Eastern Carpathians

The Eastern Carpathians enclose the mountain basins of the Székely country with wooded ridges. Along their western side the Harghita Mountains belong to an ancient volcanic chain, whose rounded heights and old craters differ from the folded ranges farther east. Mineral springs emerge in this volcanic landscape and in the valley of the Olt. Forests and high pastures surround the settled basins, while passes through the ridges connect their communities with the Transylvanian plateau and the eastern valleys.