ABOUT: NPM-DVD-109 - Nature Parks THE DANUBE DELTA RomaniaThe Danube Delta, the second largest in Europe after that of the Volga, is located in the north east of the Dobrudscha and covers a total area of 4,152 km². Two thirds of it is in Romania, the remainder being in the Ukraine. The river, that in some areas is covered by reed, water lilies and numerous plant life, also boasts a large variety of rare birds such as the pelican, heron and cormorant that live side by side with seagulls, wild duck, geese, falcon and eagles that live in the willow forests. Since time immemorial, each day the waters of the Danube have washed 185,000 tons of mud into this coastal lake and also into the Black Sea and this has gradually created today's delta that divides into two large sections: the River Delta in the West and the Fluvial Maritime Delta in the East. Protecting the land from the water, the sturdy banks of the river are natural dikes beyond which the local inhabitants have built their small, reed-covered homes most of which are located ten to fifteen metres from the water's edge. The Delta's landscape possesses an ever-changing face across which both land and water constantly interact, each season of the year bringing its own special magic to the ever-changing beauty of this richly alluvial region. The tributaries are flanked by rows of willows and poplars and dragonflies vie from side to side of the shallow lakes. The Danube Delta's tributaries, lakes, forests, vegetation, birds and fish combine to create an indescribable feeling of solitude on each of its intriguing watery horizons.