In the village of Naeni, in Buzau county, the
\ntradition of stone carving has been preserved unaltered to this day. The
\nlimestone quarry nearby provides plenty of raw material, while a neighbouring
\nhill top is the site of a well-known sculpture camp. Other tourist attractions
\nin Buzau include the Muddy Volcanoes, the Siriu Dam, the Eagles’ Lake, the
\nLiving Fire, the cave settlements, the Amber Museum and a series of wine
\ncellars. Elena Stanciu, a local guide from Naeni told us the area has become
\nincreasingly popular as a tourist destination:<\/p>\n
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The ancient tradition of stone carving has been preserved unaltered in
\nNaeni. The craft of stone carving has been handed down from one generation to
\nanother as early as the Stone Age, and in time it has become a form of art.
\nOther attractions include the sculpture camp and the nearby group of lime
\nsculptures made by children from Naeni, Slobozia and Chisinau. These are
\nlocated on top of a hill that provides great vistas of the surroundings. To the
\nnorth, visitors see the ridge of the Carpathians, while to the south lies the
\nBaragan Plain. Another attraction in the region is a church made from a single
\nblock of stone originating from Naeni and surrounded by stone walls, like an
\nold fortress. This type of church is unique in Romania and in Europe. The stone
\nused to make the church comes from the nearby 100-metre deep quarry. Both the
\ninterior and exterior decorations of the church, as well as its altar screen, were
\nmade using limestone from Naeni. <\/p>\n
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Most tourist sites in the region are located within 10 km of each other,
\nwhich is an advantage for visitors to the area. While some of these sites are
\nnot easily reached by car, it won’t take you more than a day to visit them all.
\nThe local guide Elena Stanciu tells us what else we can see in the Naeni area: <\/p>\n
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I would also
\nrecommend the pre-historic grottoes placed strategically on the upper crest of
\nthe Colarea hill, close to the stone church. A hearth, mural paintings and
\nweapons and tools were discovered in one of these grottoes. A Dacian necropolis
\nlies very close to the stone church and consists of a group of tombs carved in
\nstone. A small Dacian settlement has been reconstructed here with support form
\nthe Sfantu Sava Foundation in Buzau. Called the Dacian Village, it consists of
\nthree earth huts and a shelter. Two huts have already been built and are now
\ninhabited by the volunteers who help with the construction of the Dacian
\nVillage. The site can be visited free of charge from Monday to Friday. Visitors
\nlove it here. Beginning next year, the huts will be rented to tourists wishing
\nto see how our ancestors used to live 2,500 years ago. <\/p>\n
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The Buzau area is
\nfamous for its wine cellars and there’s also a tourist wine route if you wish
\nto sample the local offer. Local guide Elena Stanciu says the area is popular
\nwith tourists because of its wines and the beautiful natural scenery: <\/p>\n
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The scenery in
\nBuzau Mountains is truly charming. The best-known destinations are Siriu Dam
\nand the Eagles’ Lake, a truly special place. Also, many of the tourists
\nreaching Naeni also visit the Muddy Volcanoes. Many people who come to Naeni
\nalso visit the Living Fire, the Ciolanu Monastery, the Amber Museum and many
\nother sites, well known among tourists at home and abroad. Autumn is a great
\nseason for a trip to these parts. We have groups visiting every week, and
\neverybody tells us this area is every bit as impressive as they heard it was.<\/p>\n
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This is an area to visit any time of the year.
\nNo matter when you get here, you will also be charmed by the local cuisine,
\nespecially the pickles from Sarata Monteoru, only 23 km away from Naeni. Here
\nis Cristina Partal, the head of the Buzau branch of the National Association
\nfor Rural and Eco Tourism: <\/p>\n
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The resort of
\nSarata Monteoru, which was first mentioned in historical records by Grigore
\nConstantin Monteoru in 1895 is well known for its naturally salty waters which
\nhave a great reputation for treating rheumatism, stomach and gynaecological
\nconditions, as well as for cooking. In Sarata Monteoru they pickle almost
\nanything, from baby watermelons to plums, quinces, apples, onion, cauliflower,
\nand even red beets, which lends a reddish hue to the other pickles. They even
\npickle grapes, which are great with venison, because Buzau is also a great
\nhunting area.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The tradition of stone carving has been preserved unaltered in the village of Naeni, in Buzau county.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":148232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43423],"tags":[36664,43990,43991],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-148231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-guide","tag-buzau","tag-naeni","tag-stone-carving"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n