The Carpathian Mountains

The Carpathian Mountains, a range of mountains in central Europe. The area is forming for the greater part of their extent a natural boundary of Hungary, in the shape of a semicircular belt of nearly 800 miles in length, extending from Orsova on the Servian frontier, to Presburg. Its breadth is considerable, reaching a maximum of 240 to 250 miles, between the Banat and Transylvania.

The Carpathian Mountain chain may be divided into two great sections, the East and the West Carpathians, the former curving from the mouth of the Nera to the source of the Theiss, and forming the boundary between Austria and Romania. The latter proceeded from the sources of the Theiss and the Pruth, terminating on the banks of the Danube west of Presburg, and forming the boundary between Hungary and Galicia.

To the western Carpathians belongs the remarkable group of the Tatra, in which is situated the culminating summit of the whole system, the Gerlsdorf Peak, 8,737 feet. Several other peaks exceed 8,000 feet. The loftiest summit of the eastern Carpathians reaches an elevation of 8,318 feet. The most remarkable and frequented passes are those of Teregova, leading from Orsova to Temcswar; of Vulkar, forming the valley in which the Schyl flows; and of the Rothenthurm, in a gorge formed by the Aluta at the foot of Mount Szurul.

The outer bend of the Carpathians is much steeper than that which descends toward the valleys of Transylvania and Hungary. The only important rivers that actually rise in the chain are the Vistula, the Dniester, and the Theiss. The formation of the Carpathians took place mostly in the Tertiary period, and was practically completed at the end of the Miocene. The eastern part of the Carpathian chain, from Orsova to the source of the Burcza, near Kronstadt, is entirely composed of primitive rocks. These are succeeded by grauwacke, which extends to the sources of the Theiss and is only interrupted by a primitive group between the pass of Borgo and the source of the Viso.

A great chain of trachyte appears on the frontiers of the Bukowina and stretches to the point where the Aluta begins to flow southwest. To the west of this chain, on approaching the plains, an extensive tract of sandstone belonging to the coal formation begins to appear and covers the greater part of Transylvania. Tertiary formations surround the vast plains of Hungary, which consist of a rich alluvium, and must once have been the bed of a lake. Basalt frequently occurs, but no distinct traces of extinct volcanoes have been found.

The Carpathian Mountains range is rich in minerals, including gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, and iron. Salt occurs in beds, which have sometimes a thickness of 600 or 700 feet, and are apparently inexhaustible. On the plateaus corn and fruit are grown to the height of 1,500 feet; higher up the mountain steeps are covered with forests of pine, some of them as high as 5,500 feet. About 6,000 feet seems to be the vegetable limit. Above it, a few lichens may be found, but in general, nothing is seen but bare, steep rocks, many of them in the form of conical peaks.

Râpa Roșie, Romania

Romania’s interrupted by a jagged red anomaly is guarded by the steep walls of the Râpa Roșie (Red Ravine). This is a natural geological reserve on the southwesterly part of the Secaşelor Plateau. Râpa Roșie is a protected area, in Alba County, Romania. It is a geological and botanical reserve with a size of approximately 24 hectares; the reserve is classified as IUCN Category III. Erosion and runoff has given it a prominent appearance in the mountainside. The water has carved deep into the gravel, sandstone, and quartz of the plateau’s sublayer, creating unusual natural spiked towers and pyramid shapes in the red clay. When the water falls into the ravines it makes a roaring sound. 

The result is frequently matched to the Grand Canyon; however, it’s not quite as huge. Râpa Roșie measures stretch over a length of 800 meters. The Rapa Rosie tallest peaks are about 300 feet. Over the last 60 million years, it is also ever-evolving, torrential rains cause obvious changes to the folds in the exclusively steep slopes. Tiered columns and pyramids, separated by ravines, form a badlands microrelief. Specialized studies showed there are 145 plant species of 41 families and 8 endangered species are characteristic to this area.

In 1865, the first archaeological exploration made by Fr. W. Schuster, revealed remnants of large and small pottery that had ornamentation, which also attested to the Coţofeni culture. The Red Ravine remains relatively unidentified, even to those who have lived nearby for years. There are local tales of World War I soldiers passing through the red ravine in order to get to Alba Iulia. Where are at the end of the war, representatives declared the union of Transylvania and Romania. Many other natural attractions nearby, archaeological excavations were carried out here and the remains of Coţofeni culture were found, as well as dinosaur bones of the early Miocene period (~15-23 million years ago).

The geological monument is easily called a natural wonder due to gravel, quartz sands, and sandstones. The deposits are the distinct succession of red clays, grey and reddish soap-stones, and friable white soapstone.  The area is home to numerous rare and endemic plants. Also, many largest Caves in the world were declared a natural monument. Its obscurity, and consequential lack of visitors, the ravine remains in beautiful shape. Râpa Roșie is one of the major touristic attractions in Alba County, but one of the most notable natural monuments in Romania and a European rarity. This is really a cool place to explore in the afternoon. 

Trovants Stones of Romania

Trovants couldn’t believe they are real. The mysterious living stones of Romania grow, when it rains and move from one place to another without any support. The Stones of Costesti (a small village) in Romania known as Trovants. These are type of sandstone concretion that secrete cement and can at times appear to grow as if alive. These Trovants are amazing geological phenomena consisting of stone core with an outer shell of sand. The local people have different thought and claims; these are growing stones after heavy rain, Trovants tend to appear with smooth and edgeless shapes, cylindrical, nodular, and spherical.

They’ve strong believed that these are type of sandstone concretion that secrete cement and can appear to grow at times, as if they are alive. These are majestic growing rocks seems identical look to sliding rocks of Death Valley. Trovants stones have puzzled experts ever since their discovery. No one can say with definite how these stones grow, and move. The perfect spherical shaped Trovants which sometimes can be found are believed to be because of great magnitudes and durations of the paleoearthquakes.

Trovants are Amazing Geological Phenomena When Mysterious Living Stones Move and Grow?

Trovants is a synonym of German term “Sandsteinkonkretionen”, which means Cemented Sand. In fact these are mesmerizing living stones when cut had spherical and ellipsoidal rings alike to the ones of tree trunk. There are numerous theories on Trovants stones, as scientists are baffled by the phenomenon and some explaining the origin and strange behavior of Trovants. There were few studies about origin of these growing stones of Romania, and there are several hypotheses, some of them even fantastical. Trovants were improperly considered as “sandstone concretions”.

It was found that there was no mineralogical difference between these pseudoconcretions and the surrounding sands, with no different nucleus inside them, and their cement is every so often carbonate-type. Scientists have observed odd rings which resemble those of the trees. And just like it is with the trees, the stone rings reveal the age of Trovants. That’s why many believe Trovants are an inorganic form of life.

The Trovants of Romania signify diagenetic textures shiny paleodynamic conditions and correspond to precise compactions of the sandy sediments holding locally solutions accumulated in the sand. Therefore, during important seismic shocks and under the influence of the internal cohesion forces tended to spherical forms. Also, the gravitation force, seismic shocks, solution cohesion forces and the adhesion strength between the sand grains and the liquid are believed to be involved in this process. The hypothesis on the seismic origin of the Trovants is very well sustained by several laboratory experiments. According to the International Geological Congress conducted in Oslo 2008, “Trovanti” were improperly considered as “sandstone concretions”.

There are various Trovants in Romania which are even diversely shaped. As far as the growth of these “living stones” is concerned, certain stones may gradually get slightly larger as the result of absorbing water, in this case, the accumulations and deposits of minerals cemented by waters rich in calcium carbonate seems to be the reason. Moreover, there was a sedimentation basin in this area some six million years ago, and the Trovants were not identical and complex aggregates of two ore more Trovants can every so often be found.

Trovants stone are unusually tough to break or smash. Generally, no one touches them, so they have the chance to grow from little pebbles to enormous megaliths. There is a museum in Romania, in which the fascinating stones are on display and sold as souvenirs. Even you can plant a Trovants in your garden and wait for it to grow. The biggest Trovants grow to more than 10 meters in height.

The growth of Trovants stones in Romania is believed to happen when a chemical reaction sets in between the layers of deposits and the mineral carbonates in the presence of rain water.  Hence, due to interesting ‘living rocks’ that seem to grow, the site became a good tourist attraction for Romania. To protect these unusual geological creations, the “Muzeul Trovantilor” or Trovants Museum Natural Reserve is now protected by UNESCO. Furthermore “Living stones” can also be found in Russia. A huge round stones periodically pop up from the ground and start to grow in the fields of Andreevka. So, if you ever go to Romania then you must have a stop at Costesti and explore the fascinating mysterious formations that continue to amaze both Scientists and tourists alike.

Hoia Baciu; The Most Haunted Forest in the World.

The Hoia Forest is a forest situated to the west of the city of Cluj-Napoca, near the open-air section of the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. Hoia Baciu is believed by several to be the most haunted forest in the world.  Hoia Baciu is the setting for a number of unexplained, spooky tales, even doesn’t help that the trees are bent and twisted in apparently strange ways, giving the woods a horror movie feel. The Hoia Forest is well-known worldwide for its alleged repeated and varied paranormal phenomena. The Hoia Baciu forest says to be named after a Sheperd that disappeared with 200 sheep into the forest. Due to its mysterious stories, it is called “the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania”

Numerous visitors to the Hoia Baciu have returned from their trip frightened, claiming that burns and rashes have appeared on their bodies for no apparent reason. Moreover, many even claim to have skipped a few hours during their exploration between the creepy trees. Though, they’ve no explanation for why they cannot remember what happened during the ”missing” hours. Various people are really convinced that ghostly apparitions hang around in the forest, and the locals completely refuse to set foot in it. Particularly since rumors of floating heads and voices emanating from the darkness started making the rounds. 

 

It all have started back in 1968 when “Alexandru Sift” took a picture inside the forest of what various continue to believe was a UFO. Another tenacious story tells of a shepherd venturing into the woods with 200 sheep, never to be seen or heard from again. Therefore, ongoing ghost hunts have turned up no sign as to what might be behind all the strange events taking place here, but paranormal specialists are not giving up the ghost just yet when it comes to studying Hoia Baciu and revealing its creepy secrets to the world. One legend says a five year old girl disappeared into the forest and didn't come out for five years and was wearing the same clothes she disappeared in 5 years ago. The forest has becomes famous among the paranormal and esoteric events experts & explorers from Germany, France, USA and Hungary visiting the Hoia Baciu Forest even during the communism and managing to catch some mysterious phenomena.

Bigar Waterfall Romania

Several peoples could not believe to see photos of real nature and said, “That just can’t be real”. The Bigar Waterfall pictures are one of them. Bigar Waterfall looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Bigar Waterfal is a protected area situated in the administrative territory of Bozovic which is in Caras severin County in southwestern Romania. Bigar Waterfall is located in the Anina Mountains in western part of Romania, this waterfall has found itself on myriad lists of fabulous places around the world and one of the most beautiful places in Romania and we can certainly understand why.

Bigar Waterfall drops in vertical stream from a moss-covered cliff and an underground water spring combine to create this beautiful and unique piece of nature. Bigar Waterfall is considered most unique & gorgeous waterfall in Romania. The underground spring streams from the cave above and then falls into Minis River. The lovely waterfall also occurs when melt water drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. But, all of the waterfalls don't look exactly like this. There are waterfalls that are so unusual and unique, to provoke disbelief and amazement of visitors. These wonders of nature are very rare and still largely unidentified to most people.

Well; according to The World Geography publication, the Bigar Cascade Fall from Caras-Severin is one of the most attractive waterfalls in Romania, astonishing through its remarkable show of the water spread in hundreds of threads on the green moss covered cliff, creating a elegant water veil. Two hundred meters above waterfall there is Izbucul Bigar that springs from a cave. These are surely exclusive landscapes. Moreover Bigar Cascafe Fall the visitors can like the artificial lake on the Minis Valley, Pestera Buhui (Buhui Cave) and Buhui Lake. They can get accommodation in Anina town or Resita town, the roads being practicable through the year.

 Source: Charismatic Planet