Apuseni Natural Park
Apuseni Natural Park
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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4.5
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Tiberiu_Baranyi
Timisoara, Romania17,336 contributions
May 2023
A treasure in the mountains ... indeed it is ... a place where all those who love nature can find something of their liking. It is an area that is just over 76000 ha , a region in the mountains, still covered with forests and crossed by roads that offer spectacular opportunities for some scenic drives.
Ranging over 3 counties , Bihor 40% - the biggest area and Cluj and Alba counties with about the same split of 30% ...
There are several areas of main interest - Padis area , with all it's geological formations like- caves, crags, gorges, spectacular river and stream beds.
Trials for hiking , found in abundance, waterfalls and lakes are also present.
Overall a place definitely worth visiting, where the nature loving traveler can spend days, weeks, months , discovering all the natural beauty that these places can offer.
The majority of landmarks are free of charge - except for a several caves where you need to pay an entrance fee , or in the winter the ski pass for the ski slopes that are to be found in the area.
... and why not the perfect score - once more because there are buildings and land works where they should not be and because of the human intervention you can see garbage here and there - so if you are visiting do the right thing and take your leftovers with you, please.
Ranging over 3 counties , Bihor 40% - the biggest area and Cluj and Alba counties with about the same split of 30% ...
There are several areas of main interest - Padis area , with all it's geological formations like- caves, crags, gorges, spectacular river and stream beds.
Trials for hiking , found in abundance, waterfalls and lakes are also present.
Overall a place definitely worth visiting, where the nature loving traveler can spend days, weeks, months , discovering all the natural beauty that these places can offer.
The majority of landmarks are free of charge - except for a several caves where you need to pay an entrance fee , or in the winter the ski pass for the ski slopes that are to be found in the area.
... and why not the perfect score - once more because there are buildings and land works where they should not be and because of the human intervention you can see garbage here and there - so if you are visiting do the right thing and take your leftovers with you, please.
Written 24 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jozsef_baga
Cluj-Napoca, Romania13 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
I am a regular visitor of this place, because of the followings:
It is a predominantly carstic plateau situated about 1400-1600 m of altitude. Spectacular scenery. No entrace fees.
Attractions: Cetatile Ponorului cave system, Cetatile Radesei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Galbenei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Somesului Cald (canyon+cave system), Ghetarul Focul Viu (cave with permanent ice formation, even in summer), Lumea Pierduta (Lost world sink hole plateau), Groapa Ruginoasa (the place, where Bear Grylls filmed an episode). To experience most of them, you need at least 4 full days to stay.
Accommodation:
I recommend camping (tents), because it is for free and it is in Glavoi - La Grajduri area (46.578893,22.702965), which is a great deal, because every attraction, mentioned above (except Ruginoasa), is maximum within a day of easy hike. There you can get warm meals (only in summer june till september). Please note that there is a fresh water spring for basic hygiene needs and nothing else. There are no special facilities for RVs.
Next, I would recomend Cabana Cetatile Ponorului, because it is near to the main attraction. This chalet can easily offer you cheap accommodation having its own restaurant, running water and showers (and it is available for New Year's party).
The other options for great and cheap accommodation is to search for nice and confortable pensions/chalets in 4 holiday villages and resorts (Padis, Boga, Fantanele and Vartop).
How to get there? From Cluj-Napoca International Airport there are possibilities to hire a car or a minibus with driver. Please take into consideration that the distance between Cluj and Padis is about 120 km and it takes at least 3 hours, because of medium quality road conditions. The cheapest way is to buy a 10 $ ticket from Cluj Beta Bus Terminal and take a 5 h trip through Oradea (changing bus) to Stei, where you ask for local transportation assistance to take you to Padis Natural Park.
It is a predominantly carstic plateau situated about 1400-1600 m of altitude. Spectacular scenery. No entrace fees.
Attractions: Cetatile Ponorului cave system, Cetatile Radesei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Galbenei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Somesului Cald (canyon+cave system), Ghetarul Focul Viu (cave with permanent ice formation, even in summer), Lumea Pierduta (Lost world sink hole plateau), Groapa Ruginoasa (the place, where Bear Grylls filmed an episode). To experience most of them, you need at least 4 full days to stay.
Accommodation:
I recommend camping (tents), because it is for free and it is in Glavoi - La Grajduri area (46.578893,22.702965), which is a great deal, because every attraction, mentioned above (except Ruginoasa), is maximum within a day of easy hike. There you can get warm meals (only in summer june till september). Please note that there is a fresh water spring for basic hygiene needs and nothing else. There are no special facilities for RVs.
Next, I would recomend Cabana Cetatile Ponorului, because it is near to the main attraction. This chalet can easily offer you cheap accommodation having its own restaurant, running water and showers (and it is available for New Year's party).
The other options for great and cheap accommodation is to search for nice and confortable pensions/chalets in 4 holiday villages and resorts (Padis, Boga, Fantanele and Vartop).
How to get there? From Cluj-Napoca International Airport there are possibilities to hire a car or a minibus with driver. Please take into consideration that the distance between Cluj and Padis is about 120 km and it takes at least 3 hours, because of medium quality road conditions. The cheapest way is to buy a 10 $ ticket from Cluj Beta Bus Terminal and take a 5 h trip through Oradea (changing bus) to Stei, where you ask for local transportation assistance to take you to Padis Natural Park.
Written 12 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Menahem K
Tel Aviv, Israel94 contributions
Sept 2018 • Family
Suits Bat/Bar Mitzvah trip or any other purpose
We share our experiences of a week-long Bar Mitzvah trip in Romania. The trip suits families in favor of and experienced in nature-focused trips, comprising some adventure and physical effort.
We have chosen son & father trip in Romania following previous year family trip, when we experienced Romania for the first. Following a very satisfactory experience we wanted to come for more. Note that we have no Romanian background and no family links there.
The guiding principles planning the trip were:
• No driving
• Guided days and days on our own interleaved
• Equivalent effort for all days; no exceptional effort day followed by lazing
• One week duration
We planned the trip with the help of Cristina of travelguideromania.com, whom we met first on couple of guided days during the family trip. Cristina has proposed few alternatives and we chose browsing through information & photos available on the web. Let me stress that sites & landscape are far more beautiful & impressive than depicted in images one finds on the web.
Trip are were Apuseni mountains in the West of Romania. Apuseni are best accessed flying to Cluj-Napoca. Apuseni are different form Carpathians, even if often considered part of. These are low mountains with few peaks above 1600 meters. The mountains comprise mostly Karst rock, intensely worn by water, creating amazingly dense concentration of natural phenomena in a small area – caves, gorges, waterfalls, cliffs as well as a unique formation of completely enclosed by slopes dales or valleys, locally called “dolina”.
• Day 1: Picked at Cluj-Napoca airport in the afternoon and driven to Suncuius, about 2.5 hours away. Originally we have planned climbing a via ferrata there, however rain has started upon arrival and dark skies indicated more to come. Therefore we postponed climbing to the next day and strolled along the river instead. Then enjoyed dinner on a terrace overlooking the river. We have stayed and dined at Lavinia Pension, a very nice, quiet & pleasant place. Tip: there are no shops through the entire trip; make any needed shopping on the way from the airport. Particularly important a local sim.
• Day 2: After early breakfast a short drive to via ferrata location. Climbed for about an hour, descended back to the car and driven to rafting meeting point. Rafting lasted about 3 hours. Water is very shallow at the end of the summer, hence we have chosen a canoe for 2. I guess that visiting earlier in the year one better chose a large rafting boat with a guide. Rafting has been enjoyable and not challenging at all. After rafting we were driven to Vartop, a tiny ski resort where we chose to stay for the night. On the way a short stop at our guides’ Cristina & Bogdan at Beius to equip us with hiking map and instructions.
• Day 3: After an early breakfast we set off from Vartop to Padis, a tiny vacation resort as well. The walk was about 12km and included crossing two ridges and climbing a third. The route traverses diverse landscape: dense and sparse forests, pastures on steep slopes and hilltops, small creeks, wide dale crossed by a stream. There are neither villages nor individual house on the way, except Cabana Cetatile Ponorului – a hostel in the midst of the forest. We have stopped there for a short rest and a hearty soup. All cabanas serve soups as hikers’ lunch and they have never disappointed us.We have stopped for another rest at Poiana Ponor, a wide and very pleasant dale serving as pasture. Arrived at Padis in the late afternoon hours, finding our suitcase already there brought timely by our guides. Through the entire hike we met a single elderly local picking mushrooms; btw these are plentiful. Padis is located quite in the center of the trip area. Therefore we have chosen to stay there for 4 consecutive nights. This time we have stayed at Pensiune Bradet. We liked the nearby 5 Casute where we stayed the year before, better; even if it is very basic comparing to Pensiune Bradet.
• Day 4: Pick-up by Cristina after breakfast and drive to the starting point of Galbena river hike. Marched couple of kilometers along Galbena valley high above the water, enjoying views of the slopes and cliffs above. Arrived at valley bottom, where track comes close to water. There put on water socks, rubber boots & helmets on and entered the river. It is beautiful unmarked trail, including walking in the water and bypassing obstacles experiencing little technical difficulty. Completed the hike where we left the car, wet, tired, hungry and happy. Driven back to Padis; good shower, dry clothes, basic yet tasty dinner and early bed.
• Day 5: The original plan was hike to House of Stone, a tiny village concealed in a secluded valley. Studying the map we decided to forsake the original plan because it fairly mandates forth & back on the same route. We haven’t found circular route alternative within our capabilities. Instead, we have chosen a circular route traversing Pietrele Boghii; these are cliffs with amazing views down into Boga valley and onto mountains above Boga & Galbena. The trail starts with flat pastures, goes uphill through dense forest, arriving at the cliff, where we stopped to experience the landscape. Descent to Varsoaia valley, first through dense forest on a steep slope, then through pastures. The valley hosts Cabana Varsoaia, a very basic hostel suitable for backpackers. Stopped there for soup meal, as customary. Apart from an elderly couple, which keeps the cabana we have met nobody along the route. Returned to Padis for an early afternoon nap, the only one on this trip. Late afternoon climbed to Biserica Motului, a tiny prayer site on a hilltop above Padis with nice views on Padis & surroundings. The ascent looked short, yet proved to be tiring.
• Day 6: Pick-up after breakfast and driven to Glavoi, where the route to Cheile Galbenei starts. The hike starts uphill to Piatra Galbenei cliffs. The cliffs are a popular and fairly easy to reach site. Hence one should expect meeting other hikers there and on the way. The cliffs offer great views into Galbena valley below and the higher mountains above. From Piatra Galbenei a long descent through varied forests interleaved with some small pastures till arrival at the gorge, the prime objective of the hike. The gorge comprises waterfalls of various sizes and shapes. Most of the walk through the gorge is on stones and narrow path on the steep slope above (great care advised). There are some technical segments, equipped with cables or chains. This hike was probably the most beautiful we have experienced on our two visits to Apuseni and definitely the most tiring one. At the end pick-up and driven back to Padis. There we rapidly showered, packed and handed the suitcase to our guides, leaving with us only the essentials or the next day hike.
• Day 7: After early breakfast set-off for the hike from Padis to Stana De Vale, the longest hike on this trip with greatest altitude differences – about 20 km with over 600 meter ascent. This route differs from the previous ones – through most of it there are wide views into distance, as forested segments are small and mostly to the end of the trail. One must be well equipped with water & food for this hike. Walking on the ridge one may experience chilly wind, even on a warm day. Appropriate clothing advised. Views on the way very impressive – number of ridges in either direction, valleys hundreds of meters below, remote mountains on the horizon. Along the route we have met a single couple with mountain bikes. We’ve seen herdsmen far away and heard they dogs; nobody else. Descended into Stana fairly hungry. Though we haven’t planned that, we settled for a meal at the restaurant of Iadolina hotel. The restaurant excellent with great selection of surprisingly elaborate dishes. Our guide Bogdan has picked and driven us to their place in Beius for a short rest before our flight back.
• Day 8: Departed after midnight to the airport. Unfortunately our flight departed from Cluj-Napoca at 6:10. This has been the sole deficiency of the trip.
In summary – we had a great experience, which could have hardly been better. Cristina & Bogdan have done a great job planning our trip and guiding us through it.
We share our experiences of a week-long Bar Mitzvah trip in Romania. The trip suits families in favor of and experienced in nature-focused trips, comprising some adventure and physical effort.
We have chosen son & father trip in Romania following previous year family trip, when we experienced Romania for the first. Following a very satisfactory experience we wanted to come for more. Note that we have no Romanian background and no family links there.
The guiding principles planning the trip were:
• No driving
• Guided days and days on our own interleaved
• Equivalent effort for all days; no exceptional effort day followed by lazing
• One week duration
We planned the trip with the help of Cristina of travelguideromania.com, whom we met first on couple of guided days during the family trip. Cristina has proposed few alternatives and we chose browsing through information & photos available on the web. Let me stress that sites & landscape are far more beautiful & impressive than depicted in images one finds on the web.
Trip are were Apuseni mountains in the West of Romania. Apuseni are best accessed flying to Cluj-Napoca. Apuseni are different form Carpathians, even if often considered part of. These are low mountains with few peaks above 1600 meters. The mountains comprise mostly Karst rock, intensely worn by water, creating amazingly dense concentration of natural phenomena in a small area – caves, gorges, waterfalls, cliffs as well as a unique formation of completely enclosed by slopes dales or valleys, locally called “dolina”.
• Day 1: Picked at Cluj-Napoca airport in the afternoon and driven to Suncuius, about 2.5 hours away. Originally we have planned climbing a via ferrata there, however rain has started upon arrival and dark skies indicated more to come. Therefore we postponed climbing to the next day and strolled along the river instead. Then enjoyed dinner on a terrace overlooking the river. We have stayed and dined at Lavinia Pension, a very nice, quiet & pleasant place. Tip: there are no shops through the entire trip; make any needed shopping on the way from the airport. Particularly important a local sim.
• Day 2: After early breakfast a short drive to via ferrata location. Climbed for about an hour, descended back to the car and driven to rafting meeting point. Rafting lasted about 3 hours. Water is very shallow at the end of the summer, hence we have chosen a canoe for 2. I guess that visiting earlier in the year one better chose a large rafting boat with a guide. Rafting has been enjoyable and not challenging at all. After rafting we were driven to Vartop, a tiny ski resort where we chose to stay for the night. On the way a short stop at our guides’ Cristina & Bogdan at Beius to equip us with hiking map and instructions.
• Day 3: After an early breakfast we set off from Vartop to Padis, a tiny vacation resort as well. The walk was about 12km and included crossing two ridges and climbing a third. The route traverses diverse landscape: dense and sparse forests, pastures on steep slopes and hilltops, small creeks, wide dale crossed by a stream. There are neither villages nor individual house on the way, except Cabana Cetatile Ponorului – a hostel in the midst of the forest. We have stopped there for a short rest and a hearty soup. All cabanas serve soups as hikers’ lunch and they have never disappointed us.We have stopped for another rest at Poiana Ponor, a wide and very pleasant dale serving as pasture. Arrived at Padis in the late afternoon hours, finding our suitcase already there brought timely by our guides. Through the entire hike we met a single elderly local picking mushrooms; btw these are plentiful. Padis is located quite in the center of the trip area. Therefore we have chosen to stay there for 4 consecutive nights. This time we have stayed at Pensiune Bradet. We liked the nearby 5 Casute where we stayed the year before, better; even if it is very basic comparing to Pensiune Bradet.
• Day 4: Pick-up by Cristina after breakfast and drive to the starting point of Galbena river hike. Marched couple of kilometers along Galbena valley high above the water, enjoying views of the slopes and cliffs above. Arrived at valley bottom, where track comes close to water. There put on water socks, rubber boots & helmets on and entered the river. It is beautiful unmarked trail, including walking in the water and bypassing obstacles experiencing little technical difficulty. Completed the hike where we left the car, wet, tired, hungry and happy. Driven back to Padis; good shower, dry clothes, basic yet tasty dinner and early bed.
• Day 5: The original plan was hike to House of Stone, a tiny village concealed in a secluded valley. Studying the map we decided to forsake the original plan because it fairly mandates forth & back on the same route. We haven’t found circular route alternative within our capabilities. Instead, we have chosen a circular route traversing Pietrele Boghii; these are cliffs with amazing views down into Boga valley and onto mountains above Boga & Galbena. The trail starts with flat pastures, goes uphill through dense forest, arriving at the cliff, where we stopped to experience the landscape. Descent to Varsoaia valley, first through dense forest on a steep slope, then through pastures. The valley hosts Cabana Varsoaia, a very basic hostel suitable for backpackers. Stopped there for soup meal, as customary. Apart from an elderly couple, which keeps the cabana we have met nobody along the route. Returned to Padis for an early afternoon nap, the only one on this trip. Late afternoon climbed to Biserica Motului, a tiny prayer site on a hilltop above Padis with nice views on Padis & surroundings. The ascent looked short, yet proved to be tiring.
• Day 6: Pick-up after breakfast and driven to Glavoi, where the route to Cheile Galbenei starts. The hike starts uphill to Piatra Galbenei cliffs. The cliffs are a popular and fairly easy to reach site. Hence one should expect meeting other hikers there and on the way. The cliffs offer great views into Galbena valley below and the higher mountains above. From Piatra Galbenei a long descent through varied forests interleaved with some small pastures till arrival at the gorge, the prime objective of the hike. The gorge comprises waterfalls of various sizes and shapes. Most of the walk through the gorge is on stones and narrow path on the steep slope above (great care advised). There are some technical segments, equipped with cables or chains. This hike was probably the most beautiful we have experienced on our two visits to Apuseni and definitely the most tiring one. At the end pick-up and driven back to Padis. There we rapidly showered, packed and handed the suitcase to our guides, leaving with us only the essentials or the next day hike.
• Day 7: After early breakfast set-off for the hike from Padis to Stana De Vale, the longest hike on this trip with greatest altitude differences – about 20 km with over 600 meter ascent. This route differs from the previous ones – through most of it there are wide views into distance, as forested segments are small and mostly to the end of the trail. One must be well equipped with water & food for this hike. Walking on the ridge one may experience chilly wind, even on a warm day. Appropriate clothing advised. Views on the way very impressive – number of ridges in either direction, valleys hundreds of meters below, remote mountains on the horizon. Along the route we have met a single couple with mountain bikes. We’ve seen herdsmen far away and heard they dogs; nobody else. Descended into Stana fairly hungry. Though we haven’t planned that, we settled for a meal at the restaurant of Iadolina hotel. The restaurant excellent with great selection of surprisingly elaborate dishes. Our guide Bogdan has picked and driven us to their place in Beius for a short rest before our flight back.
• Day 8: Departed after midnight to the airport. Unfortunately our flight departed from Cluj-Napoca at 6:10. This has been the sole deficiency of the trip.
In summary – we had a great experience, which could have hardly been better. Cristina & Bogdan have done a great job planning our trip and guiding us through it.
Written 24 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Corina N
Timisoara, Romania67 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
I just came back from this beautiful area. This year I was the second time.
It is a predominantly carstic plateau situated about 1400-1600 m of altitude. Spectacular scenery. No entrace fees.
Attractions: Cetatile Ponorului cave system, Cetatile Radesei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Galbenei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Somesului Cald (canyon+cave system), Ghetarul Focul Viu (cave with permanent ice formation, even in summer), Lumea Pierduta (Lost world sink hole plateau), Groapa Ruginoasa.
This year we went on Cheile Galbenei. It it great and hard. Before decide to go on this scenery ask there how big is Galbena. It took us almost 9 hours. About 3 hours were breaks. We weren't fast. Make sure you have sweets, some food and water. On the way you will find fresh water to do a refill. Will be safer to ware hiking shoes. You will need a raincoat and might be useful some gloves not to hurt your hands.
I recommend camping (tents)if you like it, because it is for free and it is in Glavoi - La Grajduri area which is a great deal.
There you can get warm meals (only in summer June till September),greatest pies. 😆 Please note that there is a fresh water spring for basic hygiene needs and nothing else. There are no special facilities.
It is a predominantly carstic plateau situated about 1400-1600 m of altitude. Spectacular scenery. No entrace fees.
Attractions: Cetatile Ponorului cave system, Cetatile Radesei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Galbenei (canyon+cave system), Cheile Somesului Cald (canyon+cave system), Ghetarul Focul Viu (cave with permanent ice formation, even in summer), Lumea Pierduta (Lost world sink hole plateau), Groapa Ruginoasa.
This year we went on Cheile Galbenei. It it great and hard. Before decide to go on this scenery ask there how big is Galbena. It took us almost 9 hours. About 3 hours were breaks. We weren't fast. Make sure you have sweets, some food and water. On the way you will find fresh water to do a refill. Will be safer to ware hiking shoes. You will need a raincoat and might be useful some gloves not to hurt your hands.
I recommend camping (tents)if you like it, because it is for free and it is in Glavoi - La Grajduri area which is a great deal.
There you can get warm meals (only in summer June till September),greatest pies. 😆 Please note that there is a fresh water spring for basic hygiene needs and nothing else. There are no special facilities.
Written 5 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bufnita007
Oradea, Romania57 contributions
Dec 2013 • Friends
It's a place where people who like hiking should spend at least 2-3 days. The best part is that you can take several hiking routes (from 2 hours to one day trips) at different dificuty levels - there are other reviews here about the routes so I will not detail any further. The nature is wild, peacefull and the people going to Padis (Apuseni Natural Park) are moslty nice ;). There are several sites promoting this destination - you can belive everything! In this review I will write some more administrative information that I think are important for people going there for the first time.
If you go camping the best place is Glavoi meadow (really cheap) yet you should note there are no toilets and getting fire wood can take effort - you must go quite far for it. If you are looking for accomodation you sould go to Padis plateau where several pensions and hotels were built in the last two-three years. If you stay in Padis plateau you should know that most of the hiking routes are on the other side - you should add one more hour to your trips. In my view the best pension to stay in is Cetatile Ponorului, which is close to hinking routes, is far from any other hotels (so it's silent) yet a bit more expensive. Also the people running the place are really nice - you must note it's crowded so you should book it.
The road to the National Park from Beius or Oradea was recently renovated - you can get easily to Padis Plateau, and have 2-5 km of bad road if you want to get to Glavoi and Cetatile Ponorului Pension.
You can buy a map at both Padis and Glavoi, yet maybe it's better to buy it before you come as the road is not very well signaled. There are shops in both places - do not worry if you forgot something, yet it is a bit more expensive.
There are many foreign travelers (moslty hungarian and german) - if you come from another country and you speak english - you sould manage just fine.
If you go camping the best place is Glavoi meadow (really cheap) yet you should note there are no toilets and getting fire wood can take effort - you must go quite far for it. If you are looking for accomodation you sould go to Padis plateau where several pensions and hotels were built in the last two-three years. If you stay in Padis plateau you should know that most of the hiking routes are on the other side - you should add one more hour to your trips. In my view the best pension to stay in is Cetatile Ponorului, which is close to hinking routes, is far from any other hotels (so it's silent) yet a bit more expensive. Also the people running the place are really nice - you must note it's crowded so you should book it.
The road to the National Park from Beius or Oradea was recently renovated - you can get easily to Padis Plateau, and have 2-5 km of bad road if you want to get to Glavoi and Cetatile Ponorului Pension.
You can buy a map at both Padis and Glavoi, yet maybe it's better to buy it before you come as the road is not very well signaled. There are shops in both places - do not worry if you forgot something, yet it is a bit more expensive.
There are many foreign travelers (moslty hungarian and german) - if you come from another country and you speak english - you sould manage just fine.
Written 10 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toadernt
Cluj-Napoca, Romania62 contributions
Jun 2013 • Friends
Well, let's start by making a small presentation of the area :)
The park is located in western Romania in the central-northern side of the Apuseni Mountains, comprising a part of the Bihor Mountains at south and Vladeasa Mountains at north and it's split between three counties (Alba 28%, Bihor 32% and Cluj 40%) and has a total surface of 75.784 ha.
1.Atractions - TOO MANY!!! Let's just say you'll need about 3-4 months of hiking to see all of them and the best way to find out stuff about them is to visit the park's website. Anyway, the park's main attractions are the three underground cave glaciers, the cave systems that are so big (Humpleu cave system) that you can actually camp in them, caves that have entry portals of 70m vertical height (Ponor Fortress) and underground rivers that allows you to pierce through the mountain and emerge on the other side, making a total of more than 3000+ caves and caverns. Also, you can find a lot of gorges, canyons and waterfalls, crystal clear rivers (full of trout), lakes that are great for fishing and kayaking (Belis Lake or Fantanele Lake), dark forests, steep ravens and barren peaks that have four hundred days of bad weather every year ;)
2. How to get there?
A tourist has two viable routs to get up there. One is from Oradea to Padis (the plateau in the middle of the park) which is best recommended if you wand to use a small family car because it has the better road. Another option is from Cluj-Napoca and is the best option for foreign tourists that want to arive in Romania by plane, because Cluj-Napoca has a large and well connected international airport. From there you can rent a car and visit the closest part of the park ( Fantanele Lake is aprox. 80 km from Cluj-Napoca) or you can rent an SUV and go wild in the Somes Gorges and Padis area (120-140km from Cluj). Be aware that most of the route is through the mountains so be prepared for a 4 hour drive (without photo stops).
3. How to prepare?
First thing to do is to buy a detailed map. You can find very good maps and equipment in the professional mountaineering stores in Cluj-Napoca.
If you are part of a larger group try to get a professional guide (it will be worth it).
Make sure you have good mountain equipment ( boots, pants, socks and jacket - GORETex would help) and a good tent. ( you can go in snickers but you'll probably make the news).
If you plan to go on trails that are longer than 12 hours take rations for two days, thermal survival blankets, knife, fire starter, water purifying tablets, first aid kit, headlamp with spare batteries, whistle,map (optional: light rods, primus gas heater, compass, wind and water resistant matches). I know some will say it's too much and the park is a very popular tourist attraction and has thousands of tourist in high season so is unlikely to get lost, but try to keep in mind that the weather can change in less then 30 min and you can experience drops in temperature of 20 degrees centigrade even in July with cold rain and mist coming down on you.
So better be prepared than sorry.
Those being said, I wish you all a nice and uneventful trip, that will for sure remain forever in your harts and minds :)
For any advice or information please do not hesitate to contact my.
P.S. You can find places to eat at a few accommodations facilities spread throughout the park and stores for supplies in the mountain villages.
The park is located in western Romania in the central-northern side of the Apuseni Mountains, comprising a part of the Bihor Mountains at south and Vladeasa Mountains at north and it's split between three counties (Alba 28%, Bihor 32% and Cluj 40%) and has a total surface of 75.784 ha.
1.Atractions - TOO MANY!!! Let's just say you'll need about 3-4 months of hiking to see all of them and the best way to find out stuff about them is to visit the park's website. Anyway, the park's main attractions are the three underground cave glaciers, the cave systems that are so big (Humpleu cave system) that you can actually camp in them, caves that have entry portals of 70m vertical height (Ponor Fortress) and underground rivers that allows you to pierce through the mountain and emerge on the other side, making a total of more than 3000+ caves and caverns. Also, you can find a lot of gorges, canyons and waterfalls, crystal clear rivers (full of trout), lakes that are great for fishing and kayaking (Belis Lake or Fantanele Lake), dark forests, steep ravens and barren peaks that have four hundred days of bad weather every year ;)
2. How to get there?
A tourist has two viable routs to get up there. One is from Oradea to Padis (the plateau in the middle of the park) which is best recommended if you wand to use a small family car because it has the better road. Another option is from Cluj-Napoca and is the best option for foreign tourists that want to arive in Romania by plane, because Cluj-Napoca has a large and well connected international airport. From there you can rent a car and visit the closest part of the park ( Fantanele Lake is aprox. 80 km from Cluj-Napoca) or you can rent an SUV and go wild in the Somes Gorges and Padis area (120-140km from Cluj). Be aware that most of the route is through the mountains so be prepared for a 4 hour drive (without photo stops).
3. How to prepare?
First thing to do is to buy a detailed map. You can find very good maps and equipment in the professional mountaineering stores in Cluj-Napoca.
If you are part of a larger group try to get a professional guide (it will be worth it).
Make sure you have good mountain equipment ( boots, pants, socks and jacket - GORETex would help) and a good tent. ( you can go in snickers but you'll probably make the news).
If you plan to go on trails that are longer than 12 hours take rations for two days, thermal survival blankets, knife, fire starter, water purifying tablets, first aid kit, headlamp with spare batteries, whistle,map (optional: light rods, primus gas heater, compass, wind and water resistant matches). I know some will say it's too much and the park is a very popular tourist attraction and has thousands of tourist in high season so is unlikely to get lost, but try to keep in mind that the weather can change in less then 30 min and you can experience drops in temperature of 20 degrees centigrade even in July with cold rain and mist coming down on you.
So better be prepared than sorry.
Those being said, I wish you all a nice and uneventful trip, that will for sure remain forever in your harts and minds :)
For any advice or information please do not hesitate to contact my.
P.S. You can find places to eat at a few accommodations facilities spread throughout the park and stores for supplies in the mountain villages.
Written 20 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Has
Manama, Bahrain18 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
Apuseni National park is massive, you would need a car, (preferably 4x4) or you will need to base yourself somewhere convenient (near the trails you wish to take as we haven’t seen any taxis or public transportation). We stayed here in a small Cabana (Denisa Cabana) near Ariesini which has very friendly owners and stunning mountain views.
If you plan to visit some of the main attractions, be prepared to do a lot of driving between location on very rough roads.
Regarding the roads, you would do well to rent an ATV or 4x4 Jeep if you wish to save time. Some of roads leading to attractions are not accessible by normal cars and hiking between them can take days.
Overall, we visited in May, the weather was beautiful, the people friendly, and the scenery is breathtaking, some of the best you’ll ever hope to see.
Make sure to do a lot of research before coming, as hiking information is not readily available, as an example, hiking maps were not available in the local shops we visited, we got ours at the entrance ticket counter at the ice cave.
The entire place is very beautiful, it brings you back to a simpler time where the local farmer families tend to their livestock and gather wood from the nearby trees, almost nobody speaks English.
Note: don’t drive at night. GPS or google maps is a must.
If you plan to visit some of the main attractions, be prepared to do a lot of driving between location on very rough roads.
Regarding the roads, you would do well to rent an ATV or 4x4 Jeep if you wish to save time. Some of roads leading to attractions are not accessible by normal cars and hiking between them can take days.
Overall, we visited in May, the weather was beautiful, the people friendly, and the scenery is breathtaking, some of the best you’ll ever hope to see.
Make sure to do a lot of research before coming, as hiking information is not readily available, as an example, hiking maps were not available in the local shops we visited, we got ours at the entrance ticket counter at the ice cave.
The entire place is very beautiful, it brings you back to a simpler time where the local farmer families tend to their livestock and gather wood from the nearby trees, almost nobody speaks English.
Note: don’t drive at night. GPS or google maps is a must.
Written 2 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pierre W
Brussels, Belgium23,330 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
To visit by public transport, you should go to Arieseni or Garda. You probably must go to Campeni first (easiest from Alba Iulia) and change bus.
I started in Arieseni, and I hiked to all the main attractions on the way as far as the 1600 meter ridge North of Padis, then back through Casa de Piedra, the Scarisoara Ice Cave and finally Garda. This takes 4 days. Around Padis, all the karst features are free, and the camping area also.
Cheile Somesului, Cheile Galbenei involve steep climbs, the Ponor citadel as well but it is less deep.
I started in Arieseni, and I hiked to all the main attractions on the way as far as the 1600 meter ridge North of Padis, then back through Casa de Piedra, the Scarisoara Ice Cave and finally Garda. This takes 4 days. Around Padis, all the karst features are free, and the camping area also.
Cheile Somesului, Cheile Galbenei involve steep climbs, the Ponor citadel as well but it is less deep.
Written 9 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian Bogdan I
Bucharest, Romania10 contributions
Sept 2014
I discovered this park in my first 2 years of hiking. I was there with my wife and friends. From the beginning we knew that it was beatiful but when we arrived there we discover it was fantastic, much more special that you can read on the internet, with a lot of places that you should see. Check these names and you will believe me: Ponor, Radesei, Aven, Pestera Ursilor ( bear cave), hrib, etc. in these areas you should have a book about mushrooms because there are so many types and so beatifululfy colorred that you will want to know more about them. I can continue my review with other 10 pages but even those will not be enough. This park is a must do at least one time in your life no mater from where you come.
Written 9 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabitza_gg
Romania274 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
If you love the mountins you must try and take the trail yellow keys/ “Cheile Galbenei”
Here you would find on this entire trail the fan cascade/“cascada evantai”, the live fire cave/ “pestera focul viu”, deep pits ( avenuri, izbucuri)
I think is the most beautiful and adventurous route we have done along with 3 children aged between 12-16
Here you would find on this entire trail the fan cascade/“cascada evantai”, the live fire cave/ “pestera focul viu”, deep pits ( avenuri, izbucuri)
I think is the most beautiful and adventurous route we have done along with 3 children aged between 12-16
Written 1 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Welche Unterkunft ist empfehlenswert, um mehrere touristische Objekte des Naturparks Apuseni zu besichtigen?
Ce hotel ar fi indicat pentru a vizita mai multe obiective turistice din Parcul Natural Apuseni?
Written 21 November 2019
ello, I ask for your helph
I plan to spend time with my family in mid-October in Sibiu, from where we were thinking about doing a 3-4 day hike in the area of apuseni natural park.
Can you please help me build a route? Where to visit? What to see?
Where to take accommodation? Do you have any recommendations?
Thanks so much, Yaari
Written 27 September 2019
We would like to explore Apuseni natural park this summer, but we can only travel by public transport. What would be a good place to stay at?
Written 15 July 2019
Also in Boga city is Apuseni Pension:
pensiuneaapuseni. com
This two accomodation are for visiting the area Yellow Keyes as cheile galbenei, Cetatile Ponorului, Lost World as Lumea Pierduta
On the other side of the mountains you can visit a lot of caves like : Virtop, Scarisoara, Coiba Mare, Coiba Mica, Ionele’s Cave but you shoul stay in the area named Ghetari or Garda de Sus
Izbucul Tauz Pension
pensiuneaizbucultauz. ro
Hope you will find available rooms! Enjoy!
Written 16 July 2019
Me and several of my American colleagues would like to visit the Vartop Glacier Cave in the near future. I know a guide is required, but we know very little Romanian, would there be a guide to help us?
Written 30 June 2019
Looking to do a weekend hike this summer through apuseni looking for a companion who can guide me and show me the many scenic views. Can consider traveling to cluj to begin journey
Written 27 January 2019
Cluj Napoca its OK, but Beius, Brad or Câmpeni its better.
Written 4 February 2019
caut un ghid care poate sa ma ajute sa ma plimb pe trasele din apuseni cu familia (cu copii 3.5, 10,12)
Written 22 October 2018
Salut. In principiu nu ai nevoie de ghid pentru traseele din Apuseni, mai ales daca mergi cu familia. Cu un copil de 4 ani nu vei putea face unele trasee care presupun sectoare de lanturi, sau circuite de 15 - 20 km. Te pot ajuta cu detalii si cum ar fi mai ok sa va organizati sejurul. Daca doresti, scrie-mi in privat.
Written 5 March 2019
Hi,
I plan a travel to Apuseni next Summer and i need some guideline.
I am going to travel with my kids - age 12,10 and 3.
I need a nice place to stay and to visit the top atractions in apuseni and arund, i have around 7-10 days to spend around (depends on the attractions). Cave, tracking (3-4 hours), lakes - whatever worth to see i am interested in. We will have a rented car (but no jeep).
Can you provide me your recommendations what to do?
Written 5 September 2018
Hi, I think I've answered at your other message, but in romanian. Iv you want help and advice you can PM me.
Written 5 March 2019
הי,
ראיתי הערה שלך לגבי הפארק הענק אפוסני ברומניה,
אשמח אם תוכלי למקד על מיקום ספציפי לטרק עם ילדים ונוער
:)
Written 22 July 2018
Hi,
It depends if you plan to stay in a tent or at a pension.
If you plan to stay in a tent the best place to camp it's at Glavoi. If you google "Glavoi Padis location" you'll get the map and you can start planning the rute (next to the camping site you'll find stores and places to eat). If you want to stay at a pension you should google "cazare padis" and then click on turistinfo.ro. Allthough the website it's only in romanian you'll find all the places to stay in Padis(because it's a National Parck there are only 5 places and my personal recommendation is Bradet). For orientation you'll need a map that you can buy in Cluj or Oradea(if your plane lands there) or you can buy one from the camping site or the pension you are staying at(but if you go late in the season you might not find maps there).
There are a lot of trails that can be done by children but it depends on their age. For more details you can contact me in in private.
To get there by car it all depends on your starting point so you can contact me for details.
I hope you'll make this trip because you won't regret it :)
Written 9 August 2018
Hello, I'm trying to plan a backpacking trek through the mountains and Apuseni National Park, I was wondering f there's any rules and regulations that I must cohere to. Also I would like to know if I set up camp if I can do so anywhere or do I need to find a campground to set up my tent. Thank you for your response
Written 4 June 2018
Sorry for the late response, but if you are still planning to make that trip I can give you all the info you need. It all depends on your rute so you can PM me for details.
Written 9 August 2018
Hey advisors!
My partner and I along with her folks are currently on holiday in Cluj. We really wanted to go check out the scarisoara cave and little did we realise that there is some beautiful views along hiking trails in the area.
So I was just curious, if we're coming from Cluj or Dej, what's the best way to nail every must see in this place in a day?
Worth mentioning me and my partner are veteran hikers but her folks aren't all that capable (older and sorer so to speak). Any info or recommendations as to where to start a circuit or what to avoid and not to avoid would be brilliant! We've got our own car also.
Thanks to everyone in advance :)
Written 12 July 2016
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