Cultural Events

Voice of the Stone

Voice of the Stone is the only festival in Romania dedicated to stone and stone masons, being at the same time the celebration dedicated to the inhabitants of Năeni. The festival is organized annually near the sculpture camp in the Buzoi commune of Năeni. The official opening of the festival is marked by the appearance of horsemen in Dacian costumes carrying the “Dacian wolf”, the ancestral battle flag and a basket with stone carving tools which they hand over to the new generation of carvers, symbol of the continuation of the tradition.

The festival, like the carving camp, is designed to reveal the secret of this ancient craft that has given vitality and strength to the ancestors of this place over the millennia. As this is also a wine-growing area, there are also exhibitions with tastings of the wines of small producers. Of course, there is no shortage of stonemasons who give demonstrations to the public and organise exhibitions with sales of their carved objects.

Location: Năeni, Buzău county
Date: In July

Plescoi Sausage Festival

Berca is the land of spicy sausages and mutton dishes. The legend of the famous Pleșcoi sausages dates back to the time when a band of haiduci made camp between the hills of Bercii and Vadul of the Buzău river. They robbed shepherds who sold sheep at the market and, in order not to be caught by the posse with live prey, they cut the animals and made pastrami and sausages.

The Pleșcoi Sausage Festival, organised to promote this famous product in Europe and probably future “Protected Geographical Indication” trademark, hosts not only the producers of the famous sausages but also local producers.
who present their traditional dishes (cheeses, breads, sweets and wines.

Location: Berca, Buzău county
Date: First Saturday in October

The Feast of the Incense

The Feast of the Incense marks the beginning of the grape harvest, being a bahic festival dedicated to the roads of the earth. The festival is organized around an ancient process in which a cart pulled by oxen brings the baskets loaded with grapes from Pietroasele, followed by the village girls, dressed in folk costumes, crushing the grapes with their feet in the wooden line. According to tradition, the men of the village will drink from the first must to gain strength.

During the festival there are exhibitions with sales of local producers, gastronomic exhibitions and stone and wood carving craftsmen and, sadly, cheap made in China products, not absent from the stalls. Pietroasele is famous not only for this country festival but also for the treasures that have been discovered within its radius: The Pietroasele treasure trove including the famous Cloșcă cu Puii d’Oro, the castrum and the Roman baths.

Location: Pietroasele, Buzău county
Date: First weekend in September

Breaza Wine Festival

The “Breaza Wine Festival” is the meeting place of wine producers from the area of Săhăteni – Năeni – Breaza – Pietroasele – Merei, one of the events marking the beginning of the grape harvest on Istrita Hill.
During the event there are exhibitions of the wine producers of the area and gastronomic exhibitions of the pensions. The event is complemented by a folklore show to promote traditional culture through folk dances, vocal and instrumental folklore moments.

Location: Breaza, Buzău county
Date: 12 September

The Lamb Weaning Festival

The Lamb Weaning Festival marks the moment of transhumance – the departure of the sheep to the mountains – which coincides with the weaning of the lambs. On this occasion, tourists can enjoy tasting the traditional products of the area: cheese, bulz, Varlaam brandy. During the festival the “Whey Therapy”, promoted since 1859 by Enache Perșescu as an alternative method of detoxifying the body, is also brought to the attention of visitors.

Location: Gura Teghii(Varlaam), Buzău county
Date: Beginning of May

The Falconer’s Meadow Festival

“The Falconer’s Meadow” is the festival that draws attention to the artistic moments performed by talented children as well as established artists of traditional music and not only. Local traders and distributors display their products for sale throughout the area dedicated to this event, and unfortunately, cheap Chinese products are also found among their stalls. The region has a lot to offer in terms of tourism, with the event taking place within walking distance of the Rătești Monastery.

Location: Răteşti, Buzău county
Date: The first weekend in July