Dacian Fortresses In Orăştie Mountains

In today's Orăştie Mountains (Şureanu Mountains), about 2000 years ago, during the time of Burebista and Decebalus and before the roman conquest, was the military, religious and political center of the Dacians. Built as a system of strongholds and fortifications, the place is unique in European architecture (for example the Murus Dacicus). Some of the most important Dacian fortresses found there, part of UNESCO World heritage are: Sarmizegetusa (Regia), Blidaru, Luncani-Piatra Roşie, Costeşti-Cetăţuia, Căpâlna and Baniţa. Due to time constraints I only managed to visit two of the fortifications.

Costeşti-Cetăţuia can be reached by car (on a short bumpy dirt road) from the village of Costeşti, while the remnants of Blidaru are 50 minutes away on foot starting from the village. Besides the citadel's heavily fortified walls there can be found, rather well preserved, two habitable towers and a sanctuary. Here's the location of Costeşti-Cetăţuie fortress on Google, and below are some of my photos:

In the natural reservation of Grădiştea Muncelului – Cioclovina, about 20km from Costeşti, driving on a dirt road (but still accessible even with a modest car) one can reach the Sarmizegetusa (also Sarmisegetusa, Sarmisegethusa, Sarmisegethuza, Ζαρμιζεγεθούσα (Zarmizegethousa), Ζερμιζεγεθούση (Zermizegethouse)) fortress, the capital of the Dacians during the rule of Decebalus - called Sarmizegetusa Regia (of the king) - situated at an altitude of 1200m. It's not to be confused with Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa - the capital of the Roman Dacia, situated 40km away.

The fortress is a most moving place, covered in mystery and spirituality. There can be seen remnants of fortifications, roads and water pipes, but the most impressive are the religious temples and sanctuaries believed to be dedicated to the sun, which made many historians and archeologist to identify the Hill of Grădiştea with the holy mountain Kogaion. The most important landmarks are: the western and the eastern gates, the enclosure wall of the fortress, the paved road, the limestone sanctuaries, the circular sanctuaries, the andesite sanctuaries, the andesite sun (The Solar Disk - beeing either an ancient calendar or a place for sacrifices), the roman bath house and the observation tower. The location is this and some of my photos follow:

Some more pictures and information can be found here and here and especially from the Deva Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation .

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Muddy Volcanoes (Vulcanii Noroioşi)

A mud volcano is a geothermal phenomenon consisting in gases and fluids being pushed upwards from depths up to thousands of meters.

Situated in the Berca commune (Buzău County,Romania), the Muddy Volcanoes are a very rare phenomenon in Europe. Although rather hard to reach until a few years ago, now they are one of the most visited and photographed landmarks in Romania, easily reached by car.

The gasses erupt from 3000 meters-deep towards the surface, through the underground layers of clay and water, they push up underground salty water and mud, so that they overflow through the mouths of the volcanoes, while the gas emerges as bubbles. The mud dries off at the surface, creating a relatively solid conical structure, resembling a real volcano. The mud expelled by them is cold, as it comes from inside the Earth's continental crust layers, and not from the mantle. The mud is also salty, smells like sulfur and contains some highly flammable gases so NO SMOKING IS ALLOWED.

The mud volcanoes can be found in three different areas :
- "Pâclele Mici" - 16,5ha natural reservation (with a very small entrance fee) that hosts besides the smaller conical Muddy Volcanoes two protected species of rare halophile plants : Nitraria Schoberi and Obione Verrucifera.
- "Pâclele Mari" - 22ha area containing the largest of the volcanoes
- the volcanoes near Beciu village ("Pâclele de la Beciu") - the smallest of the craters with "boiling" cold mud (the largest crater is 2,5m in diameter and the total area is around 800sq m) . These ones are rarely visited because they are harder to reach, but someone got there.

And some of my photos from this out-of-this-world magnificent place (most of them have been taken at "Pâclele Mici"):

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Homorod Bath (Băile Homorod/Homoródfürdő)

Situated in the Harghita County, 18km away from Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely) and 34km away from Mercurea-Ciuc (Csíkszereda), at about 750m altitude, Homorod Bath (Homoródfürdő) is a peaceful place famous for its mineral water springs.

The Magyars are a majority in Harghita so the magyar language (magyar nyelv) is widely used, from day-to-day speaking to road signs and restaurant menus. Even if the region has been part of Romania since 1918 most of the natives see themselves as hungarians.

Being placed east of Harghita Mountains (somehow sheltered from the winds) the climate is mild. Along with the hospitality of the people this makes it a great place for relaxation or rehabilitation. There isn't much to do here besides taking a walk in the forest, horse riding (many people have horses - part of the hungarian heritage) or skiing in winter on the small slopes nearby.

The main water springs (ground-chalky, chloride sour waters) are used mainly for drinking and are named Lobogó, Mária, Csorgó, Homoródi, Ilona, Fenyves.

There are also some ancient Roman ruins nearby - the ruins of Földvár - situated on the Láz, near the old roman road, described by Téglás Gábor as a place named Várhegy or Földvár. These are the ruins of a roman castellum (36m x 36m) and 200m south-west of them one can find other roman fortifications (23m x 15m) dating back to the 2nd century. Unfortunately they aren't that easy to find and not everybody can lead you to them. They might (or might not) be around here (so if anybody knows exactly where they are, PLEASE let me know !).

And here are some of my photos: