At the mouth of the Black Sea, the Danube divides into three high arms to form the Danube Delta. On the right bank of the youngest arm, Chilia, is located the most populated town in Delta, Chilia Veche.
The small lacustrine village is isolated between the waters, so the tourist who is looking for accommodation in Chilia Veche soon discovers that this ancient place can be reached in only two ways; and both involve crossing some large bodies of water. This is the reason why many accommodations in Chilia Veche offer their guests the option to transfer by boat from Tulcea to the destination. The road is about 60 km and often the hosts provide an experienced navigator, acting as guide.
However, if the guests are looking for a thrill, the road offers them surprising landscapes and a wonderful adventure in the middle of the nature. From Tulcea the water can be crossed by ferry and then the remaining 66 km to Chilia Veche are made on roads that are mostly paved over.
The youngest of Delta’s arms stretches for almost 120 km along the border with Ukraine and has the highest rate of water (almost 60 %) of the three channels. Its shoreline represents a shelter for a few scattered villages – Patlagean, Ceatalchioi, Pardina, Tatanir, and Chilia Veche, a place with a history almost as long as the one of the ancient Dacia. Although in the days of Herodotus, Chilia Veche was a port on Black Sea, the river deposits did that, nowadays, she be more than 40 km away from the sea.
Although most of those in charge of the accommodation in Chilia Veche organize expeditions in nature, it is good to know in advance what you can visit in the area.
If you choose accommodation in Chilia Veche, you must visit the church “Holy Archangels”, which was built in the nineteenth century. With a height of 52 meters, it is the second tallest church in our country, exceeded only by the Black Church in Brasov. During the Second World War, the church functioned as a military observer and still bears the signs of the violence it went through.
Rosca Lake is a natural reservation whose protection is strictly regulated. It houses the largest colony of white pelicans in Europe. The wild geese, the egrets or the ubiquitous storks deserve to be mentioned amongst the birds that can be seen in this area.
Periprava is the last bastion of exploration that is available for the tourists sailing on the Chilia arm. In the southern region lies Letea Forest, famous for herds of wild horses, but also for its trees older than 500 years. While the forest is a heaven for a rich wildlife, in the surrounding dunes the turtles and various lizards have found their home.