitants.  

Turkish Provinces, 1726 Extending as far north as Moldova, County Tulcea was well within the Ottoman sphere

Image: Wikipedia

Dobrogea's Sultan KÖPRÜLÜ MEHMET PAŞA (1575-1661)

Photo:  Govt of Turkiye

County Tulcea, the 1878 War Russia moved troops into Romania and declared war on the Ottoman Empire, winning after a year.  Here, the famous Nicolae Grigorescu painting depicts a battle at Smârdan, near Măcin in County Tulcea.

Image:  Gov't of Romania

 Ottoman County Tulcea

By the 1860s, Dobrogea had 196 functioning mosques in towns, villages and markets, with a dozen seminary schools, 8 gymnasiums, a health system and 56 primary schools.

 In County Tulcea, a new railroad was being built from the northern-most Turkish city of Tulcea through to the town of Măcin, which sat on a bluff across from the Kingdom of Romania at Brăila on the other side of the Danube River. 

The Ottoman Empire out of Istanbul made sure that their Dobrogean province was well connected, with the Tulcea area connected with the rest of the Turkish world and beyond by telegraph, as were seven other Dobrogean cities. 

 Turkish Arrivals, 9th - 11th Centuries

After centuries of migrations through what is now the County Tulcea region of Northern Dobrogea, the 9th Century saw settlement in the area of Pechenegs, Cumans, Tatars and Turks, followed by Ottoman Turks. 

The Cumans, who had passed through in important numbers around the 11th Century in Moldova, Muntenia, Oltenia and Transilvania, mostly settled in the lower Danube region, known widely as "those at the side of the ocean". 

Part of the Cuman population in Dobrogea had entered after the Ottoman had arrived from the lower Balkan region.  The establishment of quite a few Turks in 1263 at Babadag had constituted the prelude for the settlement of Osman Turks, coming to Dobrogea from Anatolia and the Balkans.

 Dobrogea is Ottomanised

Islam began to have a profound influence on the Turkish tribes settled in Dobrogea in the 10th Century, and by the 13th Century, the vast majority of Turks in Dobrogea were Mohammedans.

The colonisation of the Balkans, begun by Murad I (1360-1389) was extended through County Tulcea and into the Danube Delta.  Understanding the strategic and military importance of his Dobrogean province, the Ottoman Sultans fortified and strengthened the castles at Yeni-Sala (see Enisala above), and the castle of Isaccea.

Turkish troops who had occupied Dobrogea were later followed by rural elements.  The Sultans accorded vast tracts of good pastureland to local rulers and those willing to resettle up to the Balkans in a quest to stabilise the province.  So, keeping with the Ottoman customs, between the years 1543 and 1667, the Turks belonging to the Kogeagik tribe were relocated across 64 villages in Dobrogea.

Commerce blossomed in Dobrogea along the caravan routes which criss-crossed the empire, although the wars with the Russians to the north had a negative effect on the Dobrogean population.

Towns were ruined in the wars which started in 1711, flared dramatically in the 1770s, and was rekindled in the late 1820s, with the populations wildly fluctuating with the fortunes of the wars between 40,000 and 100,000 in 1834.   Turks were expelled from the Black Sea area of Russia in the 1860s, with 10,000 moving south to settle in Dobrogea.  

 Romania Awarded Dobrogea

In the wake of the decisions of the Berlin Congress in 1878, Romania was granted Dobrogea and the Danube Delta. 

As soon as the new Romanian administration was installed, the economic and social landscape of the province became grim.  A multitude of Turkish and Tatar families, now refugees having had to leave their homes during the wars, waited for weeks for the Romanians to get a functioning government going.  

The people wanted only to reunite in their home villages and get back to their friends, family and jobs, many of whom had been working on the railroads before the Romanians invaded.  But things slowly improved, and the Dobrogean families who had fled the war had up to three years to go back and claim their family homes. 

 The Kingdom's New Culture

The Romanian authorities respected the Dobrogean traditions, and even in the Romanian army, the local Dobrogean units, largely Islamic, were fully integrated and formed into their own companies and squadrons, complete with fez and turbans intact.  

It made sense this way, and the new Romanian administration under King Carol I was remarkably sensitive to the culture of their new province, as the dietary, ceremonial and religious requirements of these companies was clearly different from their Moldovan and Wallachian counterparts.

Similarly, the Romanians set up courts and judges sensitive to the traditions of each community, and the positions of Mufti in both Tulcea and Constanţa had continuing significant in the lives of their Dobrogean flocks.

Law guaranteed the freedom to teach in the local Turkish language, and at Babadag, a new Madrasa was founded which taught courses in Romanian.  

Within 10 years of Dobrogea being melded with the Kingdom of Romania, the majority of schools taught in both languages, and the "Dobruca Gazetesi" (the Dobrogean Gazette) newspaper was printing it's headlines in Turkish, with back sections in Romanian.

  Despite these freedoms and a real attempt to integrate and support the Turkish culture, a part of the Mohammadan population in Dobrogea moved further south, back into the Ottoman empire. 

 Turks and Tatars Leave

Whilst the system set up was generally good and generous by Western standards, there was also fairly endemic corruption, and many of the new laws and ways of structuring government and public services were simply foreign to the native Dobrogeans. 

Turkish and Tatar populations plumetted through the early 1900s and further still in the 1920s when the new Republic of Turkey under Ataturk launched a targeted campaign to bring back to Turkey the Turkish populations throughout Dobrogea.

 Turco-Tatar Dobrogea Today

Today, the Dobrogean Turkish language and culture is supported by such recent events at the Turkish Language Olympiad at Medgidia's Kemal Ataturk national College.

 In April 2007, the 40 or so Turkish schoolkids representing their communities from all over Dobrogea cried out their motto:  "On this day, across all the land, we will speak nothing but our language!".  

In previous years, the Turkish Language Day ceremonies were held at Eforie Sud and Constanţa.   The events are supported by Romania's political party representing the Turk and Tatar communities still remnant in Dobrogea, the Democratic Union of Turco-Tatar Muslims in Romania, as well as the local mufti and the Turkish consul in Constanţa.

The Tatars community today isn Romania, decendants from Crimean Tartars, live more towards central and southern Dobrogea around Biulbiul, Topraisar, Azaplar, Murfatlar, Castelu, Osmancea, Bairamdede. Their Nogai Tatar brethren live mainly in the town of Mihail Kogălniceanu (Karamurat); and villages of Lumina (Kocali), the ironically names Valea Dacilor ("Valley of the Dacians", or Hendekkarakuyusu to the locals) and Cobadin (Kubadin).  The "home" communities remain in Russia north of Grozny and the River Terek.

Read more in the History of Dobrogea for a wider view

Listed below are some local hotels, guesthouses (B&Bs) and other accommodation in the The Danube Delta area.

Hotel Wels, Sat Băltenii de Sus in Bestepe

The hotel is placed in a rustic area, but zou will have all the comfort and the great services of an excellent hotel.

740 210214  FAX: 740 716041 

Pensiunea Chirilov, Sat Băltenii de Jos in Bestepe

The pension is placed in a dreamlike area, in the heart of Danube Delta.

722 858987  

Pensiunea Millennium, Isaccea in Isaccea

The hosts will surely make you return to these superb places.

240 540894  

Pensiunea Carpo, Mahmudia in Mahmudia

The pension offers accommodation in 4 double rooms.

744 364218  

Hotel Teo, Mahmudia in Mahmudia

The hotel is recently built, with the latest endowments.

240 545550  

Hotel Mon Jardin, Mahmudia in Mahmudia

The hotel offers quality services and the clients are always very satisfied.

240 545511  FAX: 240 545512 

Pensiunea Insula Nada Apelor, Maliuc in Maliuc

Here you can spend memorable times of relaxation, harmony and rest.

239 616149  FAX: 239 613570 

Pensiunea Deltaclub, Maliuc in Maliuc

The pension is known for the extraordinary dishes they serve to its clients.

727 201444  

Hotel Salcia, Maliuc in Maliuc

The hotel is placed in the heart of the Delta, close to the Fortuna Lake National Reservation.

240 546539  

Pensiunea Soliana, Sat Gorgova in Maliuc

The pension is placed in the middle of the nature, surrouned by lots of greenery.

745 817486  

Pensiunea Olimpia, Sat Vulturu in Maliuc

The pension offers a lot of ways for entertaining and spending the free time.

744 391391  

Pensiunea Maria, Sat Gorgova in Maliuc

You will be delighted by Europe's newest land.

744 574185  

Pensiunea La Călin, Sat Gorgova in Maliuc

This is the place where you will marvel at Delta's wealth.

721 525320  

Pensiunea Andreea, Sat Gorgova in Maliuc

This is the place where the memorable vacation stories take birth.

744 574185  

Pensiunea Păpădia, Mila 23 in Mila 23

Some might consider this the perfect place to spend the vacation.

723 193212  

Pensiunea Cris, Mila 23 in Mila 23

The pension is placed in the Old Danube area, a truly wonderful place.

240 546446  

Pensiunea Markov, Mila 23 in Mila 23

The pension is built in traditional style.

240 546452  

Pensiunea Valodea, Mila 23 in Mila 23

The pension offers quality services for the lovers of Danube Delta.

740 233367  

Complex Delta Nature Resorts, Sat Parcheş in Somova

The little lodging houses offers a lot of comfort and intimacy.

741 113307  

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