Proposed route versions for the territory of Romania

Main route

Ciupercenii-Desa – Danube River at the Garla-Mare-Maglavit – Blahnita – Vanju Mare – Zelezni Vrata Nature Park – Mehedinti Plateau Geology Park – Domogled National Park – Cerna River valley – Jiu River corridor – Oltet River valley – Radomir Forest – Estuary of the Olt River, where it flows into the Danube – Comana Nature Park – Iezerul Calarasi Reserve – Borca Branch – Danube Cliffs – Forest and valley of Canaraua Fetii-Iortmac – Dumbraveni-Urluia River valley-Vederoasa Lake – Murfatlar Fountain – Dobrudzha Gorges – Danube Delta – Tasaul Lake-Corbu – Siutghiol Lake – Agigea sea dunes – Techirghiol Lake – Seaside area at Cape Tuzla- Costinesti-Douazeci si Trei August – Cap Aurora – Underwater sulphur springs in Mangalia – Hadjieni Forest-Cotul Vaii – Vama Veche-2 Mai.

Starting west and heading east, the route begins at the Calafat-Vidin border checkpoint, from where tourists can enter Ciupercenii-Desa protected area, taking DN55A. The connection to the Danube – Garla-Mare-Maglavit is made taking E79 and then, DN56A. Afterwards, tourists either follow DN56C to get to Blahnita, or continue on DN56A to get to Vanju Mare, and then the route may go back to the Danube at Garla-Mare-Maglavit to continue to Blahnita, or they could connect directly using DJ606. Then take DN56A to Zelezni Vrata Nature Park, then E70, passing through Drobeta-Turnu Severin, direction Svinita. Tourists then cross the Mehedinti Plateau Geology Park following DN67 from Drobeta-Turnu Severin and then DJ670, crossing Isverna, Ponoarele, and Baia de Arama. From Baia de Arama, they travel to Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park, following DN67D through Obirsia-Closani and Godeanu. From Baia de Arama, tourists follow DJ671B and DN67A to Strehaia, then take E70 and follow the Jiu River corridor, crossing Filiasi to Craiova. From Craiova, they take DN65 and travel to Bals, in the northern part of the Oltet River valley. From the Oltet River valley, the Radomir Forest may be reached either by returning from Bals to Craiova and following DN6 to the Radomir Forest, or by crossing Grozavesti and Dragiceni, or by taking DN64 and crossing Dragiceni. From the Radomir Forest, tourists could go back to Jiu River corridor, following DN6 from Caracal to Leu, and then DJ604 and DJ551A to Bratovoesti. From there, they travel along the Jiu River corridor to Bechet, where they can enter Bulgaria at Oryahovo. From Bechet, route continues to the Olt River estuary where it flows into the Danube following DN54A to Corabia and DN54 to Turnu Magurele, where tourists can also connect to enter Bulgaria. From Turnu Magurele, they can reach Comana Nature Park or DN52 to Alexandria and from there, taking DN6 to Stalpu and from there, taking DJ411 to Comana or DN51A along the Danube to Zimnicea, then DN5C to Giurgiu where they can connect to enter Bulgaria at Ruse. From Giurgiu, tourists follow DN5 to Uzunu, from where they enter Comana, taking DJ603. From Comana, they reach (Iezerul) Calarasi Lake, taking A2 to Calarasi and then DN3 or DJ412 to Prundu, taking DN41 to Oltenita and continuing to Calarasi on DN31 or DN3. From Calarasi, tourists can continue on DN3B along Borca Canal and to Borca, or cross the Danube at Calarasi-Silistra border checkpoint. From Silistra, they can then enter the country taking DN3 and reach the Danube Cliffs, the Forest and valley of Canaraua Fetii – Iortmac and Dumbraveni – Urluia River valley – Vederoasa Lake, passing through Adamclisi, and then by the Murfatlar Fountain. After that from Murfatlar, they take DN22C, DJ228, DN2A and DJ222 to the Dobrudzha Gorges. From Murfatlar, tourists can also enter the Danube Cliffs through Cernavoda on A2 and then follow DJ223, DJ224, DJ225 and DJ226. From Dobrudzha Gorges, they can go to the Danube Delta (the part in the territory of Constanta County) taking DJ222 to Gradina, then DJ226B, DJ226A and DJ226 to Istria and Sinoe. From Istria, they travel to Tasaul Lake – Corbu on DJ226, crossing Corbu. Then the route continues through Navodari, Mamaia – Selo, enter taking E87 and travel by the shore of Siutghiol Lake. Further on, passing through Constanta, tourists take DN39 and DN39A to reach the Agigea sea dunes. They continue to Eforie Nord (North) on DN39 and pass by Techirghiol Lake and then to Mangalia, the road goes along the Black Sea coast and by the seaside natural areas: the Seaside area at Cape Tuzla, Costinesti-Douazeci si Trei August, Cap Aurora and Underwater sulphur springs in Mangalia. Between Mangalia and the Vama Veche Nature Site – 2 Mai, the road turns to the Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii, crossing Albesti and Cotul Vaii. Then, tourists go back to DN39 and follow the road to Vama Veche – 2 Mai, where they can enter Bulgaria via the Vama Veche – Durankulak border checkpoint.

Birdwatching route

Ciupercenii-Desa – Danube River at the Garla-Mare-Maglavit  – Blahnita – Zelezni Vrata Nature Park – Domogled National Park – Cerna River valley – Jiu River corridor – Radomir Forest – Estuary of the Olt River, where it flows into the Danube – Comana Nature Park – Iezerul Calarasi Reserve – Borca Branch – Danube Cliffs – Forest and valley of Canaraua Fetii-Iortmac – Dumbraveni-Urluia River valley-Vederoasa Lake – Dobrudzha Gorges – Danube Delta – Tasaul Lake-Corbu – Siutghiol Lake – Techirghiol Lake – Hadjieni Forest-Cotul Vaii.

 

Following the areas included in the main protected areas presented in APPENDIX 5, a number of areas were included in the birdwatching route. The Ciupercenii-Desa area was included in the birdwatching route because of the included protected area Calafat – Ciupercenii – Danube (Special Bird Protection Area – ROSPA0013). The Danube River at the Garla-Mare-Maglavit was included in this route because of the included protected area Maglavit (ROSPA0074). Zelezni Vrata Nature Park was included because of the included protected areas Almajului Mountains – Locvei (ROSPA0080) and the Danube stream – Bazias – Zelezni Vrata (ROSPA0026). Domogled National Park – Cerna River valley was included in this route because of the territory of Domogled – Cerna River valley (ROSPA0035). The Jiu River corridor was included in this route because of the three Special Bird Protection Areas included – the estuary of the Jiu River, where it flows into the Danube (ROSPA0023), Dabuleni Sands (ROSPA0135), and Bistret (ROSPA0010). The forest and valley of Canaraua Fetii – Iortmac was included in this route because of the three Special Bird Protection Areas included – Dunareni Lake (ROSPA0054), Oltina Lake (ROSPA0056), Baneasa – Canaraua Fetii (ROSPA0008). Dumbraveni – Urluia River valley – Vederoasa Lake was included because of the included sites Aliman – Adamsklisi (ROSPA0001) and Vederoasa Lake (ROSPA0007). The main protected area Danube Cliffs was included in this route because of the two Special Bird Protection Areas – Danube – Ostroave (ROSPA0039) and the Harsova Cliffs (ROSPA0017). Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii was included in this route because of the included Special Bird Protection Area Hadjieni Forest (ROSPA0094).

The birdwatching route follows the same roads as described for the main route with some differences. The first difference is at Craiova, where tourists no longer go to the Oltet River valley, but continue on DN6 to Radomir Forest, before Caracal. The second difference is that after Techirghiol Lake, the road continues without a stop to Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii, and then connects to Bulgaria at Vama Veche, all along the same route as the main route.

Hiking and adventure route

Western route: Zelezni Vrata Nature Park – Mehedinti Plateau – Domogled National Park – Cerna River valley.

Eastern route: Danube Cliffs – Dumbraveni-Urluia River valley-Vederoasa Lake – Dobrudzha Gorges – Hadjieni Forest-Cotul Vaii – Vama Veche-2 Mai.

The western route is a tour between the Zelezni Vrata Nature Park, Mehedinti Plateau Geology Park and Domogled National Park – Valya Cherney. The followed routes are the same as with the main route. The tour starts and ends in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. The connection with Bulgaria is via the road connecting Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Vidin, namely DN56A.

The eastern route starts at Calarasi-Silistra border checkpoint and ends at Vama Veche-Durankulak border checkpoint. The followed route uses DN3 from Silistra to Pietreni, crossing the Danube Cliffs and Dumbraveni – Urluia River Valley – Vederoasa Lake. From Pietreni, the route continues on DJ222 to Dobrudzha Gorges, then to Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii and leads along the coast on DJ222, DN2A, A4, DN39, DJ391. From Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii, tourists take the same road back, DJ391, to Mangalia and then follow DN39 to Vama Veche – 2 Mai, and enter Bulgaria again at Vama Veche.

The main protected natural areas included in the hiking and adventure route generally offer a range of opportunities for hiking, cycling, mountaineering, diving, cave visits and other speleological, geological, and geomorphological forms, and protected landscapes.