About Lake Colibița
Lake Colibița formed behind a dam built across the Bistrița Ardeleană from 1977 onwards, where the river leaves the Bârgău and Călimani mountains. The dam, about 90 m high, is made of andesite rockfill with an asphalt concrete facing on the lake side, and the reservoir can hold around 100 million cubic metres of water. The old village of Colibița was moved to the surrounding hills to make way for the lake, along with its church and cemetery.
The water supplies the town of Bistrița and the villages downstream, holds back floods and runs through a tunnel several kilometres long to a 21 MW hydropower plant further down the valley. Its long shape, squeezed between fir-covered slopes, earned it the nickname “the sea in the mountains”.
Along the northern shore, from the dam towards the head of the lake, the Colibița resort has grown up, with villas, guesthouses and hotels, many with their own jetty.
What you can see
From the top of the dam you see the western end of the lake, hemmed in by wooded slopes; most of it stays hidden behind the bends. The tarmac road that starts at the dam follows the northern shore, past bays, grassy headlands and the ridges of the Călimani in the background, towards the village of Mița. In summer you can get out on the water by rowing boat, kayak, pedalo or electric boat.
Good to know
Most of the shoreline is private, taken up by holiday homes and guesthouses, and the beaches with facilities belong to them and charge for entry. To keep the dam safe, the Romanian Waters authority is preparing refurbishment works that will require the lake to be drained: in September 2026 only the design contract had been awarded, so draining is not imminent, but it is worth checking before planning a holiday here.
- The view from the top of the dam over the western end of the lake, hemmed in by fir-covered slopes.
- The road along the northern shore, past bays and grassy headlands, to the head of the lake at Mița.
- A trip by kayak or rowing boat on the calm water, with the Călimani Mountains in the background.
- Grilled trout at one of the restaurants on the shore.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Bistrița take the DN17 (E58) towards Vatra Dornei and turn right at Prundu Bârgăului onto the county road through Bistrița Bârgăului, up to the dam: ~38 km, about 50 minutes. From Cluj-Napoca it is ~150 km (about 3 hours), and from Vatra Dornei ~58 km, over the Tihuța Pass. The access roads to the resort were upgraded between 2017 and 2021; from the dam, the tarmac road runs along the northern shore to Mița and rejoins the DN17.
Public transport: minibuses run between Bistrița and Colibița, only a few times a day; check the current timetable before setting off.
- Where to park
You can stop next to the dam and along the roadside in the resort, where there is room. The larger car parks belong to hotels and guesthouses and are for their guests. On summer weekends the lakeshore road gets busy.
- Fees & discounts
Access to the lake and the dam is free. The beaches with facilities belong to hotels and guesthouses and charge for entry (for example, the pontoon beach at the Panoramic complex charged 50 lei per person in 2026). Rowing boats, kayaks, pedalos and electric boat trips are paid separately, to each operator.
- Rules
Swimming and rowing are banned within 500 m of the dam, and motorboats are not allowed on the lake. Recreational fishing is allowed with a permit and in line with the law. Private shores are fenced off: get onto the water only through the beaches and jetties that take visitors.
- Facilities
Hotels, guesthouses and restaurants on the northern shore · private beaches with sun loungers and jetties · rowing boat, kayak and pedalo hire in summer · no public beach with facilities
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