located at the western foot of the transylvanian harghita and gurghiu mountains, 500 meters above sea-level, the resort and spa sovata has been known across europe for over a century. beyond its beautiful landscapes, its fame is largely due to lake bear (lacu ursu), the only so-called helio-thermal lake on the continent. the high salt content of the ground is dissolved within the lower layers of the lake with temperatures reaching as high as 50 degrees celsius due to heat absorbed from sunrays through the upper, fresh-water layers. called also the "dead sea" of transylvania because of its high concentration of dissolved salts, this lake offers relief for a number of ailments.