Buzău Land UNESCO Global Geopark - Romania’s enchanting curves
- Anastasiya S. Babenko
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 9
In the heart of Romania’s Carpathian Bend lies a remarkable corner of the world where nature and history meet in a dramatic landscape shaped by time.
The Buzău Land UNESCO Global Geopark, covering over 1,000 square kilometres of forested hills, valleys, and mountains, is not just a destination – it’s a journey through 40 million years of geological evolution and centuries of human culture.
This rural haven, home to 18 communes and around 40,000 residents, stretches from gentle valleys at 120 metres above sea level to jagged cliffs rising over 1,360 metres in the north. The terrain is a varied tapestry – rolling hills and fertile depressions in the south give way to narrow gorges, steep slopes, and dramatic rock formations as you head deeper into the mountains.
The Geopark’s story began in 2007 as a vision for sustainable rural development through education and tourism, culminating in UNESCO recognition in 2022. Since then, it has become a model for blending conservation with community pride, preserving both natural heritage and cultural identity.
Romania’s Living Geology Book
At the root of its extraordinary diversity is geology. Located at a rare triple-junction of tectonic plates, Buzău Land holds one of Europe’s richest archives of Earth’s history. Here, you can literally walk through time – from ancient seabeds now turned into salt domes and amber hills, to ongoing geological activity like bubbling mud volcanoes and ever-burning natural flames.
Each geological feature in the park carries a story. In Salt River Valley, locals use natural brine springs to season food and protect new homes with salt blocks. Around the Amber Hills, the fossilised resin is believed to hold mystical powers, once offered at baptisms or engagements. The sandstone formations in Bozioru – weathered into strange, human-like shapes – have inspired legends of giants, ogres, and spirits.
Visitors can explore highlights like the Large and Small Mud Volcanoes – among the largest in Europe – where gas-charged mud spurts in small but continuous eruptions, reminiscent of distant planetary landscapes. The Meledic Salt Plateau is a surreal world of white rock, underground caves, lakes, castle ruins, and carved canyons – home to one of the longest salt caves in the world. The Amber Hills, where waves of a prehistoric sea once washed ancient trees ashore, are now scattered with golden and red semiprecious stones, including the unique rumanite.
Other natural wonders include the Eternal Flames near Lopătari – mysterious fires fueled by underground gases – and the ghostly white volcanic Grunj rock of Mânzălești, formed from ash deposited 14 million years ago during the birth of the Carpathians.
Time, Myths, and Nature
It’s also one of the wildest and most biodiverse regions in Romania. Over 60% of the landscape is covered in forests and grasslands, intersecting three major biogeographic zones: alpine, continental, and steppe. Nature lovers will find over 965 plant species (180 of them medicinal), as well as rare orchids, snakes, scorpions, and even salt-loving seashore plants thriving far from the ocean. Birdwatchers can spot both native and migratory species, including Mediterranean and Asian birds, during warmer months.
But Buzău Land’s magic lies in how deeply human culture is intertwined with the land itself. Positioned at the crossroads of medieval Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia, it has absorbed influences from all three. Its hills whisper stories of Gothic tribes from Scandinavia who settled here in the 4th century, and Anatolian migrants who carved complex stone dwellings into the rock. These shelters, like those in Aluniș and Cozianca, still stand with carved beds, chimneys, and ancient inscriptions – echoes of a forgotten way of life.
Getting There
Buzău Land is an easy getaway from urban life. Just 130 km from Bucharest’s Otopeni International Airport and close to Brașov, it’s best reached by car in under two hours. Whether you’re after wild landscapes, forgotten legends, or simply a quiet escape with depth and soul, this Geopark promises a journey like no other.
@buzauland
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