Mila 23

About Mila 23

Mila 23 is a fishing village in the middle of the Danube Delta, strung along the right bank of the Old Danube (Dunărea Veche), the former bend of the river that branches off the Sulina arm, where the Stipoc and Eracle channels flow in. It belongs to Crișan commune, lies about 53 km from Tulcea by water and has no road at all: the only way in is by boat. The name comes from the old measurement of the Sulina arm in miles, and the village sits roughly halfway between Tulcea and the sea.

At the start of the 20th century there were only two or three houses here and about 12 people, all fishermen. The village has grown since, but it still lives from fishing, and many locals are Lipovans, Old Believer Russians who have kept their church, their dialect and their songs. Several Olympic canoeists and kayakers came from Mila 23, among them Ivan Patzaichin (1949–2021), four-time Olympic canoe champion, and Serghei Covaliov.

The village lies within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, and the delta has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

Information verified on 21 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: only as far as Tulcea, then on by water: from Bucharest ~300 km (A2 to Cernavodă, then via Hârșova on the DN2A and DN22, ~4 hours), from Constanța ~130 km (~2 hours), from Brăila ~90 km over the Brăila bridge and along the DN22 (~1½ hours). The car stays in Tulcea; neither Mila 23 nor Crișan has a road.

Public transport: train (changing at Medgidia) or coach to Tulcea. From Tulcea harbour, the Navrom Delta ship on the Sulina line stops at Crișan, from where the Navrom boat Crișan – Mila 23 leaves in the afternoon and returns the next morning. Faster, the village guesthouses and boatmen in Tulcea run boat transfers straight to Mila 23 on request.

Where to park

Mila 23 cannot be reached by car. Leave the car in Tulcea, in the paid car parks at the harbour (Gara Fluvială or Port Tulcea Aval, where the private boats leave from); some delta guesthouses have arrangements with car parks in town for their guests.

Fees & discounts

The village itself is free, but anyone entering the delta needs the ARBDD permit: 5 lei/day, 15 lei/week, 30 lei until the end of the year; free for pupils, students, pensioners, people with disabilities and locals; sold at permise.ddbra.ro. Navrom Delta 2026, classic ship, adult, one way: Tulcea – Crișan 50 lei, Crișan – Mila 23 30 lei; children under 7 travel free, pensioners get 50% off. Admission to the Ivan Patzaichin Museum was free when it opened in 2024.

Rules

Carry the ARBDD permit and your ID; they are checked on the water. A life jacket is compulsory in the boat. This is a lived-in village: do not walk into yards, and ask before photographing people. Enter the Lipovan church quietly and modestly dressed, with no photos during the service. On the channels, keep away from bird colonies and leave no litter; recreational fishing needs a separate permit. Drones need ARBDD authorisation. The museum can only be visited by booking.

Facilities

Guesthouses with restaurants and fish borscht · bars and small shops · medical post · fuel station for boats · card payment is not guaranteed, bring cash · mobile mast in the village, weak signal on the channels · no adapted access on pontoons and boats