Meziad Cave

About Meziad Cave

Meziad Cave opens in a limestone cliff in the Peșterii Valley, a few kilometres above the village of Meziad, in the south-eastern corner of the Pădurea Craiului Mountains. The Austrian geographer Adolf Schmidl first described it in 1863, and in the early 20th century it was explored almost in full by Czárán Gyula, the pioneer of mountain tourism in Bihor. From then on it became a fashionable outing for the townspeople of Oradea: expeditions set off from Stâna de Vale and lasted several days, and balls and New Year's Eve parties were held in the great chambers.

The passages add up to about 4.75 km and lie on two storeys: the lower level, over 1.5 km long, has unusually wide spaces, 20–30 m across and 15–20 m high, while the upper one runs for more than 3.2 km. Cave bear bones, pottery fragments of the Coțofeni culture and the skull of a young man thought to have been sacrificed in a ritual have all been found here. The cave is a nature reserve and part of the Crișul Repede Gorge – Pădurea Craiului Natura 2000 site; in 2012 it was given LED lighting and new paths.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Beiuș (DN 76 / E79) take the DJ 764 towards Roșia as far as Remetea (~9 km), then the paved road up the Meziad valley to the village of Meziad (~9 km); from the top end of the village a road climbs the Peșterii Valley to Cabana Meziad, from where you continue on foot for about 1.2 km. It is ~20 km from Beiuș (~35 minutes) and ~80 km from Oradea via Beiuș (~1h40). From Cluj-Napoca leave the E60 at Borod and take the DJ 764 through Bratca, Damiș, Roșia and Remetea: ~150 km, about 3 hours.

Public transport: buses and trains run between Oradea and Beiuș; from Beiuș there is a local bus to Meziad, but with only one or two departures a day, in the afternoon, meant for commuters (ask at Beiuș bus station). From the village it is still several kilometres on foot to the cave, so in practice you need a car or a taxi from Beiuș. You can also hike in on trails marked with a blue triangle, from Stâna de Vale (22.5 km) or from Leșu in the Iad Valley (9 km).

Where to park

Leave the car in the car park at Cabana Meziad, at the end of the road, which also has room for coaches; from there it is about 1.2 km on foot to the cave. Park only in the marked bays; the track up to the cave is closed to cars. The official website does not say whether parking is charged.

Fees & discounts

Prices published by the cave's custodian (May 2026): adults 40 lei, children aged 5 to 18 30 lei. Members of the Romanian Speleological Federation with a card valid for the current year go in free. You can pay in cash or by card. Organised groups (schools, agencies, camps) book the visit and ask for a quote by email or text message, Monday to Friday; the cave's own website still shows the older prices (37 and 25 lei).

Rules

Visits are only with a guide, in groups of 2 to 50 people; guiding is available in Romanian, Hungarian and English. No photography with flash or a phone torch, so as not to disturb the bats. Do not touch the formations or the walls, do not pick up stones from the path, and follow the guide's instructions. Pets are not allowed inside the cave and can only wait at the entrance. Barbecues, picnics and camping are forbidden in the car park and around the cave. Inside it is 9–12 °C: bring a jacket and shoes with grip.

Facilities

Ticket desk · car and coach park at Cabana Meziad · toilets in the car park · restaurant at Cabana Meziad · souvenir shop · card payment accepted · guiding in Romanian, Hungarian and English · the way up to the cave is a mountain path, and the route inside is not pushchair- or wheelchair-accessible · guesthouses in Remetea and Roșia