About Ocna Sibiului
Ocna Sibiului is a small spa resort 15 km from Sibiu, nicknamed "the Transylvanian seaside". It has no salt mine you can visit underground: salt was cut here for centuries from bell-shaped pits, and once they were abandoned their roofs caved in and the hollows filled with water. What remains are salt lakes on the surface, with white banks of salt and mud, where people swim in summer.
Salt was already mined here in Roman times, and the last pit, St Ignatius, closed in 1931. The baths were officially opened in 1858, and their pavilion, a listed historic monument, went up in the early 20th century. The deepest lake, Avram Iancu (Ocna Pustie), is about 130 m deep and is regarded as the deepest man-made salt lake in Romania. Brâncoveanu holds more than 300 grams of salt per litre, and several lakes are heliothermal: beneath a layer of less salty water, the brine below warms up in the sun.
What you can see
The Natural Lakes complex, run by a company owned by the town, has a dozen lakes used for bathing, linked by paths and wooden steps rebuilt in 2026. The largest is Ocnița, nearly 7,500 m², with beaches on its shore; Brâncoveanu is framed by white salt banks, Auster has an island in the middle and Balta cu Nămol has a thick layer of sapropelic mud. Lacul fără Fund, the "Bottomless Lake", formed in 1775 over a collapsed pit, is protected as a nature reserve.
Separately, on Strada Băilor, the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand has its own lido on the Horea, Cloșca and Crișan lakes, a hotel and a treatment centre with an indoor salt-water pool.
Good to know
The lakes open only in summer: in 2026, from 22 May to 30 September. The historic bath pavilion is on the 2026 list of the county's monuments at risk of collapse.
- A swim in Lake Ocnița, in water so salty you float without effort, from the beaches and steps rebuilt in 2026.
- The white salt banks around Lake Brâncoveanu, one of the saltiest lakes in the country.
- Lake Avram Iancu, the former Great Pit, about 130 m deep, the deepest man-made salt lake in Romania.
- Lake Auster, small and shallow, with its island in the middle.
- The fortified Reformed church in the town centre, a 13th-century Romanesque basilica.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Ocna Sibiului lies about 15 km north-west of Sibiu. In town, follow the signs for the Lacurile Naturale (Natural Lakes); the entrance is on Strada Salinelor, while the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand is on Strada Băilor. From Brașov it is ~160 km, from Bucharest ~290 km.
Public transport: regional trains on the Sibiu – Copșa Mică line stop at the Băile Ocna Sibiului halt, a few hundred metres from the lakes, and at Ocna Sibiului station, on the southern edge of town. There has been engineering work on the Ocna Sibiului – Loamneș section, with buses replacing some trains, so check the timetable before you travel.
- Where to park
The Natural Lakes complex has two paid car parks with CCTV: 10 lei per entry in the 2026 season. Out of season the car parks are closed. At the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand, the guarded car park on site is included for hotel guests, and the resort's hotels and guesthouses usually have their own parking.
- Fees & discounts
At the Natural Lakes complex, run by Lacurile Naturale Ocna Sibiului SA, the town's company, a single entry in 2026 costs 35 lei for adults and 20 lei for children over 10 from 7 June to 31 August, and 25 and 10 lei from 22 May to 6 June and in September. Children under 10 and people with severe or serious disabilities go in free. A 7-day pass costs 210 lei for adults and 120 lei for children in the peak season, 150 and 60 lei the rest of the time; it allows two entries a day at least three hours apart and is valid for 30 days from first use. Parking is 10 lei per entry, and tickets are not refunded in bad weather. At the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand, a day of treatment costs ~100 lei per person, and a double room with breakfast, lido and pool access ~500 lei a night (prices from the complex's website, last updated in 2024); the lido entry price for non-residents is not posted. Prices checked in September 2026.
- Rules
The Natural Lakes rules forbid jumping into the lakes and pools, open fires and cooking, taking mud or salt water away from the site, and mopeds, motorbikes or quad bikes. Shower before using the pools, and do not enter the children's pools covered in mud. Dogs are allowed on a lead, medium and large dogs also muzzled, but not in the water. Keep an eye on children at all times near the lakes. The very salty water stings the eyes and must not be swallowed, so do not dive under. The hotel and spa centre of the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand accept only guests over 14 and do not allow pets.
- Facilities
At the Natural Lakes: salt-water children's pool, fresh-water pools, playgrounds, gazebos, hot and cold showers, terraces, first-aid point, two monitored car parks · at the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand: 51-bed hotel, camping cabins, restaurant with terrace, treatment centre with an indoor salt-water pool at 31–33 °C, saunas, jacuzzi and massage · in the resort, more than 500 beds in hotels, guesthouses and a campsite · railway halt next to the lakes
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