# Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [Buzău County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/buzau) › [Lopătari](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/lopatari)

> Flames rising straight out of the ground on a hillside above the village of Terca, fed by methane from deep below, in the Buzău Land UNESCO Geopark.

**At a glance:** National parks and reserves in Lopătari, Buzău County. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 2 November 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Access has been closed since July 2026: the surrounding land is private, and the owners have fenced off the footpath until the protected area is marked out and an official access route and visitor rules are set. When the site is open, the flames are best seen in the evening.
- **Visit duration:** 1½ – 2 hours — ~40 min uphill walk, one way
- **Best season:** All year round — most striking in the evening
- **Address:** on the hillside north-east of the village of Terca, on the left side of the Slănic valley, Lopătari, Buzău County
- **Coordinates:** 45.5359, 26.54876
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focul_Viu_-_Lop%C4%83tari
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12016728
- **Categories:** [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/national-parks-and-reserves)

## About Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari

On a hillside above the village of Terca, in Lopătari commune, natural gas rises through cracks in the earth's crust and burns right at ground level. The source is the hydrocarbon deposits underground: the methane reaches the surface after a journey of more than 3 km through the rock layers. The flames burn almost without pause and can reach a metre in height; at other times they barely flicker, depending on the gas pressure and the weather, and they can go out for a while.

The site lies in the Buzău Subcarpathians, on the left side of the Slănic valley, north-east of Terca. Buzău County Council declared it a natural monument in 1995, and today it is one of the landmarks of the [Buzău Land UNESCO Geopark](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/geoparcul-tinutul-buzaului). It is not the same place as the [Focul Viu of Andreiașu de Jos](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/focul-viu-andreiasu), in Vrancea.

### What you can see

The burning area is small, about the size of a room: yellow tongues of flame rise between stones and clods of earth, and among them low bluish flames flicker that only show after dark. In the evening and at night the fire is at its most striking. In heavy rain, water bubbles up where the gas escapes. From the hillside you look over the valley, with the village of Terca below.

### Good to know

Since July 2026 access has been closed. Both routes to the fire cross private land: one of the co-owners has fenced off the footpath and kept the easement track for local residents only, until the environmental authorities mark out the protected area's boundaries and set an official access route and visitor rules. Buzău County Council and Lopătari town hall have said a solution is being sought.

## Don't miss

- The yellow flames rising straight out of the ground between stones, with no fuel source in sight.
- The low bluish flames that appear between clods of earth after dark.
- The view from the hillside over the village of Terca and the wooded hills of the Slănic valley.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Buzău it is ~61 km (~1 hour 30 minutes) to the village of Terca: take the DN10 towards Brașov, then the county roads to the Slănic valley and the DJ 203K through Lopătari; from Lopătari to Terca it is another ~5 km. From Bucharest it is ~175 km (~3 hours), on the A3 and A7 to Buzău. The car stays in the village, and from there the old footpath climbs to the fire in ~40 minutes on foot. Since July 2026 the footpath has been fenced off by the owner, and the easement track is reserved for local residents.

### Rules

The fire is in a protected area surrounded by private land: cross it only with the owners' consent. Off-road vehicles, quad bikes and motorbikes are not allowed up to the fire. Do not leave litter.

## Details

- **Protected area type:** natural monument
- **Part of:** Buzău Land UNESCO Geopark

## Frequently asked questions about Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari

**How long does a visit to Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari take?**

A visit to Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari takes about 1½ – 2 hours (~40 min uphill walk, one way).

**How do I get to Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari?**

Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari is located at on the hillside north-east of the village of Terca, on the left side of the Slănic valley, Lopătari, Buzău County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari?**

The best season for Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Lopătari: All year round (most striking in the evening).

## Nearby attractions

- [Cașoca Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/casoca-waterfall) — Waterfalls · Siriu, BZ · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 25 km
  A waterfall of about 8 m dropping over a sandstone ledge in a wooded gorge of the Cașoca Valley, near Lake Siriu; also known as the Pruncea Waterfall, it can be reached by car almost to its foot.
- [Lake Siriu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lake-siriu) — Lakes · Siriu, BZ · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 30 km
  A reservoir over 10 km long in the Buzău valley, between the Siriu and Podu Calului mountains; the DN10 winds along its shore over viaducts, with views of the water and the 122 m rockfill dam.
- [Berca Mud Volcanoes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/berca-mud-volcanoes) — National parks and reserves · Berca, BZ · 4 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 · 32 km
  Two plateaus of cold-mud cones and craters, Pâclele Mari and Pâclele Mici, in a nature reserve in the Buzău Subcarpathians, with a lunar-landscape feel.
- [Buzău Land UNESCO Global Geopark](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/buzau-land-unesco-global-geopark) — National parks and reserves · Berca, BZ · 7½ – 8 hours · 39 km
  A UNESCO Geopark since 2022 in the hills and mountains of Buzău: eternal flames, trovants, salt mountains, red amber, rock-cut hermitages and interactive museums across 18 communes.
- [Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Andreiașu de Jos](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/focul-viu-of-andreiasu-de-jos) — National parks and reserves · Andreiașu de Jos, VN · 30 min · 42 km
  A nature reserve in the Vrancea Subcarpathians where methane gas seeps out of the ground and burns by itself, in small flames best seen in dry weather and towards evening.
- [Ciolanu Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ciolanu-monastery) — Monasteries · Tisău, BZ · 45 min · 43 km
  A monastery of monks in the Nișcov valley, first documented in 1600, with a large church built in 1823–1828 and an older one from the 16th century; the Măgura Sculpture Camp lies beside it.

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Last updated: 2 November 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania