Băile Tușnad

Băile Tușnad is one of Romania's smallest towns and, without question, one of the most dramatically sited: hotels and villas packed onto the floor of the Olt gorge, between andesite walls and forests that climb steeply on either side. The air carries an unmistakable mineral tang — carbon dioxide rising from deep inside the old Ciomatu volcano feeds the mofettes and springs that made the resort's name back in imperial days.

People come for the cure — mineral waters, mofettes, treatments for the heart and circulation — but just as much for what lies above. Saint Ana Lake, Romania's only volcanic crater lake, is reached on the marked trail that starts in the resort itself: a long climb under beech that ends abruptly on the rim of the water-filled crater. The rest of the Harghita–Covasna region and the other mineral and thermal spa towns of the volcanic arc string together naturally into a weekend loop.

Good to know Late spring and autumn are the best moments — new green or rust-coloured beech transforms the gorge entirely. Mofettes are not for everyone: the gas is heavier than air, and staff instructions are to be followed to the letter. The town also has an inseparable reputation for bears, so leave no food in sight and never stop to photograph one. Check the mountain weather before you set out.