The Stone Desert

About

The Stone Desert is one of the few natural deserts in Europe, and one that is unique for the limestone pillars. Their origin remains a subject of speculation, but the most likely explanation seems to be that fifty million years ago when Romania was still at the bottom of the ocean, these pillars formed and solidified around gas released from the seabed. The locals call the place "Pobiti Kamani" which basically means stones beaten into the ground. Some of these stones are named according to their shapes, such as the "the silent man", "the camel" or "the mushroom". Along with the strange stones, this is the only place in Europe where desert fauna thrives.