The Danube Cycleway Volume 2. Mike Wells
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу The Danube Cycleway Volume 2 - Mike Wells страница 2
Название: The Danube Cycleway Volume 2
Автор: Mike Wells
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Книги о Путешествиях
isbn: 9781783623136
isbn:
Stage 18 Gruia to Calafat
Stage 19 Calafat to Bechet
Stage 20 Bechet to Corabia
Stage 21 Corabia to Turnu Măgurele
Stage 22 Turnu Măgurele to Zimnicea
Stage 23 Zimnicea to Giurgiu
Stage 24 Giurgiu to Olteniţa
Stage 25 Olteniţa to Călăraşi
Stage 26 Călăraşi to Ion Corvin
Stage 27 Ion Corvin to Cernavodă
Stage 28 Cernavodă to Hârşova
Stage 29 Hârşova to Măcin
Stage 30 Măcin to Galaţi
Excursion 1 Galaţi to Giurgiuleşti (Moldova) and Reni (Ukraine)
Stage 31 Galaţi to Isaccea
Stage 32 Isaccea to Tulcea
Excursion 2 Tulcea to Sulina by boat through the Danube Delta
Variant for Stages 27–32 Ion Corvin to Tulcea via Constanţa and the Black Sea coast
Appendix A Stage summary table
Appendix B Facilities summary table
Appendix C Tourist information offices
Appendix D Accommodation
Appendix E Useful contacts
Appendix F Language glossary
Appendix G Serbian Cyrillic alphabet
Straw cycle at entrance to Kopački rit nature reserve (Stage 6)
Kalocsa cathedral in baroque style (Stage 3)
Liberty monument in Budapest was originally the Russian victory monument (Stage 1)
INTRODUCTION
The upper and middle Danube from Germany through Austria to Vienna and on to Budapest in Hungary is one of the world’s most popular cycle routes, followed by cyclists of all ages and abilities. (For a description of the route from the Black Forest to Budapest see The Danube Cycleway Volume 1 by the same author.) But the Danube Cycleway does not end at Budapest. It continues for another 1717km at first through Hungary, then the countries of Croatia and Serbia (former Yugoslavia) and Romania, all the way to the Black Sea. The cycleway still follows the river, but the resemblance ends there. Unlike the well-developed tourist infrastructure of Germany and Austria, after Budapest you enter a region where tourism is still in its infancy.
As a result, by cycling the lower Danube you embark upon an adventure where the very journey becomes something of a challenge. Tourist offices, places to stay and cycle shops are few and far between, while West European languages are little spoken. You need to plan accommodation ahead and be more self-sufficient when it comes to maintaining your cycle in working order. The fact that you cross the line of the former Iron Curtain twice, pass through an area that was involved in a violent civil war as recently as 1999 and skirt the edge of the old Soviet Union all add to the sense of adventure. But don’t be discouraged by this. Cycling the lower Danube is well within the capabilities of most cycle tourists. The people are warm and friendly and both road surfaces and waymarking have improved a lot in recent years. This book is intended to help the average cyclist complete this adventure successfully.
The chain bridge spans the Danube between Buda (left) and Pest (right) (Stage 1)
The 2772km-long Danube is Europe’s second longest river (behind the Volga). Rising in the German Black Forest, it runs through 10 countries on its way to the Black Sea. This guidebook covers the 1647km that the river flows from Budapest to the extensive delta in Romania where it empties into the sea. As the Danube has dropped to an altitude of only 100m above sea level by the time it reaches Budapest, the cycleway following the river is mostly level. Through Hungary and Serbia the route follows long off-road stretches along flood dykes. In Romania cycling is mostly along the Romanian Danube road (Strada Dunarii), a quiet long-distance road set back from the river alongside the flood plain, which was built in the mid-19th century to open up the southern part of the newly unified country.
The route follows part of EuroVelo route 6 (EV6), a trans-continental cycle route running from the Atlantic coast of France to the Black Sea. This is well waymarked in Hungary and Serbia, partly so in Croatia but unmarked in Romania. This guide breaks the route into 32 stages, averaging just under 54km per stage. In theory a fit cyclist covering 90km per day should be able to complete the trip in 19 days. However, this is difficult to achieve because of unequal distances between overnight accommodation, and so, unless you are camping, it is advisable to plan on taking between three and four weeks.
The main sights encountered en route include the great cities of Budapest and Belgrade and the rugged Iron Gates gorges where the Danube has forced its way through a gap between the Carpathian and Balkan mountain ranges. Although the river rushing through the gorge has been tamed by the construction of two huge dams, this is still an awe-inspiring place. The lake behind the dams has flooded Roman Emperor Trajan’s military road that followed the river and a new corniche road has been built which climbs above the gorge with spectacular views. The route ends in the Danube Delta, Europe’s largest area of natural wetland and home to an enormous variety of bird species. Although the cycleable route ends 73km short of the river mouth, it is possible (and recommended) to take a boat through the delta to the zero kilometre point where the Danube enters the Black Sea, a suitable place to conclude your adventure at the very end of Europe.
Background
As the major river of central and south-eastern Europe, the Danube has played significant roles in the history of the continent, first as a border, then as an invasion route and later as an important transport and trade artery.
A Roman frontier
The first civilisation to recognise the importance of the river was the Romans. After pushing north through the Balkans, they arrived on the banks of the lower Danube around 9BC. Seeing the value of a natural and defendable northern border to protect their empire from barbarian tribes, the Romans established fortified settlements along the river from Germany all the way to the Black Sea, the largest of these in the СКАЧАТЬ