About Cașoca Waterfall
Cașoca Waterfall, also called the Pruncea Waterfall, is the best-known waterfall in the Buzău Mountains. The Cașoca stream, a left-bank tributary of the Buzău river, comes down from the Podu Calului Mountains and, at around 740 m, plunges over a vertical sandstone ledge into a deep, round pool enclosed by rock walls and spruces. Sources give heights between 5 and 10 m; the most quoted, including by the county's tourism promotion, is about 8 m.
Both names have long been in use: Wikipedia and the site's Facebook page use "Pruncea", after a local place name, while the press, county guides, maps and reviews mostly know it after the valley, as Cașoca Waterfall. Some maps also label it Șipotul Mare. In the rock wall to the left of the fall there is a hollow which, according to legend, was a hideout for local outlaws some two hundred years ago.
The place has become well known in recent years thanks to photos on social media: it is a popular backdrop for wedding shoots, and in winter the fall freezes into a curtain of ice. Since 2024 the local road up the valley has been rebuilt by Buzău County Council, so it is easy to reach by car.
What you can see
From the forest track a short path with steps leads down to the edge of the pool, where you see the waterfall head-on: a single white drop framed by tilted layers of yellowish sandstone, with the stream then running out between large boulders. Next to it there are a few picnic spots and a viewpoint above. On the way in, the valley passes through the village of Cașoca and a few guesthouses at the foot of the Podu Calului, and further down the stream there is a small drop of about 2 m called the Martinu Waterfall.
Good to know
The flow is strongest in spring, at snowmelt, and after rain; by late summer the fall thins out. The stones around the pool are wet and slippery, and in winter the path can be icy. The waterfall is easy to combine with a stop at the Siriu dam and Lake Siriu, a few kilometres away on the DN10.
- The round pool at the foot of the waterfall, seen from the boulder bank facing the drop.
- The tilted sandstone layers of the walls, which enclose the fall like a small amphitheatre.
- The hollow in the left-hand wall, the outlaws' hideout of local legend.
- The frozen waterfall in winter, turned into a curtain of ice.
- The drive up the Cașoca Valley, through the village of Cașoca, at the foot of the Podu Calului Mountains.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: on the DN10 Buzău – Brașov road, between the village of Lunca Jariștei and the Siriu dam, turn right onto local road DC64, which climbs the Cașoca Valley through the village of Cașoca; the waterfall is about 6 km from the DN10. The road was asphalted by Buzău County Council in 2024, though some 2025 reports still describe gravel stretches. From Buzău it is ~88 km (~2 hours, via Nehoiu), from Brașov ~85 km (~1 h 50, via Întorsura Buzăului).
Public transport: buses and minibuses Buzău – Nehoiu, on the DN10; from there to the waterfall (~15 km) there is no regular service, so take a taxi or arrange a lift with your guesthouse.
- Fees & discounts
Access to the waterfall and the valley is free.
- Rules
The stones around the pool are wet and slippery: wear shoes with good grip. Do not leave litter or light fires outside the picnic spots. There are bears in the forests of the Buzău Mountains: do not leave food in the open.
- Facilities
Short path with steps from the road to the waterfall · picnic spot by the waterfall · viewpoint · guesthouses in the Cașoca Valley · no step-free access to the foot of the waterfall
Reviews
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