Mofeta Banu

by danpop

(about Covasna, Romania, added on Jun 21, 2009)

Covasna – The Little Wonder

11,369. This is the number of inhabitants of this city, in 2002. That doesn’t stop this city situated at an altitude of 550-600 meters to be the biggest center in Romania for treatment of heart diseases. Filled with hotels and health resorts, Covasna is not only a destination for elderly seeking for recovery, but also for students. This is because this city is included in the student’s camp program, each year. So, two times a year, in summer and in the winter, the city is packed with youngsters seeking for fun and somehow disturbing the calm and peace that surrounds this place. Exactly the calm and peace I want to relieve in this article. I came here sick of the agitation, the rush that surrounds my home town. The stress, the atmosphere that pushes you to insanity. Everything that resembles this is forgotten in Covasna. Here life is in another gear; a lower one. The salesman smile more often, here you can actually hear the birds singing, here you can actually look at the nature and do nothing else. Here the watch is dispensable.

How to get to Covasna

By car is the easiest way to get to Covasna, assuming you own a car. There are two ways to get here by car: from Sfantu Gheorghe, situated at 35 Km away and from Targu Secuiesc, a bit more far. The road from Sfantu Gheorghe is good, but what intrigues me is the large number of curves, many of them unnecessary. I don’t know why they decided to do the road like this. If you don’t posses a car, my case, the easiest way is to use the minibus. From Sfantu Gheorghe you can take one of the 4-7/day buses of the local Ecosil Company. It’s not expensive, less than 2 dollars. You can also use the bus. Timetables you can find on this site: http://www.ecosil.ro/. You can use the same transport company if you arrive from Brasov, it will be a bit expensive, 3.5 dollars, because the distance is bigger, 51 Km. You can also take the train from Sfantu Gheorghe, with the inconvenient that the train station in Covasna is 3 Km away from the city center. Taxi is out of the question, but there are busses that are synchronized with the train’s schedule. The train option is recommended for enthusiast and nostalgic, because it adds a taste of traditionalism in this modern and cold world (the trains name is "Mocanita") Of course, you can always try the hitch-hike, but with a notable mention: in Romania the drivers expect to be paid for "their services". More information about how to get there, on this site: http://www.bailecovasna.ro/content/view/38/52/lang,ro/ (in Romanian)

What to see in Covasna

The town has its own attraction, but mainly they lie a bit outside the town. In the center of Covasna there is something called "Balta Dracului" (The Devil’s Puddle). This is in fact a muddy volcano which emanates carbon dioxide and was used in the past for health treatments. This volcano is not so peaceful, the last great eruption being in 1984. Another attraction in the city is the house’s gates. They are made in a specific traditional way, with the wood being sculptured with different models.

A bit far from the town (walking, about 5 Km) there is "Valea Zanelor" (The Fairy Valley). It’s a perfect walking place, and at the end you will see a breathtaking landscape over the entire area. It’s a romantic, but also spectacular place. You will pass next to the ruins of an old castle, called "Cetatea Zanelor" (The Fairy’s Fortress). Now the place is taken by archeologists that try to unfold the history behind those ruins. They believe that the fortress was build even before Dacians making this a really important mark in Romanian History.

The visitors of Covasna can enjoy seeing (if they walk a bit, like 2 Km from Valea Zanelor) a technical monument unique in Europe: Planul Inclinat (Inclined Plane). This was used in the past for carrying wood without using additional energy sources. Only gravity was used, since 1890 when the construction was finished. The amount of wood carried was 30 wagons per day, each one with 10 cubic meters of wood. That’s 300 cubic meters per day, an impressive number. Unfortunately, nowadays this engineering monument is no longer in use, not even as a tourist attraction (only rarely). Plans are, thought to revive this really extraordinary monument. The brave ones can still climb to the top where the panoramic view is extraordinary.

With all this tourist attractions, Covasna remains well known for its curative mineral waters. The wonder is called "Mofeta" and it’s like a sauna, but without a heat source. The gas from the volcano mountains below can do miracles for many diseases. The effect on the muscles and on the blood vessels recommends this treatment for heart diseases, for strokes, high blood pressure, or rheumatism. But not only that: skin problems, or other endocrines problems are ameliorated. Covasna is indeed a health oasis.