Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Fiorano modenese Salse di Nirano

Salse di Nirano

Italy's curious field of mud volcanoes is named for being both gross AND salty.

Fiorano modenese, Italy

Added By
InViaggioColTubo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Mud volcano erupts its “lava”   InViaggioColTubo / Atlas Obscura User
Mud volcano erupts its “lava”   InViaggioColTubo / Atlas Obscura User
Up close with the mud   Wikimedia user Marcocarboni
The Italian Badlands, home to fields of mud volcanoes   InViaggioColTubo / Atlas Obscura User
Salse di Nirano’s mud volcanoes in action   Carlo Pelagalli
Burble, gurgle, burb   InViaggioColTubo / Atlas Obscura User
People for scale   InViaggioColTubo / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the Italian Badlands, a field lures visitors with its siren song of strange burps and gurgles emanating from deep inside the Earth. 

Established as the first natural reserve in Emilia-Romagna, in the province of Modena, the so-called "Salse di Nirano" is home to a geologic landscape unlike any other in Italy. Tucked between rolling hills a few hundred meters above sea level, the area is known for its eruptive "salse" or mud volcanoes.

Born from the area's clay subsoil, cones up to a three meters in height form thanks to a continuous supply of mud replenished by local rainfall and runoff, paired with methane gas forcefully expelled from below the ground by the Earth's geologic forces. The feature and area's name of "salse" refers to the presence (albeit minute) of salt in the materials ejected from the volcanoes themselves.

Visitors to the reserve traverse marked paths as they roam between the geologic surprises on all sides, from burbling mud pots and dried cones of dormant mud volcanoes to non-toxic gas vents littering the otherwise nondescript, bucolic landscape.

Related Tags

Mud Volcanoes Geological Oddities Geology Nature
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

InViaggioColTubo

Edited By

littlebrumble

  • littlebrumble

Published

September 15, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.comune.fiorano-modenese.mo.it/turismo/salse%20nirano/in/index_ing.htm
  • http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riserva_naturale_regionale_delle_Salse_di_Nirano
Salse di Nirano
Via Chianca
Fiorano modenese
Italy
44.51673, 10.821383
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lovers of Modena

Modena, Italy

miles away

Modena Archivolt

Modena, Italy

miles away

Modena Synagogue

Modena, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,054
Stories 110

Nearby Places

Lovers of Modena

Modena, Italy

miles away

Modena Archivolt

Modena, Italy

miles away

Modena Synagogue

Modena, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Italy

Italy

Europe

Places 1,054
Stories 110

Related Places

  • The Volcan de Lodo El Totumo

    Santa Catalina, Colombia

    The Volcan de Lodo El Totumo

    The caldera of this mini-volcano has been turned into a naturally heated mud bath.

  • Mud Volcano

    Scorțoasa, Romania

    Berca Mud Volcanoes

    A muddy alien landscape that is home to rare species of exotic plants.

  • Mexican Hat

    Mexican Hat, Utah

    Mexican Hat

    This balancing rock is one of Utah's most unusual geological formations.

  • Winona, Missouri

    Rocky Falls

    A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.

  • Halldórsskora (Elephant Rock)

    Heimaey, Iceland

    Halldórsskora (Elephant Rock)

    On an island south of Iceland, a large volcanic rock formation resembles an elephant.

  • Slumgullion mass wasting area

    Lake City, Colorado

    Slumgullion Earthflow

    This National Natural Landmark is one of the best examples of a “mass wasting” in the world.

  • Looking Glass Rock seen from the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

    Brevard, North Carolina

    Looking Glass Rock

    This granite rock face is named for the magnificent reflection that occurs when the sun hits it just right.

  • Sasso Menicante on Monte Cimino

    Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

    Sasso Menicante (Trembling Stone)

    This massive rock balanced for thousands of years being tossed here during a volcanic eruption.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.