Chilia Veche

Chilia Veche is the largest commune in Danube Delta. It is located in the Northern part of Tulea County, on Chilia Sand Bank, on the right bank of Chilia Branch, limit of the State frontier with the Ukraine. Chilia Veche Commune encompasses the following villages: Chilia Veche – as the commune seat, Tatanir, Câsliga and Ostrovu Tataru. The village of Chilia Veche is the largest and more populated settlement in the Delta.Direct road connection is made by the communal road DC1. The road is cobbled, but in a very poor shape. There are needed founds for road modernization and maintenance of the bridges over the channels. The connection with the city of Tulcea and towns on Chilia Branch is made also on the river way. Chilia Village, seat of the commune, is located at 66 km from the County seat, the city of Tulcea.

The age of Chilia Veche is not specified, there are no documents attesting the exact date of its establishment. Around 2500 years ago Greek traders were having here their own community named either Achilea (according to Achile, the Trojan war hero) in one opinion, or Licostomo in an other opinion. The old border fortress – Chilia – had a past flourishing life. Licostomo (the Wolf Moth), the old fortress name is supposed to come from the place where Tataru Channel meets Chilia Branch. During the Turkish occupation the village name was Eskil-kale. Archeological researches revealed two funeral tumuli in the point named Ciorticut, alignment situated at South-East of Chilia Veche; here have been also found burnt clay pipes, pottery, plate and bowl potshards, different coins, burnt pits where cereals and other merchandises where stored.

Main economic activities are the pisciculture, agriculture, commerce, tourism and agro tourism. Chilia Veche, as commune seat is the most populated rural town in the Danube Delta, gathering Romanians, Lipovans, Rroma (Gipsy) population, Ukrainians and Turkish population. The most attractive issue for investors concerns the tourism potential. The difficult access represents a huge obstacle for community development and consequently the re-evaluation of the commune road Dc1 as a county road is considered a strategic priority for facilitate the tourist access in the Danube Delta area, respective toward Chilia Veche commune. Taking into consideration the tourism sector potential (developing new jobs, the contribution to the local economy, the social impact) the development of the agro-tourism on the commune territory represents a priority for the sustainable community development. The tourism sector is perceived as a future engine of the economical development.

Chilia Veche Commune benefits of a huge tourist potential, issue included by the strategies intended to valorize the local specificity. Main trump are: the lakes, the fishing, the Danube River. The tourist interest issues include the 16 nature reservation areas with a genuine flora and fauna that can be visited by tourists using boats rented from the villagers:

-          The Nature Reservation Rosca – Buhaiova – Hrecisca – is situated around the Matita Lake, between Letea and Chilia Sand Banks. Here nestle the greatest colonies of pelicans of Europe, colonies of egrets, spoon bills (Platarea leucorodia), yellow herons,

-          Letea Forest, unique in Europe, with roads of silvo-steppe, with greyish  oaks, stalked oaks, ash tree, aspen tree, and clamberers,

-          The Periteaca – Leahova Nature Reservation,

-          Caraorman Forest,

-          Popina Island,

-          Wolfs Sand Bank, etc.

Beyond the natural frame, the built  heritage is well represented:

-          Saints Archangels Mihail and Gavril Orthodox Church in Chilia represents a valuable element as one of the oldest and most impressive buildings of this kind in Romania – 52 m high, the construction combines three architectural styles – gothic, Slav and Romanian, it was built in 35 years on the place of a small wooden church. This church is the second highest church in the country, the first one being Biserica Neagra (The Black Church) in Brasov.

-          The Lipovan Church where very old icons can be seen.

-          The monks monastery, following the old ritual of Saint Atanasie, situated on the Batag Channel, around 5 km far from Chilia Veche is an other tourist objective that has not to be missed.

Beyond the special accommodation (3,2,1 stars, 3,2,1 daisies) attractive holiday and boarding houses offer also information concerning the tourist or personalized trips organized in the Danube Delta on the multitude of channels surrounding Chilia Veche, the lakes, The Danube.

Local events are represented by The Commune Day - yearly event on the last Sunday in July, and the daily exhibitions of bulrush wickerwork in the City Hall, wickerwork made in the shop of the Nufarul Alb Establishment.

Sourc: http://primariachilia.ro/ , http://www.info-delta.ro/, http://www.fotodelta.ro, http://ro.wikipedia.org