Ada Kaleh Island

Ada Kaleh means "Fortress Island" in Turkish and has been inhabited since ancient times.

Since 1430, the place became known as Ada Kaleh and remained under Turkish possession, occupied by the Austro-Hungarians, until 1918-1920, when it became Romanian territory, even though it was entirely inhabited by Turks.

Despite the expansion of communism in Romania, Ada Kaleh island remained the only place where time had stopped, where people lived according to the same old laws from centuries ago and indulged in the same customs: a type of coffee made in sand with a unique aroma, a unique rose fragrance, handmade jewelry at affordable prices, and 100% natural high-quality tobacco. In the spring of 1970, Ada Kaleh island sank forever beneath the waters, making way for a modern ambition: the Iron Gates Hydroelectric Power Plant.

It was dynamited, and the waters of the Porțile de Fier dam reservoir flooded over its remains, and everything ended.

Only the walls of the fortress and the tomb of Miskin Baba, considered a Muslim saint by the island's inhabitants, were saved from disappearance.

Only legends and the regrets of those who lived here or visited at least once a place that had been unique in the world remain.

Currently, there is still a barren piece of land and a sign that reads: Ada Kaleh.

The boat trip from Orșova along Route 6 will take us over the island.

Although Ada Kaleh Island was swallowed by the waters, its stories live on! Discover this legend and many others on a Danube cruise.

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