Winter holiday in Buzau

In the mountainous area of Buzău County, there are also some beautiful waterfalls

Daniel Onea, 16.01.2025, 13:26

Our stopover today is a region in the eastern part of Romania, on the outer edge of the Curvature Carpathians, a region bordering the historical principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania. The locals proudly call it the little Romania, due to the diversity of the region’s forms of relief. The area is at once picturesque and home to loads of legends, reminding everybody of the days of yore. Furthermore, here the natural assets are one of a kind. We have set out to discover them. With us is Ruxandra Cernat, a tourist guide in the region.

We first stopped at the Muddy Volcanoes.

“They are a rare phenomenon, because the lava is cold and black. We even had tourists who tried it on their own, literally, by putting their finger in this black lava and were surprised that it was cold. The shape is that of a volcanic cone. It is a natural phenomenon specific to this area of Buzău, and the gas emanations from deep within the earth actually push the groundwater to the surface, and these, storing clay from the rocks they encounter on their way, give rise to the mud volcanoes. They are the so-called Pâcle Mari, Pâcle Mici and Fierbătoarea, where the water really gurgles. It is nice that this land of Buzău, which was declared a UNESCO heritage site a few years ago, in 2022, is also very easily accessible on the national road with a car rented from Bucharest, if there is no personal car. Bucharest is, obviously, an important hub, which has the Henri Coandă International Airport, so it is easy to reach from any corner of the world.”

In the mountainous area of Buzău County, there are also some very beautiful waterfalls. Among them, the Cașoca waterfall fascinates tourists regardless of the season.

“One of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of the Romanian Carpathians, the Cașoca waterfall also appears under the name of Pruncea in some documents. The waters fall into a deep pool from a height of eight meters and is a vertical threshold of Tarcău sandstone. The place has a special charm in any season. It is easily accessible, because the road has been paved, and for tourists there is also an attraction point with stalls with traditional products from the area, natural jams and syrups, creams with not only cosmetic but also therapeutic value. There is also a tent where you can practice sports shooting, and the place is very popular not only with photographers, but also with young couples who want to take photos there with wedding memories.”

Very close to the Casoca waterfall is the Siriu lake and dam, with an absolutely fantastic viewpoint, as we learned from Ruxandra Cernat, a tour guide.

“It is the second dam in Romania, and is built entirely from natural materials found in this area. The works took almost 20 years. The national road was also slightly diverted, and the settlements in the area were relocated, but this project intended to provide, in principle, a source of water for the downstream localities. The viaducts and the winding road built are of extraordinary beauty. The dam is 122 meters high and 570 meters long, and the lake stretches for 11.5 km. Swimming is not recommended, because it is 120 meters deep.”

And, from water, we move on to fire.

“Also from the depths of this land, gas emanations cause, this time, to appear upon contact with the air, when they come to the surface, flames that burn constantly. Perhaps more spectacular at night, they are, in fact, gases ignited by the sun’s rays. These flames can be seen bursting out of the ground and rising in the wind. Sometimes they are higher, sometimes they barely flicker. It also depends on the pressure of the gases inside, but also on the weather. Probably, in the very rainy season, they can be temporarily extinguished, but, also in the rainy season, you can see how the water bubbles in those places where the gases come to the surface. The entire area where this phenomenon occurs has an area of 25 square meters.”

Also in Buzău County you will find a unique museum in Romania. The Colți Amber Museum is dedicated to the 40-60 million year old resin. It should not be missed by any tourist who comes to the area, says Ruxandra Cernat, a tour guide.

“On Romanian territory, it was mined for a long time, now it is no longer exploited industrially. It is a very beautiful and valuable gem, because in this resin of various colors, from yellowish to reddish brown, you can see plants and insects that have been perfectly embedded over these tens of millions of years. It is said that when it rains very heavily, locals can still find pieces of amber in the riverbeds, left by the water. The museum shows us all the forms in which amber was exploited in Romania, as well as rare collections of jewelry. There is also a very beautiful room for those passionate about mineral rocks and crystals, an exhibition of crystals from this area.”

Last but not least, if the weather is not exactly friendly to us, we can take a tour of the monasteries, as suggested by Ruxandra Cernat, a tour guide. The monasteries were not only religious points, they were also defense points. Thus, they have a fascinating and rich history. The Bradu Fortress Monastery would be the first suggestion.

“It is said that from here, Michael the Brave, who achieved the first Union of the Romanian Principalities in 1600, would have set off for the battles of Şelimbăr. Also in this area is the Măgura Monastery, also attested a few centuries ago, in the 16th century. It has an extraordinary wealth, in that the imperial icons are painted by the great Gheorghe Tătărăscu, a renowned painter for Romanians, who was Nicolae Grigorescu’s teacher. And next to the monastery, on its grounds, the Măgura Sculpture Camp was organized. It bears the name of the commune from which the material for the sculptures was brought. The sculptures are marked with QR codes, and you can see exactly who, when, and what title gave the sculpture. It is also a very beautiful place to have a picnic because everything happens on hills with walnut trees, where we have peace and singing birds. It is a pleasant walk there, even in winter.”

Buzău has also become known in recent years through a project called Slow Food Buzău, which promotes artisanal gastronomy and sustainable culinary tourism in the UNESCO Geopark of the Buzău Land.