Pădurea Letea

Letea Forest, in the heart of the Danube Delta in Tulcea county, is one of the oldest and most unusual protected areas in Romania, considered the northernmost subtropical forest in Europe. It grows on strips of sand called levees, between the channels and lakes of the delta, where old oaks and other tree species are entwined with lianas that give them an almost tropical, jungle-like appearance. The reserve, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site and biosphere reserve, shelters exceptional biodiversity, with many species of birds, reptiles and insects, as well as the famous wild horses that roam freely among the dunes and clumps of woodland.

The landscape blends sand dunes with wetlands and patches of lush vegetation, offering a setting rarely found in this part of the continent. Access is by boat and then on foot or by local means, and visiting requires strict observance of environmental protection rules. Letea remains a land of singular, wild beauty.