The Srebarna Nature Reserve, not far from Silistra, encompasses the natural lake of the same name and its surroundings. It is a breeding ground for pelicans, cormorants, spoonbills and over 200 other bird species. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere Reserve and one of the important tourist sites in Bulgaria.
This article is dedicated to the Srebarna Nature Reserve. You’ll find useful information about visiting the reserve, practical tips, and what to expect. In the second part, I share my personal impressions from my two visits to this beautiful and fascinating place.
Brief information about the Srebarna Nature Reserve
Srebarna is a eutrophic lake located on the banks of the Danube River, 16 km west of the city of Silistra as the crow flies. Eutrophic means that it is very rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients attract many birds in number and species, which is a main distinguishing feature of the area around the lake.
The depth of Lake Srebarna is between one and three meters, and the area is about 2 sq. km. About two-thirds of the lake area is overgrown with reeds and other marsh plants.
In 1948, Lake Srebarna was declared a nature reserve, which also includes a zone of rich vegetation along the banks of the Danube River, the island of Komluka in the Danube and the water area enclosed between the island and the river bank. The reserve falls on the main route of migratory birds between Europe and Africa – the Via Pontica.
Recognitions for the Srebarna Nature Reserve
It is:
- included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983;
- a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of 1976;
- a biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB);
- part of the Natura 2000 ecological network.
Opening hours and tickets
From 1.04. to 30.09. – from 8:00 to 18:00, without a day off;
From 1.10. to 31.03. – from 8:00 to 16:00 (Saturday and Sunday – days off).
The entrance ticket price is about 3 €.
More information can be found here.
Our first visit to the Srebarna reserve
It happened in the late summer of 2014. Here is my story about it.
We stopped by the Srebarna Nature Reserve at the end of our summer vacation, on our way from the Black Sea Coast to Sofia. I was very impressed by what I saw. I had read since I was a child that the reserve was beautiful, but what I saw definitely exceeded my expectations.
We first visited the museum, where we learned about the history of the Srebarna Nature Reserve and what could be seen and observed there. Then we decided to go down to the Srebarna Lake itself.
The museum at the Srebarna Reserve was not large, but it was very interesting, as many of the birds that inhabited Lake Srebarna could be seen as taxidermy specimens. I really liked the fact that all the exhibits had precise labels, while the were boards on the walls featured detailed descriptions of life in and around the Srebarna Lake. There was also a large amount of photographic material displayed as large panels on the walls. The photographs beautifully reflected life in the reserve in both summer and winter.
In my opinion, the most interesting attractions in the Natural History Museum in the village of Srebarna were the two binoculars in front of one of the panoramic windows and the binoculars available to visitors. They allowed us to immerse ourselves in the life unfolding on Lake Srebarna and among the surrounding reeds. The views through the binoculars were unique. The distant pelicans appeared almost as if they were right in front of us. We could see big ones, small ones, and all kinds of them – there were so many! Most of them were constantly moving the pouch under their beaks, obviously processing their food, which consisted of fish – lots of fish.
Two platforms could be seen inside the lake, one of them with a canopy that served as a nesting site for the pelicans. It was fascinating to see so many birds, both large and small, gathered in one place.
The view was contagious – the longer we looked, the harder it was to take our eyes away. We moved our gaze from one pelican to another, watching them swim, dip their heads into the water – they had apparently found a fish, or perhaps they were simply cooling off, fly off to another spot, and communicate with each other.
Gradually, we forgot about our problems and everything else around us. We became completely immersed in the pelicans’ world and simply couldn’t take our eyes off them.
With the binoculars, we could also identify other bird species, but the pelicans were somehow particularly impressive.
So, I really liked the Srebarna Museum. The two curators I spoke with were extremely kind and helpful. They were very generous with their explanations and were happy to answer our questions.
We were lucky to be able to visit the Natural History Museum at the Srebarna Reserve, as it had been closed to visitors until recently because of renovations. The good news was that the renovation had improved not only the museum but also the eco-trail, which was about 21–22 kilometers long and circled the lake. During our visit, the trail was still being improved, although the work was already in its final phase.
After the museum, we headed towards the Srebarna Lake. We followed the eco-trail and stopped at the second gazebo. It offered a wonderful view of the lake. From there, we managed to observe several pelicans for a while. The experience was great!
Our second visit to the Srebarna Nature Reserve
9 years later we visited Srebarna reserve again and walked along part of the trail that goes around the lake. It was in late May on a super hot day.
Honestly, Srebarna surprised me with some changes. The old pelican platforms were already quite worn out and only one of them looked well-maintained and was occupied by birds. It is rare for me to experience such a change on a return visit, but I was curious to see what Srebarna Reserve looks like today.
Final thoughts
The Srebarna Nature Reserve continues to be an extremely interesting and iconic place because of the pelicans and the wealth of waterfowl that inhabit the lake. If you are traveling to the Silistra province, be sure to plan a visit to the Srebarna Reserve.
See more: What to see in Silistra
