The visit to the geological complex at Racosul de Sus deserves all your attention. It is a combination of a walk in nature and a geology lesson.

The visit includes 3 points of interest: Emerald Lake, Basalt Columns and the volcanic cone. If I were to suggest an order, I would say to start with Emerald Lake, then the basalt columns and lastly the volcanic cone, this being the largest site but also the most impressive.

The Racos Volcano, approximately 1.2 million years old, is the last volcanic manifestation in the Carpathians. When you visit the cone pick up a rock to see how "heavy" it is. See how porous it is? Like a sponge.

In the place of this lake in the early 2000s there was an active stone quarry from which basalt was exploited. With the deepening of the quarry, a level was reached from which a small spring of water burst forth. This, together with rainwater and melting snow, formed a lake whose level increases annually by a few centimeters.

Today the lake has a depth of approx. 15-20 meters. The "emerald" color of the lake is due to green algae and very small rock particles that are suspended in the lake, reflecting sunlight. The most intense color of the lake is in spring and summer when the algae bloom.