Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall

About Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall

At a glance: Waterfalls in Dumești, Alba County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 4 October 2026.

On the south-western edge of the Bedeleu limestone ridge, in the Trascău Mountains, three streams – Valea Poienii, Valea Ponorului and Valea Seacă – gather in a vast funnel carved into the limestone and disappear underground. The place is called Vânătările Ponorului (the county council's sign spells it “Vânătarele Ponorului”, and locals simply say Vânătara), after the bluish-purple streaks that rainwater has left on the greyish-white walls. Valea Poienii drops over the rock face in several tiers totalling some 70–80 m, the tallest of them 25 m; this main drop is also known as Dâlbina Waterfall, after the cave at its foot.

The hollow is about 150 m long, 100 m wide and 80 m deep, and has been a complex nature reserve since 1969, confirmed by law in 2000, covering around 5 ha. The water enters Dâlbina Cave and comes back to daylight at Huda lui Papară, roughly a kilometre to the north. After heavy rain or snowmelt the underground channels cannot cope, a temporary lake forms at the bottom of the sinkhole, and when the natural dam gives way the flood sweeps down Valea Morilor. Old villagers blamed these floods on dragons living in the caves, which only the solomonari, the weather wizards of Romanian folklore, knew how to drive away.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: take the DN75 (Turda – Câmpeni) to Sălciua de Jos, then the local road up to the village of Dumești, ~5–6 km, tarmacked as far as the top of the hill. From the end of the tarmac, at the reserve's information board, a path marked with a blue stripe leads down to the balcony in ~20–30 minutes. Turda is ~50 km away (~1 hour), Cluj-Napoca ~85 km (~1h45), Alba Iulia ~95 km (~1h45) and Câmpeni ~45 km (~1 hour). On foot, you can also come from the village of Sub Piatră, past Huda lui Papară and the wayside cross on the ridge, on the blue-cross trail (~1h15 one way).

Public transport: we found no regular service to Dumești. The nearest road with public transport is the DN75 at Sălciua de Jos, ~6 km from the reserve.

Where to park

There is no proper car park: leave the car on the roadside at the end of the tarmac in Dumești, near the reserve's information board, without blocking the local road. Space is limited, so on summer weekends come in the morning.

Fees & discounts

Entry to the reserve and the balcony is free.

Rules

This is a nature reserve: stay on the path, do not pick plants, light fires, camp or leave litter. Going down into the sinkhole and Dâlbina Cave is dangerous: a steep slope, loose stones and wet grass; the caves and shafts in the reserve are not developed and should not be entered without caving gear and experience. Wear shoes with good grip, ideally with walking poles, and keep children close at the edge of the drop.

Facilities

Wooden viewing balcony · information board at the start of the path · no toilets, shop or water at the reserve · guesthouses in Sub Piatră and Sălciua · no access for wheelchairs or pushchairs