Just a few km north of Danube river in most southern region of Romania (Dolj county) there is a small town with 20.000 inhabitants called Dabuleni. The name may tell you nothing but in Romania is rather famous for the production of… water melons. The reason for high land productivity is actually the… sand, large surfaces being covered by fine, white sands, making the area very suitable for irrigated agriculture.

Sandy soils north of Dabuleni, Romania (photo: Google)

Among the 80.000 ha of sandy soils in the south of Romania, Dabuleni occupies about 3.500 ha. Over the years there’s been a couple of initiatives for taking benefit of this huge area and the authorities developed a complex irrigation system which is working also today. Some parcels have been planted with specific trees and crops but the soil seems to be very favorable especially for water melons. A 12 ha area has been kept virgin and the authorities proudly call it the “only sand musem in Europe” (?!) For trivia fans, the zone is locally know also as “Oltenian Sahara”.