Beştepe

The commune of Bestepe is located in the northern side of Dobrogea, Tulcea County. The commune comprises the following villages: Bestepe – the commune seat village, Baltenii de Sus and Baltenii de Jos. From Tulcea County (25 km), the village of Bestepe can be accessd on DJ222 C county road connecting Tulcea and Mahmudia; the other two component villages, Baltenii de Sus (located on the left bank of the Danube) and Baltenii de Jos (located on the right bank of the Danube), can also be accessed by water, on the Danube Branch Sf. Gheorghe.

The name of the commune comes from the 5 hnolls hill at the base of which lies the settlement (in Turkish bes = five, tepe = hnoll). One of the vestiges that remind the long history of the village is the Getic fortress Sava’s Stone.

Specific economic activities are based on agriculture, animal breeding, trade and agritourism.

Although two travel agencies operate here, the private initiative leaves more and more its mark on Bestepe by building several boarding houses that successfully accommodate the excess tourists who visit the area. There are also boarding houses in the other two component villages.

An important landform and tourist attraction on the territory of the commune is the protected area of „Bestepe Hills”, with a surface area of 15 ha; the area covers the territories of both Mahmudia and Bestepe communes; „Bestepe Hills” is a landscape reserve of Tulcea Hills-specific vegetation (grasslands and shrublands); it is one of few protected areas of grasslands growing in both limestone and siliceos soils, thus allowing the growing of more plant species. In terms of fauna, it is worth mentioning the presence here of the Western Marsh-harrier, the serpent eagle and the sparrowhawk.

Other tourist attractions are Sava’s Stone Getic fortress and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.

The tourist facilities offer, in addition to appropriate conditions for a holiday well spent in a delightful natural environment, various opportunities: trips to the Danube Delta, fishing and hunting, tours to the tourist attractions in the neighbouring areas a.s.o. Also, the tops of Bestepe Hills, the highest landform in the area, offer tourists the chance to practice air sports (paragliding, hang-gliding), to admire the Danube Delta, the fortress and Lake Razim with Popina Island.

Among local events the Village Fest, on St Dumitru’s day should be mentioned.                                  

Source: http://www.primaria-bestepe.ro/, http://www.info-delta.ro/, http://www.edelta.ro,    http://www.cjtulcea.ro