Type | Natural |
Opening Hours | Summer: 8:00 – 20:00 Winter: 8:00 – 16:00 The Muddy Volcanoes nature reserve is closed and cannot be visited on rainy days or snowy days because the soil becomes extremely slippery. |
Amenities | No restaurants, coffee shops, or souvenirs shops |
Rules | You are not allowed to touch the cones and the liquid with your hands or feet You are not allowed inside the pet reservation It is forbidden to smoke or eat food inside the reservation |
Tickets / Parking | 4 Ron / 1 Euro |
Location | Berca, Romania, Europe |
Mud Volcanoes
A mud volcano is a landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases. Mud volcanoes do not produce lava.
About 1100 muddy volcanoes have been identified on Earth. Possible mud volcanoes have been identified on Mars.
Other mud volcanoes can be found in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Italy.
The geological phenomenon
Berca Muddy Volcanoes are second in size in Europe after Russia’s Apseron-Baku Peninsula.
The muddy volcanoes from Berca, Romania are surrounded by an arid and salty landscape, similar to the lunar landscape. The landscape is like this due to the mud mixed with salt that comes to the surface pushed by the gases that erupt at depth. However, there are plants that survive despite the salty soil, such as Nitraria schoberi and Obione verrucifera.
What you will see
The Muddy Volcanoes are grouped into four areas: “La Fierbători“, Pâclele Mari (The Big Mud Volcanoes), Pâclele Mici (The Little Mud Volcanoes) and Mud Volcanoes from Beciu.
Accomodation
There are no hotels around the reserve. The closest hotel is 5 km away from the reserve. Other hotels are around 8 km away, in Berca.
Cob Village – an eco-friendly mini village with clay houses – Accommodation and Restaurant
Grigorescu Mansion – a small, family-owned guest-house with a restaurant
Pensiunea Casa Matei, Berca – a very good small hotel with restaurant
Pensiunea Berca – Pension Berca is an agro-pension located in the center of Berca commune