CARPATERRA ASPIRING GEOPARK

The prospective Carpaterra Geopark is located in Braşov County, in the Racoş – Rupea area, and includes the only place in the country where a Quaternary-age (1.2 million years) maar-type volcanism is known. Maar volcanoes are explosive volcanoes, resulting from phreato-magmatic eruptions, which produce low scoria cones around a central crater. Basaltic lava accumulated in the lava lake in the crater formed, by cooling, vertical columns. With an area of only 271 km2 on the territory of 7 villages and a town, the Geopark includes 11 natural heritage sites (including 5 geological and paleontological nature reserves and 2 Natura 2000 sites) and 10 cultural heritage sites (fortified churches, fortresses and two Dacian archaeological sites – Tipia Racoșului and Piatra Detunată). The geological heritage includes scoria cones (Hegyes volcano), basalt flows (basalt columns), blocks from debris avalanches of the Vârghiș volcano (Geological reserve Stânca basaltica de la Rupea), mud volcanoes from Homorod, salt water fountains (Slatina Racoș and Slatina Mercheașa) and the Carhaga fossiliferous point. In addition to those mentioned above, within the Geopark there are also abandoned and active quarries, fortified churches (Rupea, Homorod, Mercheașa and Fișer), the Racoș Reformed Church, the Sükösd-Bethlen Castle, the Jimbor Peasant Citadel and the avifaunistic protection site (SPA) Turzun’s Elbow.