Crisan Romania, Danube Delta
Romania
Frequently Asked Questions
At the village pontoon, on the Sulina arm, between Tulcea and Sulina. No road reaches Crișan: you arrive only by water, as everyone here always has.
A single row of low houses set at the water's edge, each with its jetty, its nets and its vegetable garden, with reeds to the horizon. One path follows the bank: that is where village life happens.
You head into the delta's side channels by small boat, where the larger vessels can no longer go. Within minutes the reeds close behind you: water lilies on the surface, kingfishers skimming the water, and silence.
More than 400 species, and the area around Crișan is among the finest birdwatching spots in Europe. White pelicans fish in coordinated groups on the nearby lakes; pygmy cormorants, egrets and purple herons occupy the banks.
A Lipovan village of colourful houses, home to a community of Russian Old Believers who arrived in the 18th century. Excursions from Crișan often include it, along with the neighbouring channels and lakes.
It was founded after 1856 under the name Carmen Sylva, in tribute to the pen name of Queen Elisabeth of Romania, and served as a retreat for the royal household before becoming a fishing community.
Binoculars, a hat and mosquito protection. The delta is wetland and insects are plentiful, especially late in the day: that is the only real discomfort of the call.
The morning's catch: carp, pike-perch, pike and catfish come out of the nets each day. The kitchens of local guesthouses cook them to fishermen's recipes, usually as soup or grilled, with polenta.
Spring through early autumn, for the birdlife. Spring shows the delta at its liveliest; summer is hot and mosquitoes more present; early autumn brings fine light and fewer visitors.
The Romanian leu and Romanian. Bring cash: in a village with no road, cards are of little use. Russian is still spoken in the nearby Lipovan villages.
