About Borsec
Borsec is a spa and climatic resort set at 850–950 m in an enclosed basin between the Giurgeu, Bistrița and Călimani Mountains. It owes its fame to its springs: numerous carbonated mineral springs, rich in bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium, captured under wooden pavilions and left within reach of anyone walking along the paths. The water bottled here, known across Romania, won a medal at the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna and was dubbed the "queen of mineral waters".
The first spring was captured in 1770, and in 1806 two Austrian leaseholders, Günther and Zimmethausen, began bottling the water, which has gone on ever since. In the 19th century and between the wars more than a hundred villas with verandas and wooden fretwork went up, and for a time Borsec was the leading resort in Transylvania. After 1990 the treatment centre closed and many villas fell into ruin. A revival has begun in recent years: the Fontana spa centre opened in December 2022, and the town is restoring the spring pavilions one by one.
What you can see
In Upper Borsec, the resort proper, paths lead through the park from one spring to the next: Boldizsár, László and Lázár, by the Aleea 7 Izvoare, then Kossuth and Petőfi, each with its own pavilion and a panel listing the water's composition. Between them stand the old villas, some restored, others abandoned, with turrets, carved balconies and rusting tin roofs. The Mineral Water Museum is here too, with labels, bottles and jugs up to two centuries old.
From the north-eastern end of the resort a trail leads to the Scaunul Rotund reserve, a 70-hectare travertine hill. On the way you pass through the Fairies' Glade, with open-air pools fed by mineral water, and reach the Bears' Grotto, a series of deep corridors carved into the rock by water, and the Ice Cave, where the ice only melts in late spring or summer. From the edge of the old travertine quarry the view opens over the Valea Vinului.
Good to know
Many of the historic villas are listed monuments but stand empty and decaying. The spring pavilions are being restored in stages over 2025–2026, so some may be temporarily closed.
- The wooden pavilions of the László and Lázár springs, where you fill your bottle with mineral water straight from the source.
- The Fairies' Glade, with open-air pools fed by cold mineral water and gazebos to rest in.
- The deep corridors of the Bears' Grotto, carved into the travertine of Scaunul Rotund hill.
- The Ice Cave, where icicles and ice columns survive until late spring.
- The old villas with verandas and wooden fretwork in Upper Borsec, a few restored, many still derelict.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Borsec lies on the DN 15, 26 km from Toplița, on the road that climbs over the Creanga Pass; the resort proper, Upper Borsec, sits on the plateau above the town. From Piatra Neamț it is ~120 km on the DN 15, via Bicaz and Tulgheș, from Târgu Mureș ~120 km via Reghin and Toplița, from Gheorgheni ~65 km, from Miercurea Ciuc ~125 km, from Brașov ~185 km.
Public transport: the nearest railway station is Toplița, on the Deda – Miercurea Ciuc – Brașov line. From there a few minibuses a day run to Borsec, between morning and evening, taking 40–50 minutes; check the current timetable before you set off.
- Fees & discounts
Walking around the resort, the water from the springs, the Fairies' Glade, the trail and the caves are all free. At Fontana Spa & Balneo, access to the pools and saunas costs 75 lei for 3 hours, 120 lei for 6 hours and 150 lei unlimited for adults, and 35, 60 and 75 lei for children. Seniors pay 55 lei for 3 hours and 85 lei for 6 hours from Monday to Thursday. An extra hour costs 20 lei for adults and 10 lei for children. The sacred bath, for adults only, is 25 lei, and groups of at least 10 adults get 5–15 lei off each entry. Towels can be hired for 10 lei, bathrobes for 15 lei. Spa and wellness treatments are priced separately. At the Mineral Water Museum groups can book a one-hour guided programme for ~100 lei per group. The town charges a tourist promotion tax of 3 lei per night's stay. Prices checked in September 2026.
- Rules
Drink the spring water in moderation: a drinking cure should only be taken on a doctor's advice. Scaunul Rotund is a protected area, so do not pick plants or take travertine. For the Ice Cave and the Bears' Grotto you need a torch and shoes with a good grip, and in winter and spring the paths and steps can be icy. At Fontana children must be accompanied by at least one adult, and the sacred bath is for adults only, at most 30 at a time. Spa treatments begin with a medical consultation at the centre.
- Facilities
At Fontana Spa & Balneo: indoor and outdoor pools with plain and mineral water, saunas, sacred bath, the Ó-Sáros bath, gym, salt room, massage, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, physiotherapy · at the Fairies' Glade: mineral water pools, foot baths, changing rooms, gazebos and a picnic area · the Mineral Water Museum on Aleea 7 Izvoare · tourist information point · ski slopes and a summer bobsleigh run at the Speranța complex · guesthouses, restaurants and shops in the resort
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