Via Danubiana – A new ecotourism route

Via Danubiana, an eco-touristic route to explore the natural, cultural and historical heritage of the Romanian counties bordered by the river, was launched in Giurgiu County, where it stretches for about 100 kilometers. This week, the MaiMultVerde Association set up the first milestone on the Via Danubiana eco-tourism trail. On the Vedea-Malu stretch, two wild beaches with fine sand have been discovered, and the first information board of the route is now also located in the commune of Găujani.

The approximately 100 kilometers of the section mapped in Giurgiu can be covered on foot or by bicycle, with the help of a GPS track available on the project website, viadanubiana.ro, and of the bollards to be placed along the route, which will link in a single path dikes, forests, villages, towns and fields along the Danube. “It is an area of unspoiled natural beauty, so we are not proposing to change anything, but we are simply trying, through minimally invasive interventions, to highlight this trail in Giurgiu County where we have identified a number of points of interest for nature-loving tourists. We hope that more and more people will cross the section we have mapped out in the “Via Danubiana Traveller’s Guide”, and that the local community will get involved in the development of activities specific to the place – organization of guided tours, accommodation and meals, tastings of local products, handicraft workshops”, says Loredana Pană, Via Danubiana project manager.

The Association appeals to all those interested in the development of the Via Danubiana route in the other counties that the Danube crosses in our country to support the initiative which involves the documentation of new sections, mapping and planning through minimally-invasive interventions (mileposts, signage) and by creating a “Traveler’s Guide” for each Danube county. The Danube is home to a great diversity of rare and endangered species and habitats. In Romania, the river crosses 12 counties and 11 protected areas: three with large areas, located in three different sections of the Danube, and a number of natural and national parks located in the counties bordering the Danube, according to MaiMultVerde.
The Romanian section of the Danube crosses 11 of the 28 main protected areas in the country (63.4% of the surface area): 68 of the 273 sites of community importance, 60 of the 108 special protection areas for birds and 162 scientific reserves and natural monuments. A year ago, the MaiMultVerde Association initiated the Danube Ecotourism Trail, the first nature and recreational ecotourism trail in Giurgiu County, between Slobozia, Oinacu, Giurgiu, Gostinu and Prundu.

Photo credit: Larisa Baltă/ MaiMultVerde