Experience the best of Tulcea

Tulcea stands on the right bank of the Danube, in the region of Dobruja, close to where the river divides into the channels of its delta before reaching the Black Sea. A hillside monument to the war of independence overlooks the town, the museums show the wildlife and peoples of the delta, and the long riverside promenade is lined with boats. The ruins of the ancient fortress of Aegyssus stand on a hill.

The Danube Delta, a UNESCO-listed site and the second-largest river delta in Europe after the Volga, is the best preserved in the continent. Boats from Tulcea pass through channels and lakes where white and Dalmatian pelicans, herons, spoonbills and many other birds nest. Letea Forest, an oak and ash woodland on sand dunes, is grazed by wild horses, and fishing villages such as Crișan and Mila 23 and the town of Sulina at the sea mouth are usually reached by boat.

Fish soup, ciorbă de pește, sharpened with sour borș and hot peppers, is the delta's dish, followed by fried carp or pike-perch, with mămăligă, polenta, and garlic sauce. Murfatlar wine comes from the vineyards of Dobruja. Birds migrate in large numbers in the cooler months, summers are hot, and winter brings ice to the channels.