Geo and historical sites day tour

Description Geo and historical sites day tour

A small group day tour to the impressive Rupea Fortress and to the epic Racos Geological Complex.

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Rates:

• 169 euros for one person (When you book the rate as one person, in case we have other clients, we refund the difference you paid as a solo traveler, after the tour).
• 109 euros/person for a minimum of two people

The package includes:

• transportation: by car or minibus with an air conditioning system
• Licensed English-speaking tour guide
• entrance fees

Not included:

• lunch, drinks, tips

Duration: 8-9 h
Highlights: Rupea Fortress, The Basalt Columns, Brazi Lake, called by the locals The Emerald Lake

Guaranteed departure: all year round!

Meeting point: The History Museum Piata Sfatului Square – 8:30 AM. Our guide holds the sign "Meeting Point GUARANTEED DEPARTURES DAY TOURS”.

Necessary: Please make your booking at least 1 day in advance, up to 8 PM.

Route: Brasov - Rupea Fortress - Racos village - Brasov

Drive about 1 hour to visit Rupea, a remarkable fortress with three rings from the 14th century, built on a basalt rock. Inside the fortress, there is a well 60 m deep. The water is still drinkable.

Continue to Racos village (20 minutes driving), mentioned historically in 1421. Visit the Sükösd-Bethlen Castle, located in the central part of the village. The Castle, built in 1624 by Sükösd Istvan on the domain granted by the Transylvanian prince Gabriel Bethlen, is characterized by a rectangular fortification with towers in the corners and an interior yard. Initially, the castle's central role was defensive, serving against Ottoman invasions and peasants' revolts. Later, the residential function was added to the castle. In time, the castle was owned by the powerful Transylvanian family Teleki, and in 1903 it became a property of the village of Racos.

Drive 5 minutes to the astonishing Racos Geological Complex. The Quaternary basaltic eruptions from the Persani Mountains area represent the last manifestations of volcanism in the Carpathian Mountains and form the "Basalt Triangle" (Racos - Rupea - Comana de Sus). The volcanic eruptions took place between 2 - 0.5 million years ago, and the most crucial basalt outcrops are protected nowadays by the following geo-sites of national importance: Racos Geological Complex and Rupea Basaltic cliff.

Today, the Racos Geological Complex preserves the Quaternary basaltic volcanic eruptions from approximately 1.3 - 1.5 million years ago that are visible today in the three quarries.

Visit Brazi Basalt Quarry, where Brazi Lake began to form after mining activities ceased, and locals refer to it as Emerald Lake. Continue to the Basalt Columns Natural Monument. The basalt mining stopped in the 1960s, when the site was declared a natural monument. Looking at the columns, we see the following sequence of "basalt laying": at the base, on a height of 6-8m, vertical, decimetric and pentagonal columns; above the decimetric columns, an horizontal basaltic flow with a maximum thickness of 2 meters; metric, vertical and pentagonal columns develop over the basaltic flows.

Heghes Basalt Scoria Quarry, known as the Extinct Volcano, was closed in 2021. However, we can still take a walk to visit it from above (no pictures allowed).

Important Information

• Your local contact is Active Travel Day Tours on 0040728804952.
• Please note: Complimentary pick-up from Brasov is offered for this tour/activity. If you require this service, you must contact Active Travel Day Tours at
  • Locally on 0040728804952
  • By email at marian@activetravel.ro
  Please get in touch with us at least 24 days before your tour/activity date to verify your pick-up time and location. If you are not arriving within the specified timeframe, please get in touch with Active Travel Day Tours before your travels, or immediately upon arrival at your destination.
• Please be ready at least 10 minutes before departure time.

Map of visited POI's:

View route