{"id":6979,"date":"2018-08-14T11:29:26","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T11:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/padureanu.com\/uncategorized\/in-trecere-pe-la-vulcanii-noroiosi\/"},"modified":"2019-10-12T21:25:24","modified_gmt":"2019-10-12T18:25:24","slug":"in-trecere-pe-la-vulcanii-noroiosi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.padureanu.com\/en\/travels\/romania-en\/in-trecere-pe-la-vulcanii-noroiosi\/","title":{"rendered":"Passing through the Mud Volcanoes site"},"content":{"rendered":"

The day after the trip at Babele in Ulmet, on our way back home, we decided to make a trip to the Mud Volcanoes.<\/p>\n

I knew about this landmark since childhood but honestly, I never considered it appropriate to go such a long way just to visit this place.<\/p>\n

But now, being so close, we decided, however, to go there, at least just to be able to say that we saw the only “volcanoes” in Romania.<\/p>\n

The route we reached branches off of the National Road 10<\/strong>, which links Buz\u0103u to Bra\u015fov, within the locality of S\u0103tuc<\/strong>. From here, following the County Road 102F<\/strong>, and then the County Road 220A from Policiori<\/strong>, there are about 15 km to P\u00e2clele Mari (“The big puddles”), as the Mud Volcanoes are called by the locals. The driving time is about 25 minutes.<\/p>\n

The road winds through the hills,  being unfortunately inappropriately taken care of for such a popularized tourist sight <\/span> as the site of the Mud Volcanoes.<\/p>\n

Here and there, the asphalt is completely destroyed, being completed with a stone and sand embankment. On the last part, the road is so rippled and run down, that you have to drive with great care to avoid touching the bumps with the floor of the car (attention to those who like speeding!).<\/p>\n

In short, a very big bad mark for the local authorities, which could have rehabilitated this road, so circulated by tourists from all over the world, a very long time ago.<\/p>\n

When we arrived at the Mud Volcanoes we pulled into the free parking (attention, the first parking on the left as you enter the location is private) and I looked for the entrance to the location.<\/p>\n

The atmosphere of county fair that characterizes this site shocked me. Many people in transit, probably in a hurry, just like us, wanting to “tick” the visit to this tourist sight, posters with the indispensable “Ple\u015fcoi sausages” on all fences and walls, finally all those attributes that do not really make you to come back, when you think of a visited place.<\/p>\n

At the entrance gate sat an ugly, skinflint individual, who collected the fee and gave monosyllabic answers to your questions. As if his purpose was not to answer your questions about the location for which he charged a fee.<\/p>\n

Finally, we paid the fee, which is actually modest, only 4 lei, and we entered the site of the Mud Volcanoes.<\/p>\n

\"\"

We haven’t found anything here close to modern tourism specific to such sites, either.<\/p>\n

Except for a banner with the local flora, located at the gate, throughout the site you will find no information point, no indicator and no bench to sit on and admire the scenery. It’s a shame! Especially since the people who come here are not necessarily used to mountaineering.<\/p>\n

You can’t even find here any explanation on how the volcanoes formed and what the geological history of the place is! That would have been useful at least for excursions organized for elementary school pupils!<\/p>\n

However, regarding the beauties of nature, things are a little different. The bubbling of the earth, which generates puddles with silver mud, is indeed a curiosity worth seeing.<\/p>\n

Here’s a shot from the spot so you can figure it out yourself.<\/p>\n