Vulcanii Noroioși Pâclele Mari — Attraction in Scorțoasa

On a road trip around Romania, I had the pleasure of exploring Vulcanii Noroioși Pâclele Mari, a lesser-known but absolutely fascinating natural site. Nestled in a tranquil countryside, this place is home to small mud volcanoes, a geological phenomenon that is both rare and intriguing.

I was captivated by the lunar-like landscape. The mud volcanoes, though small in size, created an otherworldly atmosphere. It was fascinating to watch as the mud bubbled and spewed from these natural structures, offering a glimpse into the dynamic processes taking place beneath the Earth's surface.

The site is well-organized, with clear signage and pathways that allow visitors to navigate the area safely while getting up close to the mud volcanoes. The surrounding landscape also offers some picturesque views of the Romanian countryside, perfect for those who appreciate both geology and scenic beauty.

Visitors should be prepared for a bit of a walk from the parking area to the volcanoes and wear appropriate footwear, as the terrain can get muddy. Also, there aren't many facilities like cafes or restaurants nearby, so it's a good idea to bring water and snacks.

A fun fact about Vulcanii Noroioși Pâclele Mari, several scenes of the Netflix show "Django" were filmed there. As a matter of fact, the entire series was...

It was amazing.

We visited on a cloudy, but fair wather day and I suggest you should do the same. If it rains, the soil will be really hard to traverse.

We started with Paclele Mari. The road to it is ok-ish. Not terrible, but you should pay attention to all the pot holes. Be very careful with children, dogs and other animals since, from our experience, they tend to jump the street.

Parking is 5 RON, access ticket for adults is 4 RON.

The landscape is otherwordly. Deep ridges, gray and redish-brown devoided of life soil, bubbly volcanoes and a mud that smells like fosil fuels. We enjoyed it.

Careful with the mud. Its sticky as heck, smells like crude oil and its very hard to remove from clothes/shoes/fabric. Can also iritate the skin because of its composition.

Once you pass the ticketing gate, you can freely explore and I suggest to take your time and do so.

After Paclele Mari we went back, on the main road, to Paclele Mici. The trail to Paclele Mici si behind Camping Muddy. Its marked and easy to follow. Same acces pricess as before and you'll need a sifderent ticket for them, purchaseable on the premise.

We found Paclele Mici more interesting that Paclele Mari. They volcanoes there are more active, more numerous and spread on a...

This is a really unique and wonderful place. There are also some funny labels which you some interesting information about the muddy volcanos. It has to be a must for every turist and local to visit these volcanos. It is a shame for me that I as a local romanian citizen never heard about this place, and it was not presented for us neither during the geography classes. Also you should take into consideration to visit the "smaller" volcanos, the Vulcanii Noroiosi Paclele Mici, which are 2 km away from this place. There are even more volcanos on a bigger field. The Vulcanii Noroiosi Paclele Mari are easily accessible via car, the road is not in the best conditions, but it is acceptable and asphalted. Exactly near the entrance there is a parking place which you have to pay for, but going further just for around 200 or 300 meters there is a tax free parking place. In case you want to spend a night or so in this environment with a tent or a camping van, you can do it at a camping called Muddy Camping, which is really close to the Vulcanii Noroiosi Paclele Mici. The people here are very nice, they know english. The bathrooms are clear, you can also have access to a fridge and not ultimately the view...