Muzeul Trovanților, Nature reserve in Costești, Romania.
Muzeul Trovanților is a nature reserve in Costești featuring spherical and ellipsoidal rock formations rising from sandy ground. These geological structures occupy approximately 1.1 hectares of protected land and create an open-air museum experience.
The site received official protection status through a government decision in December 2005. Since then, it has been administered as part of Buila-Vânturarița National Park.
Local residents call these geological formations living stones because they appear to grow larger after heavy rainfall. The name reflects the lasting impression these structures have made on the people living nearby.
The location sits about 8 kilometers from Horezu and offers free entry to visitors. Information panels at the entrance help explain the geological formations.
These sandstone concretions formed through natural cementation processes triggered by seismic activity thousands of years ago in the Vâlcea region. The precise mechanism behind their formation remains a geological puzzle that researchers continue to investigate.
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