Route description
So many legends, anecdotes, but also real historical facts give the city of Sulina a special touch. Sulina really is a chest with stories. Here, at the last border of Europe, the small town was born, called by the locals Sulina, once Solina, Salina or Selina, just from the salty sea waters. With the nostalgia that veils this city, we have a walk on its streets.
To understand its past and get into the mood of the city, you must know that this place marks the early beginning of the European Union. This is where the European Danube Commission was set up, and for the first time in Europe, the countries wanted to do something together for the whole continent. In 1870, Sulina became a free international port, without taxes and duties. And this status triggers a flourishing of the city.
To get into the old mood of Sulina, the old lighthouse, is a good place to start your exploration. Because there you will find old nautical objects, historical stories, but also a special panorama over the city and the Danube Delta. And from here you can realize that Sulina was a small Europe, its buildings bear witness to its glorious and troubled past at the same time.
Imagine that when the Sulina channel was opened, the royal family visited Sulina, a great occasion for celebration for the locals. From both banks they greeted king Carol I, with applause, cheers and the adorned harbor. This is where the telegraph was brought for the first time in Romania. And to realize how cosmopolitan the city was at the time, you will find out that there were two Romanian schools, two Greek and one German, a French boarding house, a theater, 2 hospitals and a casino. Businessmen, merchants and sailors gathered to make big plans, right here.
Let's not forget the legendary cemetery in Sulina, where there are real stories on stone slabs, all related to this city. Pirates, princes and princesses, ship captains, heroes, Christians, Jews and Muslims found rest here. And after contemplating this place, you realize the multitude of nationalities and lives that have left their mark on Sulina.
Of course, you will have time to enjoy the beach of Sulina, which is wide, wild and offers you the intimacy to relax. But the water and the sun get you hungry, so you will also find fish specialties here as the locals from Sulina know how to cook them.
We are waiting for you on a trip to the border of the country, in the old free port, Sulina!