Located in northern Dobrogea, the Danube Delta, 80% of which stretches in the Romanian territory, is the newest land in Europe. The Delta has been formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the Danube which flows here into the Black Sea and, at the same time, it is one of the few places in Europe left unaffected by the human factor. UNESCO has declared the Danube Delta a “Biosphere Reservation”, “The Land of Waters” and “The Birds' Paradise” as it shelters a genuine natural paradise that provides exotic landscapes for tourists with its wide variety of wildlife.
Most of the Delta is formed of lakes (Fortuna, Merhei, Rosu, Puiu, Bogdaproste, Puiulet, Obretin, Sorgova and Isac) connected with the branches of the Danube (Sulina, Chilia and Sf.Gheorghe) by channels. Reed, bulrush, willows and other semi-aquatic plants cover the swamps. The number of bird species exceeds 300, some of which are protected by law (pelicans, egrets, cormorants, swans, divers and the eastern flossy ibis).
Wild ducks and geese can be hunted here. There is also a wide variety of fish, such as the sturgeons specific to the Black Sea (the starlet, the sturgeon and the sevruga) as well as fresh water fish (carp, pike, perch, sheet fish and the Danube mackerel).
The tourist routes include the channels, the three branches of the Danube (Chilia, Sulina and Sf.Gheorghe) and the lakes, attractive places with traditional reed-roofed houses. Hunting and fishing are widespread and every year the Hunters and Fishermen Association jointly with the Administration of the Biosphere set hunting and fishing times and areas.
“Poarta Deltei” (the Delta’s Gate) is the city of Tulcea, known during the Dacian-Roman Age as Aegyssus. In spite of its decline during the Turkish occupation, it had developed mainly as a port. Here are some of its tourist objectives: “Danube Delta “ Museum and the archeological park (32.000 exhibits); Palatul Pescarilor (the Fishermen’s Palace, 1900); St.Gheorghe Cathedral (1865) with its spires higher than the Turkish mosque, an almost unique construction in the Ottoman Empire; the Azzizie Mosque (1863); and the Independence Memorial on Hora Hill (1900, restored in 1970). 
Accommodation is available in Tulcea hotels (Delta ***) and in the floating hotels Delta 2**** and Delta 3***. Accommodation is also available in Uzlina in the Cormoran Hotel Center ***. There are today in the Delta 18 strictly protected areas whose setting up was determined by the need to preserve the natural evolution process and to protect the specific wildlife of the region. Worth mentioning among the latter are Rosca-Buhaiova (Europe’s largest colony of pelicans in the Rosca Lake area); Letea, a tropical-like forest located at the highest altitude; and Sacalin-Zatoane (located near Sf.Gheorghe) which covers over 21.000 hectares and is one of the few places of Europe where the curly pelican may be still found.
In all such areas a permit for every trip (restricted in general to travels by experts and resarchers) must be obtained from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation Administration, with its head office in Tulcea ( 32 Taberei Str., tel.:+40-40-55 03 38, + 40-40-55 03 39, fax: + 40-40-55 04 98, e-mail:deltainfo@tim.ro). Those who receives the authorization to visit these areas must observe certain rules of behavior: it is forbidden to camp, to light fires, make noise and cut the trees.
It must be also mentioned that tourists may visit the Delta on the basis of access permits issued by the Delta Dunarii Biosphere Reservation Administration.
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