About Clocota Waterfall
Clocota Waterfall lies on the stream of the same name, on the south-eastern edge of the Geoagiu-Băi spa resort. The stream gathers the area's 16 thermal mineral springs, so the water is lukewarm all year round and the waterfall does not freeze even in the depths of winter: on cold days the wall is wrapped in steam, with icicles hanging along its edges. The lime-rich water constantly deposits travertine, which has built a wall of vertical folds, columns and stone curtains covered in moss and trailing plants; tree trunks that fell into the waterfall have slowly been swallowed by the deposits.
Figures for its height vary widely between sources, from about 20 metres to over 40; however you measure it, it is a surprisingly wild spot a few steps from the hotels and from the thermal baths inherited from the Romans, who knew the area as Germisara.
What you can see
From the resort you walk down a paved street that turns into a gravel track and then a footpath, past gardens and hay meadows, to the wooden railing beside the waterfall, where there are also a few benches. From there you see the travertine wall along its full height, with threads of water splitting and rejoining over the moss. In the evening the waterfall is lit up. Downstream, the Clocota stream flows over travertine steps with small pools, past the ruin of an old mill; few visitors get that far.
Good to know
On 15 August 2023 part of the slope, with rocks and tree trunks, collapsed below the waterfall, injuring no one; the area underneath was taped off. Many visitors still step under the warm "shower": this is not advisable, as the wall may collapse again.
- The travertine wall with its vertical folds and curtains of moss, seen from the wooden railing.
- The steam rising from the warm waterfall on frosty winter mornings.
- The waterfall lit up at night, on an evening stroll from the resort.
- The travertine steps and pools formed by the Clocota stream below the waterfall.
- The ruined old mill in the stream valley, the only one left of those that once worked here.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Geoagiu-Băi is ~6 km from the town of Geoagiu, ~18 km north of Orăștie and ~46 km north-east of Deva; you get there via the town of Geoagiu, from where the road climbs to the resort. The car stays in the resort and you walk to the waterfall: from the centre along Strada Școlii (bilingual signs), a ~15-minute stroll. Alternatively, a footpath leads straight down from the road towards Geoagiu, from which the waterfall can be seen.
Public transport: the nearest you can get by train or bus is Orăștie or Geoagiu, then a minibus or taxi to the resort; from there, walk as above.
- Where to park
There is no car park for the waterfall; leave the car in the resort (at your accommodation or near the civic centre) and walk the last stretch.
- Fees & discounts
Access to the waterfall is free.
- Rules
Do not stand under the waterfall or go past the warning tape: since the 2023 collapse, the wall and the roots above it may give way again. Do not climb on the travertine or pull off the moss, which is the very material the waterfall grows from. On the wet rocks the deposits are slippery: wear shoes with good grip. Salamanders live in the warm water: watch them, do not touch them. Take your rubbish with you.
- Facilities
Wooden railing and a few benches at the waterfall · night lighting · no toilets or stalls at the waterfall; restaurants, accommodation and thermal baths in the resort · the final dirt path is not suitable for pushchairs
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