Mud Volcanoes

On a trip around Dracula Land you can see castles, mountains and salt mines, but also something truly unusual: the Mud Volcanoes. In Buzau county, near Berca, the ground "boils": gas bubbles rise from small mud cones, and all around stretches a barren, cracked landscape that looks more like the surface of the Moon than the surrounding hills. The reserve is about 107 kilometres from Gherghita.

How mud volcanoes form

Although they are called volcanoes, they have nothing to do with lava. Natural gas starts from depths of about 3,000 metres and rises towards the surface through layers of clay and water. On the way it pushes salty water and mud upwards, which spill out through the openings of the cones, while the gas escapes at the surface as bubbles.

The mud dries at the surface and forms cones that look like miniature volcanoes, usually a few metres high. The mud is cold, because it comes from the layers of the Earth's crust, not from the hot depths of the planet. The gas is mainly methane, with small amounts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

A place unique in Romania

The phenomenon is unique in the country. In Europe, similar mud volcanoes are found in Italy, Ukraine and Russia, and further afield in Azerbaijan. At Berca there are two main areas you can visit: Paclele Mari and Paclele Mici, both protected as geological and botanical reserves.

What you see here

• The active cones, where mud bubbles and slowly flows
• The "lunar" landscape, with no vegetation around the cones, cracked ground and shades of grey and beige
• The ravines cut by water around the reserve, with spectacular shapes
• Rare plants, adapted to very salty soil, that grow only in places like this
• Information panels about the geology of the site

You walk on dried mud, which is never completely solid. That is why access is by ticket and is allowed only in dry weather, to protect the environment and for visitors' safety.

When to go and how much time to allow

The best time is from spring to autumn, on dry days. Morning and sunset light make the landscape even more spectacular for photos. For the visit itself allow an hour or two; with the drive, it is a half-day or full-day trip.

One-day itinerary

• 08:30 – leave Gherghita
• 10:15 – arrive at Paclele Mari, visit the reserve
• 12:00 – Paclele Mici, a few kilometres away
• 13:30 – lunch in the Berca or Buzau area
• 15:00 – drive back to Gherghita, perhaps with a stop in Buzau

With children

The mud volcanoes are an open-air geography lesson and children love them. Keep them on the paths and permitted areas, though, and do not let them step into the cones or fresh mud. Take water, hats and sunscreen: there is almost no shade in the reserve.

At a glance

• Distance from Dracula Land: about 107 km, around an hour and 40 minutes
• How much time to allow: 1 – 2 hours in the reserve
• Best time: spring – autumn, in dry weather only
• Suitable for: families, the curious, photographers
• What you will find: an access ticket, paths, information panels

How to get there from Dracula Land

The distance from Gherghita to Paclele Mari is about 107 km, around an hour and 40 minutes without traffic:

• towards the A3, then the A7 motorway towards Buzau
• from Buzau take the DN10 towards Berca
• follow the signs to Vulcanii Noroiosi / Paclele Mari on the local road

This is a different route from the Prahova Valley, so it avoids the crowds on the DN1.

Practical tips

• Do not go after heavy rain: the ground becomes slippery and access may be closed.
• Wear shoes you do not mind getting dirty.
• Do not step on the cones or throw objects into them.

Rare plants in a salty place

The soil around the volcanoes is very salty, and few plants can survive in such conditions. That is precisely why rare salt-adapted species grow here, such as Nitraria schoberi and Obione verrucifera. The lack of vegetation around the cones and the strange plants at the edge of the reserve complete the picture of a landscape that seems to come from another planet.

Other places to see in Buzau county

If you have time, Buzau county has a few other special sights you can link with the volcano trip: the Amber Museum at Colti, where you can see Buzau amber, the rock dwellings at Alunis, carved into the rock by monks, and the Living Fire at Lopatari, flames that burn naturally from gas escaping from the ground. For all of them, check the roads and visiting hours beforehand.

Where to stay

The Mud Volcanoes are an easy trip from accommodation near Dracula Land, on a route without crowds.