The Trovantians from Chiojdu, Siriu Mountains

Chiojdu Village – The Trovantians from Chiojdu

Where are they found?

The Trovantians from Chiojdu are located at the foot of the Siriu mountains, west of the town of Chiojdu, Buzău county, on the Păltinea mountain, at an altitude of 750 meters above sea level. Chiojdu is located 80 km from Buzău which can be reached in 1.5 hours via DN10 / DJ102B / DJ102L or 70 km from Ploiesti which can also be traveled in 1.5 hours via DN1A / DJ102B / DJ102L. From Bucharest it is 130 km to Chiojdu via Ploiești, which can be traveled in 2.5 hours. You can park on the main street of the village, next to the information center, located on the left, a little before the entrance to the route itself.

About the Trovantians from Chiojdu

Trovantians, which are also called “living stones”, are sandstones developed in sand “grown together”, i.e. “glued” with natural carbonate cement. Thus, these formations grow from the center to the outside by about 1 cm every 300 years. Their shapes are interesting, similar to cylinders, ellipsoids, spheres, figures of 8 and have a somewhat polished outer surface. In Romania, trovantians are found in several areas: in Chiojdu, in Buzău county; in Costești, in Vâlcea county; on Valea Bezdeadului, in Dâmbovița county; at Ulmet in the Buzăului Mountains, where there are the most and most interesting shapes; in the area of Cluj, Hunedoara, Bacău, Suceava, Bistrița Năsăud and Dolj counties.

Route Map

(click on objectives for extended version)

Technical Box

Length: 3 km

Duration: 1-1.5 h going up, 1 h going down

Marking: blue band

Difficulty: Easy

Difference in level: +250 m

Minimum altitude: 500 m

Maximum altitude: 750 m

1. Entering the route

The best landmark is the local tourist information center, which I found open and welcoming. It is on the left side of the road we came on, after we pass the Town Hall and a little before a sign to the right towards Cătiașu, the direction in which the red cross marking starts and leads to a lookout point. We start the walk forward another 200 meters upstream past the Bâsca Chiojdului mountain to a bridge and other markings – forward on the blue lane towards the Ciucaș Mountains and on the red dot towards Vulturilor Lake in the Siriu Mountains and respectively to the left towards the trovants.

signs

tourist information center

Chiojdu village

signs at the deck

2. Suspended deck

A large indicator placed at the end of the bridge shows us that we have 1 – 2 hours to travel on the blue tape marking to reach Trovanții from Chiojdu. We have to cross the suspension bridge over the Bâsca Chiojdului river. The deck is quite long and wobbly, but well anchored to the banks. From the deck you can see 2 relays, which are our new landmarks. After crossing the bridge, follow the street on the river bank to the right, which then goes away from it, going up through the village. We don’t leave the mark.

sign

suspension bridge

Bâsca Chiojdului

suspension bridge

3. The climb

At the exit of the village, we make a wider turn to the left. The path is well marked and wide. It climbs along the edge of a sparse deciduous forest and through clearings to emerge into an open space. Towards the back, the panorama opens over the village of Chiojdu. The last part of the climb is a bit steeper and goes through a wooded area to reach a gorgeous clearing. It is located under one of the relays. This is the right place for a well-deserved stop.

relays

stony landscape

rocks

spring flower

our route

relays

4. The Trovantians

To reach the trovants we cross the clearing. On the other side of it we find the path, but the markings are missing. We already have the trovans in front of our eyes, so we can’t lose the route anymore. It takes 5 minutes to walk from the clearing to the trovants. There are many places suitable for pictures near the trovants. From here you can see the Chiojdului Basca Valley and the village of Chiojdu, and in the distance, slightly to the left, the Siriu Mountains, with their highest peak Mâlâia (1,662 m). We saw him dressed in a snow-white dress.

Chiojdu village

relay

trovants

Siriu Mountains

Mălâia peak

Conclusion

The little-known trovants of Chiojdu are easily accessible on a leisurely hike, in which children can also participate. On the way down, visit the House of Coats of Arms in the village.

All the best!

Steps: