The Danube River is the second longest river in Europe (after Volga) and it is one of the major methods of transportation being the only major European river to flow west to east. The source of the river is located in the Black Forest area of Germany. From there, it flows about 2860km to the east. The mouth of the river forms a delta to the coastline of the Black Sea. Danube crosses 9 countries and 4 capitals, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. The Danube debit has 6300 cm/s.

Beign named by Napoleon "the king of the European rivers", the Danube, after entering Romania at Bazias, follows one of the most fascinating itineraries. We refer to the Danube Gorges, a zone that covers 120km, 45 of the latter representing the sector of the famous Cazane (Caldrons), a beautiful defile.
The Danube crosses regions like Bant Mountains, remarkable for their picturesque caves, for the karst lakes and underground rivers. Then follows Mehdinti county. Here are the ruins of the Roman bridge at Drobeta, built after the drafts of the architect Apollodor of Damasc, The Museum "Portile de Fier" (Iron Gates) in the town of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the cave at Topolnita, the Orsova harbor (where you can take voyages on the Danube, at Cazane - Danube's Strait), the natural bridge at Ponoarele (60 m long), the artificial lake Portile de Fier (the largest on the Danube) and the hydroelectric plant.

When it arrives to Patlageanca (North-West from Tulcea), the Danube River is splitting in two arms: Chilia arm to the North and Tulcea to the South. Not far from here, the Tulcea arm also divides in two other channels: Sulina and Sfantul Gheorghe.

With more than 1150 species of plants and more than 280 species of birds, in August 1990, the Danube Delta was declared by UNESCO reservation of the biosphere. The reservation includes the delta, the complex of lagoons Razim-Sinoie, and Dunarea Valley, measuring a surface of 591200ha.

Chilia arm is the longest channel, having 120km, and the most vigorous by the fact that it takes 58% from Danube's total debit. With many ramifications and aits this is the youngest branch, having, also, the biggest depth - 39m. Chilia arm is used for sailing, most important ports being Ismail and Valcov.

Sulina arm, after some meanders have been corrected between 1862 and 1902, became shorter, from 93km to 64km and its water volume doubled to 18%. Located in the middle of the delta and being the shortest channel, it is used mostly for sailing. Its minimum depth is 7m and maximum depth is 18m.

Sfantu Gheorghe arm is the oldest channel and carries 24% from the total Danube's water volume, having 26m in depth. With 108km in length, this branch has many meanders which have been cut in the last years, measuring now just 70km. When it flows into the sea, the river deposes sand silts who forms Sacalin Island considered to be the beginning of a secondary delta.

The Danube Delta has a particular rural civilization made by interaction between Romanians and other ethnic groups like Bulgarians, Ukrainians and Lipovans.
Estimated at between 12000 and 16000, depending on the definition of the area covered, the population is distributed along the three main waterways, Chilia, Sulina and Sfantul Gheorghe. The only town in the Danube Delta is Sulina, populated by 5500 people. Tulcea isn't located in delta, but it coordinates economic and tourist activities concerning the Danube Delta.

Most important tourist places are: Maliuc (an important starting place for trips to lakes Fortuna and Papadia), Mila 23 (a typical fishing settlement, Sulina (a sea port and the only town within the the Danube Delta) and Sfantul Gheorghe (located at the spot where the branch of the Danube by the same name flows into the sea; it has the most extensive sea beach on the littoral of the Black Sea).

Being on the 3rd place in the world, of ecological importance, the Danube Delta, with its splendid scenery, with its paradise of birds and fish, is an area of great tourist beauty that deserves to be seen.