Covasna: Mofettes and the Szekler Land
Travel guide · editorialA trip to Covasna takes you into the southeastern Szekler Land, where most residents speak Hungarian and mineral water bubbles out of almost every hillside. Covasna County is small, but its spa towns with carbon dioxide baths are unique in Romania.
A Land of Springs
Covasna lies in the Three Seats basin, surrounded by the Eastern Carpathians. Volcanic activity deep underground means carbonated springs emerge everywhere; locals call the water "Borvíz," or wine water. The small town of Covasna is known as the town of a thousand springs. In the Pokolsár, the Devil's Puddle, cold water seethes as gas rises through it. In the mofettes, masonry pits filled with dry carbon dioxide, spa guests stand waist-deep in the gas, which is said to stimulate circulation and blood flow. Similar facilities can be found in Malnaș-Băi and in the mountain spa resort of Balvanyos. From Covasna, the route of an old forest railway with an inclined plane leads up into the mountains, a technical landmark.
Sfântu Gheorghe and the Villages
The county seat, Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy in Hungarian), is a center of Szekler culture. The Szekler National Museum, housed in a building by the architect Károly Kós, displays traditional costumes, painted furniture, and ceramics. In Târgu Secuiesc (Kézdivásárhely), the houses cluster around a large market square with narrow courtyard alleys. The villages are home to fortified churches and old churches; in Ghelința, medieval frescoes depicting the legend of Saint Ladislaus have been preserved. Carved Szekler gates at the farmsteads, with dovecotes under the roof and inscriptions in the wood, welcome visitors. In summer, many towns hold village festivals with folk dancing and brass music, and guesthouses offer hikes and horseback rides into the surrounding forests, where bears also live.
Cuisine, Getting There, and the Best Time to Visit
Szekler cuisine is hearty: goulash, cabbage with smoked meat, chimney cake (Kürtőskalács), and pálinka. The best time to visit is from May to September; the spa towns are open year-round, and in winter there is often snow in Balvanyos. Brașov, with the nearest larger train station, is only about 30 kilometers from Sfântu Gheorghe, and the new Brașov-Ghimbav Airport (GHV) is just under an hour's drive away.