About Slănic-Moldova
Slănic-Moldova is a spa resort in the narrow valley of the Slănic stream, at around 530 m, among the fir forests of the Nemira Mountains and 18 km from Târgu Ocna. Known as the "Pearl of Moldavia", it has lived off its mineral springs for more than two hundred years: carbonated, bicarbonated, chlorinated and sodic waters, some with iodine or a little sulphur, used mainly as a drinking cure for digestive, liver and bile, kidney and metabolic conditions.
The first spring was found in 1801 by the boyar official Mihalache Spiridon while chasing a stag up the valley; more were discovered over the next few years, and in 1846 the site was given to the trustees of the Saint Spiridon Hospital in Iași, who built the resort. Its waters won medals at the exhibitions in Frankfurt (1881) and Paris (1900), and between 1887 and 1912 the grand hotels and villas with wooden balconies went up. The First World War destroyed much of this, and rebuilding took decades.
The springs were blocked in turn by lawsuits and by the bankruptcy of the company that ran them, until the town hall took them back and, in 2021, brought eleven of them back into use at their historic sites, with sensor-operated taps.
What you can see
Entry to the resort is free. In the centre lies the resort park, over 4 hectares, with paths among the firs, flower beds, fountains, busts of Romanian writers and scholars, a bandstand and a playground. Above the park rises the Casino, built between 1892 and 1894 to plans by the architect George Sterian, with gilded domed towers and wooden galleries; it is a Category A listed monument. Further up the valley, the Springs Alley climbs along the stream past the pavilions of the numbered springs (1, 1 bis, 3, 10 and the others) and past rock faces streaked rust-red and yellow by the iron and sulphur in the water. The resort's other listed buildings include the Racoviță Central Pavilion, which mixes Baroque with old Romanian architecture, and the Inhalatorium, a massive stone and brick building with Oriental decoration.
From the springs starts the "300 Steps" trail, an easy forest loop along the Dobru ridge that comes back down past the Slănic waterfall and gorge.
Good to know
The Casino stood closed for years and fell into disrepair; in 2025 it was bought by an investor who has begun restoring it. For now only the terrace facing the park is open, reopened in the summer of 2026; the halls inside cannot be visited. Drink the mineral water in moderation: some springs are highly concentrated and are only taken on a doctor's advice.
- The 1892–1894 Casino with its gilded domed towers, seen from the flower beds of the park below.
- A glass of mineral water straight from the spring on the Springs Alley, where the tap starts running as you step up.
- The rocks on the banks of the Slănic, stained rust-red and yellow by iron and sulphur from the springs.
- The 300 Steps trail along the Dobru ridge, returning past the Slănic waterfall and gorge.
- The bandstand and fountain in the resort park, where a brass band plays in summer.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the resort lies at the end of the DN 12B, which climbs the Slănic valley from Târgu Ocna (~18 km). From Bacău it is ~75 km on the DN 11 to Onești, then on the DN 12A and DN 12B; from Onești ~30 km. From Bucharest take the DN 2 to Adjud, then the DN 11A towards Onești and Târgu Ocna (~310 km).
Public transport: take the train to the Târgu Ocna – Salina halt on the Adjud – Comănești line, then the bus or minibus that runs up the valley to the resort every day (~18 km). There are also direct buses from Bacău and Iași; check the timetable at the bus station before you travel.
- Where to park
On public land in the resort, from the Catholic church of St Mary up to and including the campsite (the whole park and springs area), parking costs 6 lei an hour or 12 lei a day under the 2026 local tax rates; you pay by app or text message. While the ski slope is running, parking between the Luca guesthouse and the Catholic church costs 12 lei a day. Minibuses pay 20 lei an hour, coaches 30 lei an hour. Hotels have their own car parks for guests.
- Fees & discounts
Walking through the resort, the park and the water from the springs are free. Overnight guests pay a tourism and spring-maintenance tax of 3–7 lei per night per person over 14, depending on the area, collected by the accommodation. Spa treatments at the Sanatorium Section of the National Rehabilitation Institute are covered for insured patients with a referral and health card, or paid for, either as an outpatient (up to 10 days) or as an inpatient in courses of 14–21 days; the rates are not published on the website. At the hotels' treatment centres, ask the hotel for prices.
- Rules
The drinking cure should follow a doctor's advice: springs 6 and 10 are highly concentrated hypertonic waters to be taken only under medical supervision, and spring 5 is only for external use (eyes). Bring your own cup or bottle. Treatments require a consultation with a spa doctor; insured patients need a referral from their GP or specialist. On the mountain trails, follow the waymarks; the 300 Steps trail has steep sections on the way down.
- Facilities
Spring pavilions with sensor-operated taps · park with benches, fountains, bandstand, playground and wi-fi · Casino terrace · Sanatorium Section of the National Rehabilitation Institute and treatment centres at the Perla, Venus and Panoramic hotels · hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and shops in the resort · Nemira ski slope in winter
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