“The Hundred Knolls”

DESCRIPTION

The first description of this natural mystery was made in 1716 in “The Description of Moldova” by Dimitrie Cantemir, who called it “Centrum monticulli”.  This name is inappropriate as in reality the number is bigger – over 3500 knolls, covering an area of 1072 ha. Their height varies from 1.5 to 3.5 m. The most spectacular is the so-called “Gypsy’s Knoll”.  Some scientists consider that “The Hundred Knolls” is the only place in Europe where there are concentrated in such a great number the submarine reefs of the Mediterranean Sea – tertiary water basin, that covered about 20 million years ago the current territory of the Republic of Moldova. Latest researches reveal that “The Hundred Knolls” is a natural phenomenon, though not totally elucidated yet. The reserve has a special scientific value not only from the geological point of view, but also from the floristic and faunistic ones.