Odessa Venice. Vilkovo, Odessa region - what is it like, Ukrainian Venice? On the border of Ukraine and Romania, an old Russian city is lost, where it has its own power and its own truth.
To the Black Sea. wonderful, mysterious place, where the beauty of nature and the creations of human hands merge together - this is Vilkovo. Ukrainian Venice - this is what residents and guests call this place. The old part of the city is located in the water, so you can only get here by boat, and instead of streets, we have canals. Let's find out how it happened that people founded this town on the river, and what kind of vacation in Vilkovo, judging by the reviews, can await us.
Nikon's church reform. Its consequences
Three centuries ago, Old Believers fled here from church reform. As a result of Russia's victory in the Russian-Turkish war, its position strengthened. They united and became a single center of Rus'. There was a need to create a centralized church, because the Orthodox faith was the single core of the state. It was decided to come to a single prayer, the same forms of worship and rituals. For this purpose, the Nikon reform was carried out, the basis of which was the church practice of Byzantium.
It turned out that in the years that have passed since the baptism of Rus', a lot has changed in the rituals. decided to eradicate this disunity, enlisting the support of the king. But in reality, everything turned out to be more complicated - not everyone accepted the changes with enthusiasm. There were many who disagreed: a significant part of the boyars, merchants, representatives of the clergy and peasants. Thus began the split. The confrontation intensified, there were many casualties, and the Old Believers realized that they had no chance to survive and win. Some considered the solution to the problem to go on the run, others staged self-immolations in protest, and still others went underground. It was these Lipovan Old Believers who fled and came to the swampy banks of the Danube.
The foundation of Vilkovo and the feat of Lipovan
The founders of Vilkovo in 1746 literally rebuilt and took out “the land from under the water,” namely, they extracted silt and laid it at the base of future houses and streets, fencing artificial islands with chopped reeds. The town was literally reclaimed from the river.
During the Russian-Turkish War, the Lipovans made their invaluable contribution to the victory. Their services were highly appreciated and noted in Kutuzov’s reports. Without the help of Lipovan it would have been impossible to achieve one of the most striking victories in history - the capture impregnable fortress Ottoman Empire, city of Izmail. As Suvorov said, personally inspecting one of the most powerful fortifications in Europe before the assault, “this fortress has no weak points.” The Lipovans themselves did not participate in hostilities for religious reasons, but agreed to help Suvorov in organizing the transfer of troops along the Danube. They provided their boats with excellent performance, maneuverability and spaciousness. Still, over the years of living on the river, the settlers took into account all the nuances of navigation. Their long, narrow boats had bows on both sides, which saved time on turns.
The victorious commander, as a reward, gave the Lipovans the right to own the waters of the Danube, which was recorded on paper and sealed with the appropriate seal. In the 20th century, Romania tried to deprive them of this right, but the Hague International Court of Justice retained the right received from Russia for the rulers of the Danube. The act of lipovan is not only a military feat, but also a Christian step of good will. These people have shown that they do not remember old grievances, put the common cause above their own interests and know how to help without hoping for bribes.
Population
The majority of the population of Vilkovo is Russian. There are 70% of them in the town, and most of them still profess the ancient Old Believer faith. 25% are Ukrainians, as well as Romanians, Moldovans, Bulgarians and representatives of other nationalities. The population of the city of Vilkovo, according to the 2001 census, was 9.4 thousand people. Also, according to the same census, Russian is the native language for 84% of the population.
Religion
There are three churches in the city - one Orthodox and two Old Believers. There are also three Baptist churches located here.
Geographical features of the region
The Vilkovo map gives an idea of the location of the town.
The Danube flows into the sea through several divided channels, “sleeves” that resemble a fork, which explains the name of the city. The parts of this fork were connected manually by numerous canals - “eriks”, and now it is a town on 72 islands. Together with river channels, man-made canals created a single water system in Vilkovo. Photo settlement clearly demonstrate channels alternating with small islands. And if you look at a map of the city from the air during the Danube flood, we will see neat rectangular islands of land among the endless water.
Amazing nature of Vilkovo
Ukrainian Venice has every right to be called a paradise. All nature lives here at the junction of sea and river. The region is characterized by rare species of plants, birds, and animals. There are also lakes nearby. As in Ancient Egypt, silt gives plants strength, being the best fertilizer. Standing in the water, residents take out the silt, lay it out to dry, and then transport it in wheelbarrows to the desired location. The land created with your own hands always turns into a wonderful, neat vegetable garden with beds of vegetables or a garden with fragrant flowers. The small reed houses of the inhabitants are surrounded by fragrant gardens and vineyards. Basically all vegetable gardens are located on the islands. Just imagine - to get to visit your neighbor, you will have to walk across a bridge or sail a boat! Indeed, Vilkovo - Ukrainian Venice. A photo of an ordinary street, along which traffic is carried out by boat, makes it possible to imagine the ordinary everyday life of Vilkovo residents.
Local business
Besides farming, local residents They also engage in fishing. Moreover, this town is rightly called the capital of the Danube fishermen. Fish farming in the sea and river is the main occupation of the population here. Also recently, reeds have been in good demand for export. Vilkovites sell fish, local strawberries, grapes, homemade wine and other products to tourists.
Attractions
What can you see on vacation in Vilkovo? Ukrainian Venice is the only city in Europe that is located on the territory of the Danube Plavni Biosphere Reserve. This is a state-protected area where there are unique for this area natural complexes and is produced in conjunction with scientific research. Nature here is full of life, many species of plants, animals, birds, waterfowl and even aquatic invertebrates are listed in the Red Book.
At the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea there is a symbolic sign “0 km”. They say that visiting here and walking under it is considered a good omen - it will bring good luck and health. Just think - more than 2.5 thousand kilometers is the path of the Danube, which flows into the sea right here, in the small man-made town of Vilkovo.
Ukrainian Venice. Rest
There are several recreation centers, a hotel and mini-hotels. Judging by the reviews, this is an ideal place for a couple, a large group or a family with children. By the way, in many courtyards there are children's playgrounds with swings and slides. During the day you can take a boat ride along the picturesque river delta, go fishing, or visit the best fish market in the region. Among the national dishes, it is worth trying, as experienced travelers say, real fish soup, the famous Danube herring, smoked bream, Salamur sauce, Lipovan herbal tea and, of course, a glass of local Novak wine. Vilkovo is the Ukrainian Venice, it’s definitely worth a visit!
Vilkovo is the confluence of the waters of the Danube and the Black Sea, the pearl of the Danube lower reaches, the “Ukrainian Venice”, located right by the sea on the border with Romania. The unusual thing about the city is that the old part of the city is located on the water. Instead of streets, there are canals along which people travel mainly on peculiar Ukrainian “gondolas” (made here) and motor boats. In the city, people swim through the canals standing on the stern of the boat and pushing off with a pole. How about, for example, the address: Belgorodsky Canal, 24. This is something like a central avenue for them. You float, and all around you are whitewashed clean houses, small vegetable gardens fertilized with silt, wooden masonry on the sides of canals 1-2 meters wide. The channels are called eriks. There are simple wooden bridges across the eriki. The top of the walkway is not secured. If the boat is carrying oversized cargo, then the top of the bridge is removed, and when the boat passes, it is put back in place. It turns out that the bridges are drawable.The area of Vilkov is about 460 hectares. No authorities know how many islands there are, although in fact this city with a population of 10 thousand people is Ukrainian territory. But people here still speak the Russian language of pre-Petrine times and do not know what country they live in: some still think that they are “under Russia”, others – “under Romania”. But Vilkovo still remains quiet and hidden, hidden in the Danube floodplains - reed thickets. The town is small, it’s difficult to get lost here, and there are very friendly and welcoming people around.
Getting acquainted with this amazing region, we cannot help but talk about the history of its origin. In the mid-17th century, fugitive Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, persecuted for religious and political reasons, settled in the lower part of the Danube Delta. The location was chosen on the mainland on low sedimentary banks, which were flooded with water during strong winds and floods. There was a need to strengthen areas for housing, outbuildings and vegetable gardens. The soil was taken here, digging canals and eriks around the captured areas. They served as the border between land plots owners and good passages and shelter for boats.
Together with the natural channels of the delta, man-made canals formed a single water system of canals and eriks in the city of Vilkovo. It occupies up to 45% of the city’s territory and you can get to any part of it via canals by boat.
Vilkovo is an original and colorful region: Lipovan settlements, amazing dialects, a city of fishermen and winemakers. The city is located on water, so all the land here is alluvial. Most of the vegetable gardens are located on the islands, where people go by boat. Standing in the water, they take out the silt here, then lay it on the shore, and the dried silt is taken to the right place by wheelbarrows or stretchers. Fertilizers are almost never used. Silt, as in ancient Egypt, gives strength to any plant. Perhaps that’s why there are strawberries here almost all year round, but in addition to strawberries, Novak grapes are grown here, which is completely unique - nowhere else is there a variety that grows on silt and water. The grapes are used to make wonderful red wine and sell it, as indicated by chalk signs next to the gates. Wine costs 5-6 hryvnia 1.5 liters. There is a joke here: a Vilkov resident who wet his throat with Novak wine can be easily recognized. It only wobbles back and forth and in no case left or right. In Vilkovo this is impossible, because you will immediately fall into the water - such narrow masonry along the houses. Also here you can drink wonderful herbal teas from a wood-burning samovar, which are comparable only to those from the Carpathians.
According to local legend, the residents of Vilkovo can walk on the sea as if on land. In Vilkovo, almost every family has fishermen, so there is plenty of fresh fish here. Men go fishing on the Danube or on the islands. Lovers fishing You will appreciate the quiet banks of the Danube and its channels, overgrown with willows and reeds bending towards the water. You will see many exotic birds that live in abundance in the floodplains: pink pelicans, geese, striped hawks, and the famous white-tailed eagles.
You can go on a tour of the Danube on a boat, where they will show you the “0” kilometer - the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea, the nature of the Danube Biosphere Reserve, feed you fish soup and drink wine, and in the evening you will be brought back to the pier. You can spend the night in a city hotel or rent a room by making arrangements with the grandmothers at the bus station.
So, for those who have not yet saved up money for Italy, we offer you to admire our “Ukrainian Venice” for now. Believe me, if you visit the Ukrainian Danube region at least once, you will forever remain in love with this region. It is here that nature and people live very close together, and in the evening you can take a bottle of wine, sit on the banks of the Danube and just relax. Well, by God, the feeling is simply incomparable when, sitting near a house in a small green garden and drinking delicious homemade wine, you hear the sound of a passing motor boat, not a motorcycle or a car. And what seems absolutely funny for a city person is to see how cows are taken on boats to graze on the protected land, and then returned to the islands to spend the night. On little boats, which even a man would be afraid to sit in and where the oarsman, like a gondolier, stands in the Venetian style, pushing off with a four-meter oar, cows ride proudly, touching the reeds with their horns. In Vilkovo they are teased as “sea cows”. This is exotic!
You need to get to Vilkovo from Odessa. The bus station is located next to the station on Privoz. Departure to Vilkovo at 6.20 and around 10 am you will already be there.
It is curious that 300 years ago, when Vilkovo (formerly Lipovanskoe) was founded by the Cossacks and Lipovans, the city stood near the sea. But over the past centuries, the sea has moved 18 kilometers away.
The Danube is the main local attraction. It is the largest river in Europe, almost 3,000 kilometers long. The river is the border of ten states, including Ukraine. Actually, on the opposite bank from Vilkovo there is already Romania. Despite the fact that the amount of fish in the Danube is decreasing, it is still there and fishing is an important source of income for local residents. There are sturgeon and beluga here.
What to do in Vilkovo:
- take a boat ride along the city canals or walk along them
- visit the “zero kilometer”, the place where the Danube flows into the sea
- get acquainted with Lipovan culture and cuisine
- see Old Believer churches
- go fishing
- try local wine
- visit the unique Ermakov Island, see birds and animals
There is a main canal in Vilkovo, just like in Venice. Actually, this is the only “working” channel that is constantly used.
There are also many small eriks.
The system of wooden and stone platforms is interesting; they are found almost everywhere and allow you to avoid dirt.
Hundreds of such platforms - personal berths - have been built along the Danube.
In spring there are a lot of daffodils in the city.
There are several monuments.
Lenin was demolished last year, only one pedestal remains.
The state provides very little support for the tourism industry in Vilkovo, so the tourism infrastructure that exists now was created by local residents. Actually, the state, apparently, generally supports Vilkovo only in words, this can be seen even by the terrible road that leads to the city.
We, as tourists with many years of experience, will list what what needs to be done here first of all to develop the tourism industry. In case those in power read us.
1. The most important thing is to pay attention to Vilkovo. Not only in terms of tourism. Believe me, this needs to be done for various reasons. And if you don’t understand these reasons, then you have no place among those in power.
2. Repair 80 kilometers of the road, this is some kind of shame, not the road.
3. Clear, improve and, most importantly, preserve the remaining small eriks (channels). This is the calling card of Vilkovo, which many tourists now simply call a swamp.
4. Improve tourism water transport and the services they provide. On at the moment There appears to be no special oversight over those offering services.
5. Place more emphasis on Lipovan traditions and cuisine. Take an example from the promoted Hutsuls.
There are many other recommendations, these are just the main ones. Why should you pay attention to Vilkovo? Because it's unique place. Believe us, wherever we have been, we still write that this place is unique, with good potential.
Moreover, Vilkovo is already popular among foreign tourists. Together with us there was a group of Germans, 15 people, embassy employees. Many European tourists come to Vilkovo during cruises on the Danube. This is the last point for them, here they transfer to small boats and go to the zero kilometer, that is, the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea.
In addition to Vilkovo itself, the Danube Biosphere Reserve, which is located around the city, is of great interest. Wherever you go by boat, your path will go through the reserve. The ecosystem of the Danube Delta is the most interesting in Europe and one of the best in the world. During two days of excursions we saw a huge number of birds and animals.
We took two boat trips. First, up to the symbolic zero kilometer along the Ankudinovy arm. Along the way we looked at alluvial gardens and reed thickets.
At the final point of the route we took a photo with a symbolic sign. Here you can collect various beautiful shells and see rare birds. It’s a pity that our camera doesn’t allow us to photograph them in the distance, but believe me, they are there, even pelicans.
We also visited Ermakov Island. Along the way we passed along Vilkovo.
It is visited by only a few hundred people a year, so it has a unique ecosystem. There is no pier here, disembarkation is directly on the shore. We really wanted to fly here on a copter and show the island from above, but the border guards forbade it (we specifically called them to ask permission).
A long lens is a must here. We saw wild horses, wild cows, hyena, white-tailed eagle, bittern, cormorant, Dalmatian pelican, heron, pheasant, hoopoe. We really wanted to see forest cats and wild boars, but it didn’t work out.
The island is surrounded by a special dam that prevents the growth of tall trees and shrubs. It is very convenient to walk along the dam and, by the way, the path on it is trodden by animals, not people.
Not everyone survives the winter; we saw the bones of several large animals.
Crow Egg
And of course very beautiful landscapes.
Vilkovo is also interesting because Old Believers (Lipovans) live here. We have little interest in religion, so we didn’t even know who they were. In a nutshell: in the 1650s and 1660s, a reform of the church was carried out. Those who did not accept the reform began to be called Old Believers. They are also Orthodox believers, just with small, “cosmetic” differences. You can read in detail on Wikipedia, but for us the main difference was that Old Believers cross themselves with two fingers, not three, and there are separate entrances to the church for men and women.
There are three churches in Vilkovo: two for Old Believers and one modern. We specifically shot them from above for comparison. Purely visually there are no differences. True, you can’t take photographs inside the Old Believers; the local mayor’s office has officially banned it. The reason is conflicts between Old Believers and tourists.
You can read on the Internet that Lipovans are closed and unsociable. We must say that there is such an impression. Although, when we flew in the city with a copter, local residents came up with interest and asked what it was and how it worked. There were no problems in communication :)
|
There are many amazing places in Ukraine, both from an architectural and natural point of view. And there is also one where the natural beauty of the Danube estuary miraculously combines with simple human labor in almost inhuman conditions. In tourist brochures, the town of Vilkovo in the Kiliysky district of the Odessa region is called “Ukrainian Venice.” In fact, we will see a living illustration of the labor feat of thousands of fugitive Old Believers who managed to settle in the Polesie swamps and Danube floodplains. We have long wanted to see these places with our own eyes, because getting to those places is not easy even with a good crossover. And here's why!
Vilkovo is located in the very corner of our country, in the southwest of the Odessa region near the border with Romania. The E-95 route is known, perhaps, to every motorist - the road to Odessa leads like an arrow from Kyiv. And if anyone goes to Vilkovo from other regions, they will still have to pass through Odessa. It is best to make a pit stop here at the 21st kilometer (+400 m) of the ring road near the village of Usatovskoye at the OKKO gas station. The point is that he was with us small child who needed to change his diapers . This was another reason for choosing this gas station: there is a changing table in the restroom, which my wife found out about when planning our route.
Express information on the country
Ukraine- a state in Eastern Europe.
Capital- Kyiv
Largest cities: Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkov, Odessa, Dnepr, Zaporozhye, Krivoy Rog, Donetsk
Form of government– Parliamentary-presidential republic
Territory– 603,549 km2 (44th in the world)
Population– 42.6 million people. (32nd in the world)
Official language– Ukrainian
Religion– Orthodoxy, Catholicism
HDI– 0.747 (81st in the world)
GDP– $131.8 billion (59th in the world)
Currency– hryvnia
Borders with: Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Russia
For the rest of the crew (there were four of us), who were pretty hungry on the way, the main “bonus” was the presence here the already familiar cuisine of the A la minute restaurant chain, which we trust. By the way, a note to parents traveling with children: these restaurants even have dishes on the menu that are recommended for little guests (at the table next to us, the little one eagerly devoured children’s pasta).
The wife preferred the Caesar salad and Mille-feuille dessert, her sister preferred steamed buckwheat with goulash, and the male half each took borscht and a juicy pork steak. We didn’t have to wait long for our order, but while we were having lunch, we managed to get our car washed at a good discount using the points accumulated on our Fishka card – nice!
After a hearty lunch, I really wanted to take the short road along the sea, which Google maps suggested. But after Belgorod-Dnestrovsky it became clear that it was simply terrible, it was difficult to drive above 40 km/h without damaging the suspension and riders, so we turned onto the notorious M-15 road (Odessa-Reni), which partially coincides with the European E- 87.
By the way, if you have time, then along the way you can stop by the fortress in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, this will take an hour and a half. The area there is quite large, there is where to climb and what to see.
While I was driving, my wife was reading the history of “Ukrainian Venice” from her phone. It turns out that Vilkovo was originally the village of Lipovanskoye, which was founded in 1746 (according to other sources in 1762) by the so-called Old Believers or Lipovans. They fled religious persecution after the Nikonian schism of the Russian Orthodox Church. These were the Don Cossacks who first settled in the Danube floodplains in the 40s of the 17th century. It was then that the settlement of Lipovanskoye appeared on Russian military maps.
Monument to the Old Believer pioneer - the founder of Vilkovo
At the same time, this territory was being populated by Zaporozhye Cossacks, who fled persecution after the destruction of the Zaporozhye Sich. To this day, Lipovans represent the majority of the city’s population. They have preserved many of their religious traditions. There are three churches in the city: Orthodox and two Old Believer Lipovan churches. Since 1812, after the signing of the Peace of Bucharest, Vilkovo has been a district town in the Besarabia province.
The first residents of Vilkovo began to develop the floodplains, but in order to build a house and set up a garden, they first had to build an artificial island. Construction material was taken right there, digging a canal around the island. And today the population of the old city continues to live on these same islands, each of which is surrounded by a canal or “erik”. Roads from house to house are laid along masonry and bridges. Each family has its own boat, and this is the main means of transport for Vilkovo residents. Actually, that’s why Vilkovo received the fame of “Ukrainian Venice”. Fortunately, in Vilkovo not only canals act as transport arteries, but there are also ordinary roads. Moreover, mainly in the form of concrete blocks, the asphalt is concentrated at the entrance.
There is a lot to see here and local guides literally welcome visitors with open arms. You can negotiate with tour guides for a trip around the area, but it’s better to go straight to Pelican Tour, a local company that provides a full range of services for those who come to see Vilkovo “turnkey” and not miss anything. They have many excursions and you can choose an offer for any budget and time. Since we didn't have much time, we booked two boat excursions. And they were right, because “Ukrainian Venice,” like the real one, needs to be studied from the surface of the water!
In our article we will talk about small town, which is located at the very confluence of the Danube River into the Black Sea. A mysterious, enigmatic, bewitching place where reality and fiction, natural beauty and products of human affairs are intertwined, all this is Vilkovo, the very Ukrainian Venice. That's what they call it amazing place not only visitors, but also the city residents themselves.
The old part of the city is located on the water, so you can only get here by boat. Here you will not see standard transport, because instead of streets there are canals, like in Venice.
Let's figure out how it happened that people created this city right on the river, and what kind of recreation Vilkovo can provide, judging by people's reviews.
Church reform: consequences
Several centuries ago, representatives of the Old Believers fled to this place from the imposed church reform. As a result, after Russia's victory in the Russian-Turkish war, Russia's position increased noticeably. Many lands were united, and Moscow absorbed the single center of Rus'. There was a need to create one central church, since the Orthodox religion was the only core for the state.
It was decided to come to one ritual, one form of worship and one prayer. For this purpose, the Nikon reform began to be implemented, at the center of which was Byzantine church practice.
It turned out that many years after the baptism of Rus', traditional rituals underwent changes. Patriarch Nikon rebelled against fragmentation and disunity and on this wave enlisted royal support. But in fact, everything turned out to be much more complicated - not everyone wanted to accept the changes.
There were a record number of those who wanted to live in the old way; they included: part of the boyars, the clergy, peasants, and merchants. Thus began the process of splitting. As a result of the confrontation, many people suffered, and the Old Believers realized that there was practically no chance of winning and surviving.
Some self-immolated in protest, others fled, and others went underground. In this way, the escaped Lipovan Old Believers ended up on the swampy banks of the Danube and Ukrainian Venice began to emerge.
The feat of Lipovan and the birth of Vilkovo
Since 1746, this city on the water was literally rebuilt and “land was taken out of the water,” namely, silt was found inside the waters, laid at the base of houses and streets, and the islands were fenced off with chopped reeds. It was as if the city was being torn from the tenacious hands of the river.
During the days of the Russian-Turkish war, the Lipovans made a contribution to the victory. Their services were highly appreciated in Kutuzov's reports. If the Lipovans had not made their contribution, it would have been simply impossible to imagine one of the most notable victories on a historical scale - the capture of the city of Izmail, a fortress of the Ottoman Empire. According to Suvorov, who personally inspected the fortress before the assault, this structure is one of the strongest fortifications in all of Europe.
The Lipovans themselves did not take part in hostilities for reasons of religion, but they agreed to assist Suvorov in organizing the transfer of troops along the Danube. They provided their own boats with high performance, spaciousness and maneuverability. Over the years of living on the river, the settlers had provided for everything. Their narrow boats had sharp edges on both sides, which greatly saved them time when turning.
The commander, as a reward, gave the Lipovans the opportunity to own the water of the Danube, and this was recorded in a document and sealed. In the 20th century, Romania attempted to deprive the Lipovans of this right, but the Hague International Court recognized the right of the Lipovans to be masters of the Danube.
The act of lipovan is not even a military feat, but also a good Christian deed. The people showed that they do not remember any grievances, put the common cause above their own interests and know how to help, without hoping for any benefits.
Population of Vilkovo
Most of all in Vilkovo there are Russians. There are about 70% of them here, and most of them today profess an ancient religion and support the Old Believer faith. 25% are Romanians, Moldovans, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, as well as representatives of other national minorities.
In total, about 9 thousand people live in Viloko (according to 2001 data). Russian is the native language for most of the population here.
Religion in Vilkovo
There are only three churches in the city - two churches that support Old Believer traditions, one is Orthodox. In addition, there are several Baptist churches in Vilkovo.
Geography of the region
From the map of Vilkovo you can get a clear idea of the location of the town.
The Danube flows into the Black Sea with several “sleeves”, separating channels that resemble a fork, this explains the name of the city. The parts of this fork were manually joined by “eriks” - channels. And at the moment there are more than 72 islands in the city.
Together with river channels, the canals created one large water system in Vilkovo. The photo of Vilkovo clearly shows the channels that alternate with small islands. If you look at a map of the city from the air when the Danube is flooding, you can see clear rectangles of land islands among endless water.
Nature of Vilkovo
Vilkovo is real paradise, which can rightfully be called Ukrainian Venice, because here all nature lives at the junction of the river and the sea. In this region you can find rare species animals, birds and plants. And nearby there are lakes and a pine forest. Silt gives plants strength, as in Ancient Egypt, by fertilizing them.
Residents take out the silt with their own hands, stand in the water, then let it dry and deliver it in wheelbarrows where they need it. The land that you create with your own hands can always be turned into a vegetable garden with beds of vegetables or a garden with flowers.
The small houses of the inhabitants are surrounded by fragrant vineyards and gardens. All vegetable gardens are mainly located on the islands. Just imagine: to get to visit your neighbor, you need to sail a boat or walk along a bridge. What can I say, this is truly Ukrainian Venice. In the photo you can see simple streets along which boat traffic takes place. This is how the everyday life of Vilkovo residents goes.
Business in Vilkovo
In addition to cultivating the land, residents catch fish and sell it. It’s not for nothing that the city is sometimes called the capital of the Danube fishermen. They fish here both in the river and in the sea. This is the main industry of the population. In addition, reeds are also in great demand here.
Residents of Vilkovo sell local strawberries, fish, grapes, homemade wine and other products to tourists, who happily buy local delicacies.
Sights of Vilkovo
Why come to Vilkovo? Ukrainian Venice is an exceptional city in Europe, located on the territory of the Danube Plavni Nature Reserve. This is an area that is carefully protected by the state. The most unique natural complexes are located here, monitoring is carried out environment along with the research of scientists.
Life is in full swing in Vilkovo. Many birds, animals, fish and plants are listed in the Red Book. At the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea there is a “zero kilometer” sign. According to some rumors, if you visit here at least once, you can forget about illnesses and failures. I can’t even believe that the path of the Danube is 2.5 thousand kilometers, and it flows into the sea right here, in Vilkovo.
Holidays in Ukrainian Venice
This beautiful place has several hotels, mini-hotels and recreation centers. Based on the reviews, we can conclude that it is ideal to visit here as a couple, with children or a large group or family. In the courtyards there are playgrounds, slides and swings.
During the day you can go sailing on a boat or boat, go fishing or even visit the fish market, which, by the way, is the best in the region.
We recommend local cuisine. It is worth trying real fish soup, smoked bream, Danube herring, Salamur sauce, Lipovan herbal tea, and, of course, local wine Novak. It’s definitely worth coming to Vilkovo. It's delicious and interesting here!
