ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Coordinating teacher: Mihai Daniel Frumușelu

STUDENTS’ SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUMUSAMV MIEADR 2015

• Two major tourist attractions are located at above 2200m altitude (2216m, to be precise): the Sphinx , an old stone looking like a human face, apparently formed by wind erosion, and the closeby ” Old Women” (Romanian: Babele), a rock formation resembling human silhouettes.

• The mountains morphology is done by a hanging plateau deeply carved by glaciers and by Ialomita River with its tributaries. Whole structure dips towards the south, starting from an altitude of 2507m (Omu Peak).

• The outer rim of the horseshoe comprises of near-vertical cliffs which drop up to 1000m, while the inner rim is generally gentler. Towers and narrow cricks adorn the abrupt margins, and glacial circle valleys proceed through small plateaus where glaciers developed in former times. Waterfalls constitute Bucegi Plateauanother interesting feature of the mountains. Inside the "horseshoe", Ialomita river cut out gorges and caves through limestone and conglomerates. The most recent nature's artwork is the aeolian abrasion over the isolated sandstone cliffs from the top plateau, giving the "Sphinx" and "Babele" (Old ladies) sculptures. The mountains were declared National Park in 1990.

• Of the 50 types of forestry formations existing in Romania, 12 (24%) exist in the Bucegi National Park. 60% of the Natural Park’s surface area (19.633 ha) is covered by forests. The area includes a concentration of 1245 types of plants. Given the average density of plant species at the national level the one of the Bucegi region is approximately 250 times larger. The various alpine elements as the edelweiss, Wild Mountain rose, alpine swifts, capercaillie, chamois, bears and wolves completes the attractions of the place.

• Bran Castle are situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Brasov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, on the Bucegi Mountains group.Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle" (although it is one among several locations linked to the Dracula legend, including Poenari Castle and Hunyad Castle), it is marketed for resale in 2014 as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is, however, no evidence that Stoker knew anything about this castle, which has only tangential associations with Vlad III, voivode of Wallachia, the putative inspiration for Dracula.

• Monument of nature, the cave Ialomicioara or Ialomita is situated in the Ialomita Gorge, Bucegi Mountain, on the SE slope of the Batrâna Mountain, at 1530 m altitude and 10 km down from the beginning of the valley. The cave is 804 m long. It has fossil and active chambers on two floors having a difference of 60 m. between them. The interior temperature is 9 - 12 °C. That is one of the most beautiful caves in Romania. Many skeletons of Ursus spelaeus were found here. The cave is equipped for safety visits with wooden paths and stairs and electric light. There is a hermitage at the entrance of the cave, called "Schitul Pestera", founded in the first half of the 16th century, burnt and rebuilt several times. After 1993 a new church was rebuilt at the entrance of the cave.

• Dacians are the ancestors of modern Romanians. They are part of the Thracian ethnic group that lived north of the Danube in and around the Carpathian Mountains.Dacians are one of the oldest peoples in Europe, proof of that are the Tablets from Tartaria, golden tablets with writing that was proven to be older that the sumerian language (which is supposed to be the first). These golden tablets were copied and then melted by a former romanian king Carol I.These tablets contained some manuscripts about Bucegi Mountains

In old Romanian language “a bucegi” means “to choose” – these are “the chosen” mountains; and some of the events occuring in the area give a true meaning to their name.

Keywords: Bucegi Mountains; Cave Ialomicioara; Babele; Sphinx; Natural Park; Bran Castle; king Carol I

AMAZING PLACES IN ROMANIA: BUCEGI MOUNTAINS

Badea CLAUDIU ANDREI – Dinu CĂTĂLIN IONUȚMIEADR I.E.A. GROUP 8101

University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest,

Romania 59 Mărăști Blvd, District 1, 011464, Bucharest, Romania

REFERENCEShttp://www.european-pyramids.eu/wb/pages/

european-pyramids/romania/bucegi.phphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucegi_Mountains

In conclusion there are a lot more atractions in the Bucegi Mountains that everyone should visit. Although Romania has lots of places you should visit, the Bucegi mountains are probably the best spot to visit due to their large number of attractions, easy access and gorgeous landscapes.