A place for both history and animal lovers, for both fishermen and fish exotic lovers and for both the younger tourists and the older ones. A place for anybody who wants to gather some extra knowledge about the world he is living in but also about the 2nd largest delta river from Europe, Danube Delta!

I always said that there is no better place to learn new things other than from their genuine source, such as history from castles and ruins, biology from botanical gardens, zoology from wild places or aquariums, and so on.
But today's discovery is not limited to a single domain from those mentioned but actually a center which sums up a little bit from everything.
And how else we could gather some extra information about everything we've seen in our Danube Delta journey if not by going to the aquarium and museum from the city?
Because that's right, it's a 2 in 1 place with lots of cool things to be discovered and which most of the people tend to forget once they reach the realms of Dobrogea.
There's nothing wrong in focusing more on the outdoors locations the world has to offer for us, but starting a new day at the museum was the right dose of energy and enthusiasm to become more curious and excited for the other things we had in plan for the rest of the day.

The building with the aquarium and museum can be found by the name of Centrul Muzeal Ecoturistic "Delta Dunării" and it represents the main attraction from the cultural center of Tulcea, along with the seafront, port, Muslim mosque, and some other museums and old buildings with interesting architecture that are surrounding it.

The building has a rather modern look than what we can find nearby - and it is located just 2 mins away (literally around the corner) from the hotel we spent the night; which was built in 2009 after a successful project and collaboration between Romania and Ukraine to promote the treasures Danube Delta has to offer for both of the countries and for the tourists of the whole world.

Even though the ecotourism center is considered a medium to small size museum and many people come with the thought that it's not a mind-blowing location to discover, keep in mind that the whole surface is very well used where every floor is dedicated to a different domain.

That's how the last floor from the top starts with some education for the little ones, presenting how important nature is for people, as well as every insect and plant and what these have to offer for each one of us, but also some representations about how fishermen are living and how one day from their life looks like.

From what I understood these are temporary exhibitions which from time to time get changed, but which are always dedicated to kids having specific thematics and also a playroom for the little ones so they also have some fun while learning something new.

Though, a thing that never changes and which tourists can also find on the last floor from the top of the building is the area filled with layouts and stuffed animals of the world but also those that can be seen on Danube Delta and which looks too incredible to be real, thinking once again about how many things nature is offering to us for free and how badly we respond to its goodness most of the time.

After you get to see how a traditional fishery was laid out along with all the typical tools of the trade, including the famous lotca which is the traditional boat that fishermen are using in Delta Dunarii, and after you get your dose of documentation from all the panels, I realized that you could learn quite a lot of new things only by paying attention to what is surrounding you.

This is how we made our way to the next floor where the things got a little bit more serious, talking about lots of showcases that present you in detail a natural honeycomb, pollen and propolis, but also lots of insects and flying fishes, frogs and reptiles we haven't even imagined they exist. All of them are preserved naturally, forgetting about layouts or different artificial exhibitions, but see how they actually look in real life too.

As a kid, I used to love that kind of dioramas we discovered before, because we all know that in the wilderness we can't really get too close by wolves or wild boars, not even by pelicans or other animals what though for simply admiring them, but the dioramas presented in the museum represent a really amazing spot for the kids because they can see around 5 different scenery of Dobrogea and Danube Delta, having all the animals right in front of them, which is a true delight.

There is also an interactive map where you can push some buttons to learn more about different areas that were inhabited by various populations a while ago.
It's really unbelievable to see that the huge territory of Danube Delta was born 10,000 years ago and it still has so many to offer for the wilder adventurers of the world.
And when I say that, I'm also sharing my sad thoughts about how the world is currently going on a wrong direction with more natural areas destroyed by greedy people and lots of natural disasters which indirectly are caused by all of us.
So all I can say is that I hope Danube Delta will last for at least 10,000 more years from now on, where more animals and plants will find their peace for a better living and which is going to be explored only by those who truly love and admire nature as it is and not how they want it to become.

Anyway, back to our tour into the modern building which has so many things to offer for both the younger and older tourists of the world, we made our way to the lower floors where you will find the aquariums which are considered the main attractions of the museum.

There we had the great pleasure to discover both local fish - which is a great experience for the fishing enthusiasts especially that we are talking about really big specimens; but also exotic fish which caught anybody's attention.

I usually hate seeing animals being caught in small areas instead of discovering them in their natural environment, but I always loved aquariums just because they give me a mood of calmness. The whole thing brought a big smile on my face when I discovered that all the aquariums showcased have pretty large dimensions which offer a decent space for the fish to enjoy their living.

There are recommended around two hours to be spent on Centrul Muzeal Ecoturistic "Delta Dunării" in order to properly enjoy the experience and leave with lots of new knowledge earned, which also made us discover no less than 24 species of native fish which can be met in Danube Delta and The Black Sea, 23 species of reef fish, 8 species of marine invertebrates and 6 species of corals brought from Indonesia.

Centrul Muzeal Ecoturistic "Delta Dunării" comes with a full package for any type of tourist so no matter if you visit the museum with the younger ones - they will have a room place which is waiting for their mischief; if you are a documentary person - you'll find your peace into the InfoTech room with lots of computers and information; or if you simply come for a new experience from where to return with some souvenirs for the loved ones. You will find everything you need in a single place.

In order to be able to return to the aquarium and museum one day and (re)discover it (at least) in the same great shape, there is a minimum tax required to be paid for the tickets as it follows:

• Adult Ticket: 20 RON / 4.1 EUR;
• Retired Ticket: 10 RON / 2.05 EUR;
• Kid/Student Ticket: 5 RON / 1.03 EUR;
• Guide fee in Romanian: 100 RON / 20.52 EUR per group;
• Guide fee in a foreign language: 200 RON / 41.04 EUR per group;
• Professional Photography fee: 100 RON / 20.52 EUR per hour;
• Professional Videography fee: 500 RON / 102.60 EUR per hour.

Also, keep in mind that for the normal pictures and videos taken by amateurs there is no fee, so the only one you'll (most likely) need to pay, is the visiting one!

Centrul Muzeal Ecoturistic "Delta Dunării" is open for visiting any day of the week between 9 AM and 5 PM, except on Monday when it's closed, and it's located close to the seafront on the Str. 14 Noiembrie 1, Tulcea, 820009.

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT TRIP! 🗾

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