Sfântu Gheorghe (Tulcea)

Sfântu Gheorghe is a village in the far south east corner of the Danube Delta in Romania, approximately 1 km from the Black Sea coast.

Understand
In this small and remote village lies a remarkably large cinema-resort, which is home to the Anonimul International Independent Film Festival which is held for a month during summertime. Few people - most of them young and beautiful - get there to be young and beautiful. It's about having found a haven for cinema-lovers from all over the world, gathered together in a rather remote place, which gives the town some special atmosphere.

If you want a mini-trip to dip in the Black Sea briefly and go 'see the Delta' for one hour, Sfântu Gheorge is not the best place to go.

Get in
The village can only be reached with a minimum 2-hour river boat trip (on the fast ferry, €10) from Tulcea on Mondays and Wednesdays leaving at 1:30PM returning at 7am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The slow ferry also leaves at 1:30PM from Tulcea to Sfantu Gheorghe on Tuesdays and Fridays and returning on Wednesdays and Sundays to Tulcea. The slow ferry costs €6 and takes about 5½ hours to reach the village. The boats only sails 3 times per week / direction. Only passengers, no vehicles except bicycles (limited). All ferries are operated by Navrom. See Navrom Delta for the boat schedule (choose Tulcea - Sfantul Gheorghe).

Get around
Hardly any paved streets. Its a very small village, and you can walk over the dirt road to the beach.

There is also a semipublic traffic for the 2,5 km on the main street from center of village to the beach with trailers drawn by tractors or SUV. Some cars extended to certain accomodations. Fee is 2023 5 Lei per ride / person.

Buy
There is no ATM in the village, so take a few Lei from onshore, but on most points of sale you can pay even small amounts with card or better with mobile payment.

Buying things is generally limited, don't expect any touristical choice except for beverages. One very small supermarket. Several even smaller 'magazin mixt'. Many visitors bring hoarded supplies with the ferry (carried by foot, 3-wheel-bike transport in village available).

Eat
Sturgeon. This fish is offered on almost any eatery in Sfãntu Gheorghe, there must be harvest in abundance. The several species are endangered and therefore not in menu on the continent, but if you pass on it, they would not capture less. Sturgeon is mainly served as steak, it has nearly no small bones.

Sleep
At the cinema resort are also a campsite and an extremely high-prized hotel (more than most 5* in Bucuresti). The campsite has approximately 50 huts called 'casuta' to let for a small rate, each 2 beds, electricity, no water, instead accumulated individual bathrooms. In main season better make a reservation! Crowded by families. Evening: disco or blockbusters in open air movie.

There are few further hotel-style 'pensiunea' as well as many b&b pensiunea, which need booking in advance, because spontaneous accommodation may fail: owners are not present on site.