Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful
about 11 hours ago
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
1 day ago
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
2 days ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Romania Scorțoasa Berca Mud Volcanoes

Berca Mud Volcanoes

A muddy alien landscape that is home to rare species of exotic plants.

Scorțoasa, Romania

Added By
Sam
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Mud Volcano   Malte Jörn Krafft/Wikimedia
Mud Volcano   Malte Jörn Krafft/Wikimedia
The biggest mud volcano from Little Mud Volcanoes location   Laurentiuconstantinescu/Wikimedia
Nitraria schoberi, a rare, salt-tolerant shrub   Peripitus?Wikimedia
The volcanoes from a distance   Qvadratvs/Wikimedia
Berca Mud Volcanoes   MariaOMG/Wikimedia
Mud bubble   Radu Ana Maria/Wikimedia
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological wonder, hidden deep in the wilds of Eastern Romania.

There's something bizarre and comical about large mud bubbles forming and popping, the earth's natural gas erupting up through salty, underground water and mud. The gray, thick clay-like mud dries, creating conical volcano shapes, and spew out surprisingly colorful mud bubbles that display an array of earth tone browns and ochres. Mud Volcanoes are very rare in Europe, making the Berca location a curious tourist spot and a must-see for photographers looking for unusual scenery. The lack of vegetation adds to the surreal landscape, but is unsurprising. What could possibly live in this unfriendly, salt-saturated environment?

There are a few formidable little flora called halophyte plants, which won't be thwarted by a little mud and salt. Nitraria schoberi and Obione verrucifera are two salt-tolerant shrubs that thrive in this otherwise inhospitable soil, thriving in salinity as only 2% of the plant world can. Sheltering these hardy plants is one of the main reasons the mud volcanoes was declared a natural reserve, and is now legally protected. 

The locals refer to these mud volcanoes as "The Gates of Hell," not to be confused with Turkmenistan's fiery, horrific Gates of Hell. They also brag of two separate locations quite simply dubbed Little Mud Volcanoes and The Big Mud Volcanoes. The area is difficult to get to, so private transport is suggested. The area is...well...muddy, so dress appropriately, especially footwear. The area includes hiking spots, a restaurant, a visitor's center for information about the volcanoes and surrounding flora and fauna, and a mini-motel if you just can't bear to leave. 

 

Related Tags

Mud Volcanoes Natural Wonders Geological Oddities Geology Landscapes Flora Nature Plants
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights

Discover Romania's Medieval Castles & Culture.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

SamM

Edited By

Rachel

  • Rachel

Published

November 2, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berca_Mud_Volcanoes
  • http://www.romania-insider.com/travel-planner-the-muddy-volcanoes-in-buzau/4008/
  • https://www.crescentrating.com/romania-guide-for-muslim-travelers/item/3312-mud-volcano-in-buzau-romania.html
  • http://www.uncover-romania.com/attractions/nature/berca-mud-volcanoes.html
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV0gQe8YFcs
Berca Mud Volcanoes
Scorțoasa
Romania
45.385278, 26.716111

Nearby Places

Doftana Penitentiary

Telega, Romania

miles away

Iulia Hasdeu Castle

Câmpina, Romania

miles away

Snagov Monastery

Snagov Island, Romania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Romania

Romania

Europe

Places 73
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Doftana Penitentiary

Telega, Romania

miles away

Iulia Hasdeu Castle

Câmpina, Romania

miles away

Snagov Monastery

Snagov Island, Romania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Romania

Romania

Europe

Places 73
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Râpa Roșie.

    Municipiul Sebeș, Romania

    Râpa Roșie

    Romania's "Red Ravine" is a little-known natural wonder that bears a resemblance to the Grand Canyon.

  • Part of Providence Canyon from rim near entrance road

    Lumpkin, Georgia

    Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area

    Bad farming practices caused this unnatural natural wonder.

  • The salt lake becomes colorful in warm temperatures because of algae growth

    Yuncheng, China

    Yuncheng Salt Lake

    Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe.

  • Trollskogen

    Borgholm, Sweden

    Trollskogen (The Troll Forest)

    Crooked windswept pines give this old forest an enchanted and magical look.

  • Painted Dunes from the top of the adjacent cinder cone.

    Old Station, California

    Painted Dunes

    Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

  • Kodachrome Basin State Park

    Henrieville, Utah

    Kodachrome Basin Spires

    This quiet park's strange sedimentary spires were named after Kodak's color film.

  • Jekyll Island, Georgia

    Driftwood Beach

    Constant erosion has created a surreal landscape of bleached and preserved fallen trees.

  • Fairy Glen, as viewed from Castle Ewan.

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    Fairy Glen

    This dramatic landscape hidden on the Isle of Skye looks as though you've stepped into the magical realm.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.