Geography and population

 Silistra Region is situated in the northern part of Bulgaria, on the bank of the Danube River. It is predominantly an agricultural region on the Romanian border. It is located in the Dobrudja plain, 200 meters above sea level. The climate is primarily continental with hot summers and cold winters. The Silistra Region covers 2 844 366 square kilometers of land, which includes 7 municipalities: Silistra, Dulovo, Tutrakan, Alfatar, Sitovo, Glavinitza, Kainardja and 118 villages. The administrative center of the region is Silistra – a town, which dates back thousands of years and has an important role in the history of Bulgaria. The population of the region is 152 393. People from different ethnic groups work and live together here: Bulgarians, Turks, Roma, Armenians, and others.

Logistics-roads, railroads, airports

The good geographic location and access to a variety of transportation options make the Silistra region a good prospect for economic development.

Port

The Silistra industrial port is the only Bulgarian port on the Danube River with the capacity to hold river and sea ships weighing up to 5000 tons.

The port provides the opportunity to utilize Silistra as a link in the “Silk Route”, connecting the Far East to Western Europe via International Route #7 and the Rein-Main channel.

The Silistra Danube commercial port has a 400 m key, five places for ships to dock, mechanization for re-transportation, loading, or unloading– one 32 ton portal crane and two 10 ton portal cranes, as well as a platform scale for weighing up to 50 tons.

Ferry

The future ferry link between Tutakan – Oltenitza, Rumania and Silistra – Calarashi, Rumania will be of great importance for cross-border activities and accessing the Bucharest market.

These ferries will also provide the opportunity to increase trade from Scandinavia through Rumania and continuing on to Turkey and the Middle East by creating a route, other than through Rousse, to enter Bulgaria.

The road-to- road terminal of Silistra - Reni, Ukraine

Through the Danube River, this route will also help to increase trade between countries. All of the variations mentioned above are alternative transportation trade routes to the European Transport Corridor #9.

Second longest runway in Bulgaria

Ten kilometers outside of Silistra there is a cargo airport, which was build for international and domestic flights.

It is state owned, but unfortunately is not currently in operation. It has the capacity to boost prospects for international trade with Russia, and Asian and West European countries.

The airport has a fully equipped flight tower and the second longest long runways in the country.

Rail

The Region also has rail access; there are 67 km of railroad track in the region, with ten villages and towns along the route, which connects and is a part of the national rail system.

Places of interest

This region has a rich cultural and historic heritage. One of the oldest Bulgarian towns, Silistra dates back to the early times of the Roman Empire. The ancient town was established as a Roman fortress about 1800 years ago. There are many ancient Roman relics in the area, including a 15 km Roman road. The only Roman cemetery with ancient paintings from the ²V Century A.D. on the Balkan Peninsula is located here. The natural game reserve “Karakuz”, with its three picturesque villas, is an ideal place for hunting tourism to be developed. There is the oldest Byzantium Christian Holy Place for Holy Water which has provided the holy water for the churches in Byzantium for more than 7 centuries.

Tourist places in the city of Silistra are: the Historical and Ethnographic Museums; Roman Tomb; Art Gallery; Architecture-archeological reserve Durostorum-Drastar-Silistra

Other attractions in the Silistra Region:

Only 17 places all over the world have the status of “Biosphere Reserve Class A”. One of the 17 is located within the Silistra region, only 14 km outside of Silistra. In 1977, UNESKO nominated the unique reserve “Srebarna” to this rare status. The place is a unique wet zone where over 160 bird species nest. The place called “Suha reka” has many unique caves.

A hundred- years old Danube park, which is situated in the heart of the regional town “Krepostta”- a well-preserved Turkish defensive fort dating back from 1847.

Architecture reserve “Ribarska mahala” – dating from the period of the Renaissance with authentic ensemble of 48 old buildings.

The only Ethnographic Museum in the Balkan peninsula, the Museum “Danube Fishery and Boat constructing”.

Natural reserve “Malak Preslavets” – a lake with beautiful water lilies.

Dobrudjan house, Alfatar, built in 1893, shows the traditional setting of the dobrudjan house from the end of XIX c. till the middle of the XXc. Church “St. Trinity”, Alfatar – unique cultural – historical monument.

Early Middle Ages Fortress “Kartal Kale” near the village of Ruino

Park “Aiazmoto” near Dulovo – as per the legends during XVc. here settled Demir Baba. Middle Age Fortress in the place called “Tashli mahle” in the village of Okorsh. Natural Hunting Resrve “Karakus”, where 3 beautiful hunting villas are situated. Early Middle Ages stone monasteries near the village of Varbiino, Dulovo municipality.

Types of tourism:

The natural and the historical resources of Silistra region have great potential for development: areas rich in historical, cultural, and ecological sites, hunting, and various other opportunities for entertainment and relaxation exist along the lovely Danube River.

Lodging: There are 8 private hotels, 5 of which are two star, 1 motel, 1 bureau for private lodgings, and 5 tourist houses functioning at the territory of Silistra region.

The reserve "Srebarna" is situated on the territory of the municipality, which since 1977 has a status of

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