The Meledic Plateau lies in Mânzălești commune, in the north of Buzău County, in the Curvature Subcarpathians. It overlooks the upper Slănic valley, about 60 km north-west of Buzău.
A nature reserve
The plateau is a nature reserve of national interest, protected for its geology, its caves and its wildlife under Romanian Law 5/2000. It is part of Buzău Land UNESCO Global Geopark.
Lakes on top of salt
Beneath the plateau lies a mass of salt. Water has dissolved it in places, leaving sinkholes. Some of them joined up and filled with water: these are the plateau’s lakes, among them the Great Lake and the Castle Lake. Their water is fresh: it comes from the rain and never touches the salt.
Along the edge of the plateau, salt and clay break through in tall grey cliffs, scored by the rain.
A “place of rest”
In 1898, the engineer A. de Richard wrote: “Méledic, in Slavonic: place of rest, has been visited since the most distant times.” He also described the outings you could make from the estate:
“Meledic is the starting point for many truly interesting excursions. Without leaving the estate, you can walk through vast caverns reaching deep into the enormous mass of rock salt that comes to the surface here.”
A. de Richard, Méledic, 1898 (translated from French)
This is a period account: today, the salt caves, including the 6S cave, are closed to visitors. The salt cave.