Saint Ana Lake

In Eastern Transylvania, there is an area little known by tourists, hiding a great variety of attractions and priceless tourist riches, the Székely area.
We depart from Braşov on the old road connecting the two historical regions - Transylvania and Moldavia - and, as we pass into The Land of Székely, we smell the caramel sugar of kurtos kalacs, a delicious traditional product of the Hungarian community in Romania.
We cross a fairy-like region, with large wheat crops and with green hills nesting picturesque settlements around the churches. We stop for a few moments in Târgu Secuiesc, in the historical town centre, listed in the Romanian building patrimony, being unique in Europe by its oval centre, out of which emerge the courtyards of the craftsmen (currently become small streets) in the shape of rays of sun, in order to discover and enjoy the specific architecture. We cannot fail to notice the city hall building (1907), the old building of Vigadó (1903-1904).
We go on through the treed peaks of Bodoc and we reach the permanent balneary and climatic resort of Balvanyos, situated at an altitude of 840 – 950 metres. The resort provides its guests with the conditions of a perfect getaway for rest and recovery by means of its mineral springs with therapeutic properties and of the post-volcanic discharges as mofette. From here, we go on to the only volcanic lake in Romania and Eastern Europe - Lake Sfânta Ana, considered a natural reserve; on its shores, we find a Roman-Catholic chapel, holding the name of Saint Anne.
Lake Sfânta Ana and Tinovul Mohoş nearby form the twin craters of Ciomatul volcano. During millennia, Lake Mohoş has shrunken, by transforming into an alpine swamp. During heavy rain, the swampy peat underlayer, 10-metre thick, absorbs water like a sponge and can swallow anyone lost here.

In the swamp considered as a rarity of nature there are 17 lakes whose water is almost black - real traps for the people who venture into the reserve without knowing its features. The reserve holds several botanic rarities having survived since ice age. One of the best known is Roua cerului (common sundew), a minuscule carnivorous plant which feeds on insects 10 or 15 times larger than it, by attracting them with its tentacles covered with drops of poisonous sap shining in the sun.
We depart afterwards to Băile Tuşnad (Tuşnad Baths) balneary and climatic resort, located in the Southern part of Ciuc Depression, at a 650-metre altitude, in the gorgeous Olt gorge. Tuşnad Baths are located in an extremely picturesque landscape, having a tonic mountain bioclimate, favourable to psychical recovery.
We continue our route by taking Olt Valley, bordered by Baraolt Mountains on one side and by Bodoc Mountains on the other side, through settlements with balneary and climatic possibilities, rich in mineral springs, mineral sludge, and mofette.
Afterwards, we visit the most representative of the fortified citadel-churches of Transylvanian Germans, included on the list of UNESCO monuments, Prejmer Citadel. The defence wall, thick of 6 metres in certain areas and high of 14 metres, holds one of the oldest and best preserved late Gothic style evangelic churches, dating back to 1241, as well as the storage rooms of the locals, the school, and the village guilds' workshops.