In Harghita County, Romania, there are two volcanic craters, around which there is a unique European natural reservation on an area of 240 ha.
In one of these craters the only volcanic lake in Romania was formed: Saint Anne Lake, and in the second lake there is an oligotrophic swampy area of 80 ha, namely Tinovul Mohos, located at 1050 m altitude.
The surface of this bog is almost 4 times larger than that of the Lake St. Anne, and its depth reaches 20 m in some places. The birth certificate of this reservation is lost in the mists of time, 30,000 years ago.
The crater that houses the Tinov erupted first, forming a lake. The volcanic ash thrown when the second crater erupted, clogged this lake, forming the peat moss, which gives an almost black shade to the 20 meshes of water scattered on the surface of Tinov.
These dark meshes are not supplied with water, except by precipitation. Four of them have a unique feature: they have a double bottom in the shape of an amphora. The lake bed closes in the middle, then reopens to the second bottom, taking the shape of that amphora. Inside the Reservation there is a wooden path-walkway, on which specialized people are guiding tourists on 800 m to the two existing water holes along the path.
Another history of the place leads us over the years 2012-2014, when the peat bog was attacked by xylophagous swamp insects, which destroyed a large part of the wild pines and especially the birches in the tree population.
Tinovul Mohos is also known for its carnivorous plants such as Roua Cerului, nicknamed after an insect eater, but also the Peat Rosemary (pictured), a plant with 10 times more poisonous than Romanian "matraguna". Its poison leaves no traces, being undetectable in the body for 72 hours after death, after which it decomposes. All these, but also many others are told by local people in funny stories, by the guides of the Natural Park, most of them villagers.
This natural reservation is located between the spa resorts Tusnad and Balvanyos the custodian being a local: Loti Baci. The 435 ha domain is owned by villagers, the tourism providing the financial resources for the maintenance of the reservation. For local people, the care and love for nature is on the first place.
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