Danube Delta 1; Tulcea and Crisan

We leave Bacau at about 8 am and drive south through Moldavia in the rain through fairly flat countryside. The view is desolate as we start to drive south-east towards the River Danube to cross over a 1.97km long bridge into the Dobrogea (Dobruja) Region of Romania; the Danube flows in a north-south direction here (due to old mountains) and then heads west, forming the border with Bulgaria, then up towards Serbia and on past Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. The views and weather improve as we drive east to Tulcea and the Danube Delta.

The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe and is the best preserved on the continent; it covers more than 1,500 square miles. The delta is where the River Danube empties into the Black Sea; most of the Danube lies in Romania (Tulcea county) with a small part located in Ukraine.

We arrive at the ancient port of Tulcea and have a short wander around before boarding our floating accommodation (a pontoon named Anda), which is to be pulled around the Danube Delta by a small tugboat; these pontoons were originally accommodation for workers in the Delta region. We leave Tulcea and head out along the Sulina Branch of the three main channels of the Danube Delta towards Crisan, where we moor overnight.Read more