The Emerald Lake was formed inside the former Brazi quarry, where, in the old days, basaltic rocks were exploited. The lake has a depth greater than 10 m and is 100 m long. It was formed following the accumulation of rain water, in the place from which, 10 years ago, the basalt was exploited.

The extinguished volcano and the basalt columns are also part of the nature reserve in Racoș.

The extinguished volcano in Racos (!Netflix rented Heghes quarry for shooting. Tourists can no longer visit the extinguished volcano until October 2021)

The extinguished volcano in Racos is known as the most recent activite volcano in Romania, even though the last time it erupted was thousands of years ago. As a result of the eruption and cooling of the lava, the slag, the basalt and the porous rock called pumice stone were formed. The inhabitants of Racos made their homes out of that rock. The castle of Racos is also built from pumice stone. Slag has been exploited from the Racos crater for a long time, but now the area is declared a protected area, so any intervention is forbidden by law.

The basalt columns, declared as a natural geological reserve, have heights of 12 m and have emerged as a result of the rapid cooling of the volcanic wash.

entry fee: the price of a ticket is 15 lei for adults and 10 lei for children and it includes the visit of the Bethlen Castle in Racos that you can easily reach on your way back

Sukosd-Bethlen Renaissance Castle

The castle was built in the 17th century, belonging to the Sükősd family, on the domain received from Gabriel Bethlen. The castle, built on 2 levels, was surrounded by defense walls, and the batons once housed elegant salons or storage rooms. At the moment, the castle is a ruin, affected by a fire during the bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1848-1849. Don’t be afraid to climb into the castle tower, the wooden stairs are solid enough, and from there you can see the extinguished volcano!