About Balta Mică a Brăilei
Until the 1960s, the Danube between Hârșova and Brăila flooded every spring across a plain of marshes, channels and willow forests of almost 150,000 ha, known as the Brăila Marshes. Dykes and drainage turned nearly all of it into farmland. Only the strip between the dykes, along 62 km of river from the Giurgeni–Vadu Oii bridge to the city of Brăila, was left untouched: Balta Mică a Brăilei, the Small Marsh of Brăila.
Here the water still comes and goes with the rhythm of the Danube. The natural park, a Ramsar site since 2001 and a Natura 2000 site, takes in seven large river islands separated by arms of the river, with 52 lakes and pools, willow and poplar floodplain forest, reed beds and wet meadows. The largest island, Insula Mică a Brăilei, covers almost 9,700 ha. There are no villages inside the park, and the only way in is by water.
The park administration has recorded 206 bird species that nest, feed, pass through on migration or spend the winter here, among them the pygmy cormorant, spoonbill, egrets, herons, white-tailed eagle and, on passage, pelicans. Wild boar, roe deer and wildcats live on the islands.
What you can see
Visits are made in the administration's boats, with a guide, on one of 17 routes that leave from the visitor centre on the Brăila riverfront or from near the Giurgeni bridge. The short two-hour trips head up the Danube to Chiciu Cucului island and the suspension bridge, or into the narrow Mănușoaia and Cremenea arms, with willow forest on both banks. The long day trips cross the whole park between Brăila and Giurgeni. The marshes of Insula Mică a Brăilei, such as Lupoiu, and the lakes of Fundu Mare island draw the most waterbirds.
Good to know
Trips run only by booking, for groups of at least 4–5 people, and the routes depend on the level of the Danube: when the water is low, some lakes cannot be reached. The strictly protected Jigara and Vulpașu zones are closed to visitors.
- The Mănușoaia arm, a narrow channel of the Danube with willow forest on both banks, on the two-hour route from the Giurgeni bridge.
- Lake Lupoiu on Insula Mică a Brăilei, one of the marshes with the most waterbirds in the park.
- The trip up the Danube to Chiciu Cucului island, with the Brăila suspension bridge ahead.
- The day trip on the water that crosses the whole park, between the Brăila riverfront and the Giurgeni–Vadu Oii bridge.
- The route to Măcin and the ruins of the Roman fortress of Troesmis, with views of the Măcin Mountains.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Brăila is ~210 km from Bucharest, about 2½–3 hours, on the A2 to Lehliu and then the DN2A–DN21 through Slobozia, and ~30 km from Galați. The visitor centre is on the Danube riverfront, next to the Mureș ship. The southern gateway is at the Giurgeni–Vadu Oii bridge on the DN2A (E60), ~170 km from Bucharest and ~100 km from Constanța.
Public transport: trains and minibuses from Bucharest and Galați to Brăila; from the station to the riverfront is ~3.5 km (tram or taxi). There is no practical public transport to the boarding points at Giurgeni.
- Fees & discounts
Guided boat trips (administration prices, 2026): from 40 lei per person for the one-hour trip to the suspension bridge, 80 lei for the two-hour routes, 100–150 lei for those of 3–5 hours, 220–250 lei for day trips across the whole park, 450 lei for the Stelnica–Fetești–Giurgeni route. Children under 5, accompanied, go free, and those aged 5–10 pay half. The park access fee is separate and bought online, on easy2visit, from ~9 lei per person; residents of the neighbouring communes enter free.
- Rules
Trips run only by booking, with the administration's boats and guides. The strictly protected Egreta and Fundu Mare zones can be entered only on the marked routes, and the Jigara and Vulpașu strict reserves are closed. Camping is allowed only at the sites marked by the administration, and fires only in the fire pits provided. Recreational fishing is allowed, with a limit of 5 kg of fish per angler per day. Smoking, alcohol, picking plants and taking animals are banned; take your rubbish with you. Pets must be kept on a lead. Commercial photography and filming need the administration's approval.
- Facilities
Visitor centre on the Brăila riverfront · hotels in Brăila and the park's Vărsătura lodge, with 10 beds · no villages, shops or restaurants on the islands · difficult access for people with disabilities
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