Murighiol

The Murighiol Commune is situated in the south of the Tulcea County, in the historical region of Dobrudja, at the east of the Razelm-Sinoe Lake and includes seven villages – the Colina, Dunavatu de Jos, Dunavatu de Sus, Plopul, Sarinasuf and Uzlina Villages, where the Murighiol Village is the seat of the Commune. The settlement is 38 km far from the Tulcea Municipality, on the right side of the Sfântu Gheorghe (Saint George) Branch of the Danube.

The Commune can be reached by travelling on the DJ 222C county road parallel to the Saint George Branch of the Danube and by boat from the Tulcea Municipality, which is 40 km far from the Commune.

The settlement took its name after the Turkish word „mourighiol” which means „violet lake”. The name describes the violet shade of the Murighiol lake water. The settlement was first mentioned in the ancient writings as a settlement included into the Scythia Province and named Salmorus. The current precincts of the settlement were a port at the Black Sea and at the Old Danube.

The basic economic activity of the Commune is agriculture mainly practiced by individual households. Fish breeding, commerce, tourism and agritourism are other activities practiced by an important number of the commune inhabitants.

The Murighiol Commune has a remarkable natural potential. It is surrounded by the Biosphere Reserve of the Danube Delta and the Razelm and Murighiol Lakes. The channels in the proximity of the two lakes allow roaming about one of the most savage and fascinating area of the nature reserve.

Other tourist attractions include the ruins of the small ancient Roman town, Halmyris (I^st -  VI^th centuries B.C.) – an archaeological and historical site of reference at national level, a former port at the Saint George Branch of the Danube (a fortified defensive wall with towers and gates, Roman baths, etc.), the ruins of a paleo-Christian basilica with crypt for martyrs, the Halmyris Monastery, the Saratura I, II and III Lakes Nature Reserves containing the black sapropelic mud used in the therapy of many diseases. The Saratura III Lake, known as “Lacul Sarat” (the Salt Lake) has been declared a biological nature reserve.

The Murighiol Village does not differ from the other delta settlements with old houses and the specific landscape of the fishermen’s settlements. The traditional architecture is based on minimal building materials, but it is aesthetically rich. Apart from the traditional houses, a number of luxury houses have been built which preserve more or less the traditional architecture.

The accommodation offer is attractive and varied: hotels, tourist complexes, 2, 3 or 4 star guest houses not only in Murighiol, but also in the other constituent villages of the Commune. Accommodation is also available in the floating hotel on Saint George Branch of the Danube where trips are organized to visit the Delta in a motorboat and where guests can eat specific food. The Murighiol Commune has also a campsite with 200 bed-places in accommodation establishments including bungalows, houselets, camping ground.

The customs and traditions of the inhabitants are related to the most important moments in life and the beliefs of the people whether they are Lippovans, Romanians or Ukrainians.                   

Source:  http://www.info-delta.ro/, http://www.ghidulprimariilor.ro, http://www.primaria-tulcea.ro,

               http://www.fotodelta.ro