In September, the MaiMultVerde Association launched the Traveler’s Guide to Via Danubiana in Giurgiu County, a comprehensive journey through the nearly 100 kilometers of Danube shoreline winding across this region.
“What better way to celebrate the shimmering water and the natural spectacle it creates than by walking or cycling through the forests along its banks?” writes journalist Anca Iosif, the author of the guide, in its Manifesto. She personally explored the entire area during the field research conducted this summer.
You can find all the information you need for your Danube journey in the Via Danubiana Guide – Giurgiu County.
Via Danubiana – the trail that brings you back to the river
The route originates in Giurgiu County, where the first waymarkers will be installed in 2024 to guide travelers. The approximately 100 kilometers of Via Danubiana mapped in this area can be explored on foot or by bike, with the help of a GPS track and the waymarkers placed along the trail, which connects levees, forests, villages, towns, and fields along the Danube into a single path.
Located just an hour from Bucharest, the route offers a wide range of options for outdoor recreation. Nature lovers will enjoy a rich variety of species, making it a great place for birdwatching and observing the Danube’s native flora and fauna. Several protected natural areas are located along the trail, featuring more than 300 plant species and a diverse animal population, including key invertebrates, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.
From a cultural and historical perspective, the area features multiple lesser-known and unsignposted points of interest, such as the ruins of Mircea the Elder’s fortress in Giurgiu, a traditional sunken house, and a series of WWII bunkers in Slobozia. For local cuisine enthusiasts, several culinary traditions could be revived, such as dulangaci pies (specific to the Romanian-Bulgarian Danube culture), fire-roasted pepper or eggplant salads, or goose sour soup.
The beaches along the Danube could also become popular weekend destinations for locals and tourists from all over the country.
What’s next?
The ambition of MaiMultVerde NGO is to guide you, in the coming years and with the help of local communities and authorities, along the entire Romanian stretch of the Danube—a journey where you’ll discover the people, traditions, and local dishes (with plenty of fish!), and walk through both natural and vulnerable protected areas.
You can also help by letting us know about natural or tourist attractions you’ve discovered along the Danube, by writing to us at asociatia@maimultverde.ro.
