For those who are looking for unusual places in Romania, the «Babele de la Ulmet» will not disappoint their expectations, especially if visited out of season or in wintertime.
There is little information available on this atypical site, which stands alone on the crest of a hill, lost in the middle of “Luana kingdom” between fields and forests.
The Trovanti stones (also called "living stones" or "erratic boulders") are calcareous rocks, formed in remote times by river sediments, made of calcium carbonate and layers of sand (sandstone).
Because of their trend to "grow", these particular stones have been the subject of myths and legends, not only in Romania, but worldwide. Local traditions assign them supernatural capacities, such protecting homes and cemeteries (actually, they can be seen in front of houses in the Ulmet area and not only there). Some people also think that they have powers of spontaneous growth or movement, all these phenomena can of course be scientifically explained.
There are Trovanti stones in different places, in Romania and in other countries, but those of Ulmet are particular for their location and shape, very different ones from the others. There are some of them called the Whale, the Columns and others whose name is left to the visitor's imagination.
It takes about two and a half hours by car to reach Ulmet from Bucharest, but you need to take into account the weather conditions, with particular regard to the last part of the road, which can be rather muddy, especially in case of rain or snow. Once you are there, it takes about ten minutes on foot to reach the main site and then another fifteen minutes to get higher up to the so-called "Columns".
For the more adventurous hikers, the trail continues through the forest to the village of Muscelu Cărămănești.
The path in the wooded area is well indicated, at least up to the ancient water well, still in use, of which unfortunately I was unable to find the origin and history, after doing some quick searches on the web.
For photography lovers, each stone of the "Babele de la Ulmet" offers interesting perspectives, without leaving aside the dreamlike atmospheres which may surround you while walking in the forest during wintertime, in the middle of the clouds and close to wild animals, whose presence you can feel not too far away.
For more pictures, you can visit the page of my site dedicated to the Trovanti of the “Babele de la Ulmet” (https://www.ldmphotography.com/trovanti) or in the pages “The Sound of Silence” (https://www.ldmphotography.com/the-sound-of-silence) and "Creatures" (https://www.ldmphotography.com/creature) for some other photographs of this amazing place.
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