The fascinating place on the banks of the Danube that attracts tourists like a magnet: “I have never seen so many blooming peonies before” VIDEO

A stone’s throw from Galati and Brăila – the Măcin Mountains area – re-entered the tourist circuit in Romania, after the construction of the bridge over the Danube. Thousands of tourists visit during this period the forests full of peonies, which offer an absolutely wonderful landscape.

Before the appearance of the bridge over the Danube, the area was visited by much fewer tourists, mainly residents of the area. With the opening of the bridge, the area became much more accessible for the cities of Galati and Brăila, which together have almost 400,000 inhabitants.

The Măcin Mountains National Park has an area of ​​over 11 hectares, and during this period the tourist attraction is represented by the Dobrogea peonies, which have blossomed and offer dreamy landscapes. In addition to the spectacle of Dobrogean peonies, tourists can relax at the foot of the Măcin mountains, take hikes, take photos and enjoy the area’s rich fauna and flora.

A corner of heaven is also the Enisala Peony Reserve, next to the Babadag Forest. The area is named “land of blooming peonies” and it is a special place, covered with thousands of peonies. Unfortunately, there are no road markings and the only ones who can give directions on how to get there are the local shepherds or tourists.

From the Enisala citadel you must exit the main road and turn left in the direction of Jurilovca. After a while, you have to turn right on a country road until you reach the forest and see the red fields with blooming peonies.

“I have never seen so many peonies blooming at the same time. Their fragrance and beauty won me over. I’m glad that people realized that steppe peonies should not be torn because they only last in their natural environment, they are protected by law, I saw people who came with blankets and sat in the middle of them to enjoy of this unique time of the year”, is a post on the Facebook page, Plecat în Natură.

According to Wikipedia, the natural area of ​​the Măcin Mountains National Park stretches in the northeast of the Dobrogea Plateau (in the central part of the Măcin Mountains) in Tulcea County, on the administrative territories of the communes of Cerna, Greci, Hamacearca, Jijila, Luncavița and Turcoaia. The park is bordered on the eastern side by the county road DJ222A, which connects the village of Nifon with Luncavița.

Peonies in the Macin Mountains PHOTO: C. Mazilu

The Măcin Mountains are a mountain group in the Dobrogea Plateau. This main mountain range culminates in height at the peak of Țuțuiatul (467 m). In its extension to the northwest are the peak of Pietrosul Mare (426 m) and the peak of Pietrosu, after which the heights gradually decrease, reaching 100-170 m near the town of Văcăreni, and in the spur of Bugeacului, at 95 m.

The great wealth of flora and vegetation of the Măcin Mountains is represented by almost 1,900 species of plants representing approximately 50% of the Flora of Romania that grows on 0.05% of the country’s surface, of which 72 plant species are protected as rare or vulnerable species and 27 species are endemic to the region.

In the vicinity of the park there are numerous sights that can be visited by tourists such as: Cocoșu Monastery in the village of Niculițel, a historical monument founded on the initiative of Archimandrite Visarion in 1833; Celic-Dere Monastery from Frecăței; The Mestan Aga window from Măcin, built in 1860, the “Panait Cerna” Memorial House in the village of Cerna, built in the 19th century, historical monument; The “Dinogetia Citadel” archaeological site from Garvăn (Medieval Citadel, Romano-Byzantine Citadel, necropolis and civil settlements from the Romano-Byzantine era).

The only medieval fortress left standing on the territory of Dobrogea.

Also, those who arrive in the area can visit one of the most beautiful fortresses in Romania. It is the Enisala Fortress, the only remaining medieval fortress on the territory of Dobrogea.

Enisala Citadel, one of the most beautiful citadels in Romania PHOTO: C. Mazilu

The Enisala fortress was founded in the 13-14th centuries by Genoese merchants from the Byzantine Empire. At that time, they held the monopoly of navigation on the Black Sea, and the fortress had the role of overseeing the water and land routes. At that time, Lake Razelm was a bay of the Black Sea.

Enisala Citadel, medieval fortress PHOTO: C . Mazilu

The fortress is located two kilometers from the village of Enisala in Tulcea county, immediately after Babadag. It is built on a limestone hill that dominates the area of ​​the Razelm and Babadag lakes, the panorama being spectacular.