Traditional Households Chilia Veche – Pleșca Mirel Family

Chilia Veche is the oldest and largest settlement in the Danube Delta, located in the north of Tulcea County, at the border with Ukraine.

 

The traditions and architecture of the place are closely linked to the extraordinary scenery surrounding it. Beautiful by their simplicity, the traditional houses of the Delta integrate perfectly into the surrounding landscape, made only out of natural materials: adobe or stone, then covered with reed and decorated with green or blue to reflect the spectacular combination between water and the sky. The most important craft of Lipovan fishermen is that of making and maintaining boats and fishing gear.

 

You've come to a place where time seems to pass slowly. So take the opportunity to learn the life stories of Lipovan fishermen, enjoy the extraordinary landscapes and local gastronomy. Welcome to Chilia Veche!

 

---

 

Chilia Veche is a picturesque village hidden in the heart of the Delta, in the northern part of Tulcea County. The locality is the oldest and largest human settlement in the Delta, host and shelter for the famous Chilia Fortress (built in 1479) and for the second largest church in Romania. Once a Greek settlement called Achillea, which led many to believe this is the place where the body of the Greek hero Achilles rests, the village proudly gave the name to the Chilia arm of the Danube.

 

---

 

The life of people here is slightly different from the surrounding rural communities, such as Letea and Periprava. Here, urban influence and connections with Ukraine drive significant development. Given the traffic on the Chilia arm and the urban development, one cannot speak of rural crafts, but rather related crafts that facilitate urban development. 

In addition to fishing and carpenters who made boats and other works, we can also talk about reed and agriculture, practised in the household, in quite generous gardens and very well developed in the floral, vegetable and vine component. Thus, households in the area blend tradition with urban influences, creating a unique balance.

 

---

 

The most important craft was and is that of making and maintaining boats and fishing gear. They use natural resources close by that environmentally friendly, not polluting, both for boats and fishing equipment. Other specific occupations are reeds and making household items made of bulrush, which people sell, thus a source of income. Reed was and is also used for household fencing, fences and certain yard partitioning and boundaries. Another craft in the area was carpentry, necessary for the  windmills at Chilia Veche.

 

---

 

The entire Danube Delta is a fascinating location that offers tourists a lot of breathtaking activities and landscapes. In Chilia Veche commune or close by, there are 16 nature reserves with unique flora and fauna: 

 

Source: https://www.stiintasitehnica.com/delta-dunarii-fisa-descriptiva-de-arhitectura/