Ukrainian Venice in 2025: Is Vilkovo safe and ready for visitors?
What Vilkovo, Ukrainian Venice, offers tourists (photo: Vilkovo.org)
Vilkovo is a small town in the Danube Delta. Because of its network of narrow canals that serve as streets, the town is nicknamed the Ukrainian Venice. Today, Vilkovo attracts tourists not only with its canals but also with its culture, nature, and unique dishes.
RBC-Ukraine highlights six aspects that make this town truly special.
Architecture and water streets
The streets of Vilkovo are canals about 1-2 meters wide. People travel along them by boat — either motorized or traditional boats propelled with a large paddle called a "babayka." Residents skillfully navigate the boats while standing upright, pushing off the bottom with long poles.
Wooden walkways run along the water, and simple wooden bridges turn into drawbridges when cargo needs to pass through. Boats are moored next to every house, much like cars parked outside apartment buildings.
The old part of the town looks like a movie set from another world, where silence, water, and calm prevail. For this reason, Vilkovo is often called the town where time has stopped. Today, it is quite safe, and the town is waiting for tourists.
Vilkovo literally "stands on water" (photo: Vilkovo.org)
Fishing is the main occupation and tradition
Fishing in Vilkovo is not just a trade but a way of life. Locals catch zander, catfish, herring, bream, and even sturgeon in the Danube waters. Mornings here start not with coffee but with fishing rods and boats gliding through foggy canals.
Tourists can also book fishing tours to experience what it’s like to be a real Danube fisherman. Fresh fish is sold directly from boats or at markets. Some types are prepared according to old recipes. Industrial fishing is smaller today than before, but the love for fishing remains unchanged.
The fish here is very diverse (photo: Vilkovo.org)
Winemaking
Vilkovo is especially famous for its "Novak" grape variety, which grows on silty soil among the canals (Novak Winery is the first official representative of honest wine in southern Ukraine). This grape is used to make a wine of the same name. It has a delicate aroma and a strong, yet pleasant, taste.
Local farmers' vineyards are considered unique: nowhere else in the world does the vine grow "on water." Tourists can taste homemade wine during tours or tastings at local estates.
This drink is so popular that it has become the subject of local jokes: "A true Vilkovo resident sways only forward and backward after Novak — so they don't fall into the water."
Unique cuisine
Vilkovo is renowned for its gastronomy, which is based on the gifts of the Danube and local gardens. The traditional dish is fish soup made from three kinds of fish, cooked over an open fire. Herring, pike perch, catfish — they prepare everything here: smoking, frying, salting, and pickling.
Besides fish, it's worth trying strawberries and grapes straight from the garden — berries ripen on the islands almost all year round. Farm cheeses and homemade compotes served in local restaurants are also especially popular.
Food here is cooked on traditional stoves (photo: Vilkovo.org)
Nature and ecotourism
The town is part of the Danube Biosphere Reserve, home to hundreds of bird and water animal species. A special attraction is Ermakov Island, where rare pelicans, herons, and even water buffalo can be seen.
Boat or kayak tours enable visitors to connect with nature and appreciate picturesque landscapes. The state protects the reserve while also opening it for ecotourism and scientific research.
The nature here is striking — it feels like stepping into a completely different world. For many tourists, nature is the main reason to return to Vilkovo.
Nearby is the Danube Biosphere Reserve (photo: Vilkovo.org)
Legends and mystical stories of Vilkovo
Vilkovo is linked to fascinating legends passed down through generations. Locals tell stories of a Danube mermaid who sings at night and lures fishermen into the fog.
Another legend speaks of a Danube fairy who appears on the islands and helps only those who treat the river with care. Old Believers' churches are considered places of power, and their icons are guardians of peace.
There are also tales about ghost boats that vanish in the fog and never return. These stories add special charm and mystery to the town, attracting not only tourists but also seekers of mystical adventures.
Later, RBC-Ukraine reported where to go in Ukraine in July for new types of rest — eco, wellness, and active.
Sources: TripAdvisor and "Vilkovo. Ukrainian Venice."
