# Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Alba County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) › [Dumești](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/dumesti)

> A 70–80 m chain of waterfalls, with a 25 m main drop, plunging into a huge sinkhole in the Trascău Mountains and vanishing underground; seen from a wooden balcony a short walk from the road.

**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.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The reserve is in the open air, with no opening hours and no gate. Come in daylight: the path and the edge of the drop are not lit.
- **Ticket:** Free — no visitor fee
- **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — there and back from the road
- **With kids:** Yes — short path, sheer edge
- **Parking:** Yes, free — on the roadside, informal
- **Best season:** April – October — biggest flow in spring
- **Address:** At the end of the tarmac in Dumești, then ~400 m on a blue-stripe marked path, Dumești, Alba County
- **Coordinates:** 46.37076, 23.45976
- **Website:** https://comunasalciua.ro/info/prezentare/obiective-turistice/rezervatia-naturala-vanatarile-ponorului-cascada-dalbina/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A2n%C4%83t%C4%83rile_Ponorului
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12743740
- **Categories:** [Waterfalls](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascade), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall

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.

### What you can see

From the wooden balcony that the Alba mountain rescue team built on the edge of the drop, you take in the falls, the striped limestone wall and the wide mouth of Dâlbina Cave, where the stream vanishes, all at once. From the same spot the shape of the funnel, with sheer walls on every side, is easy to read. The waterfall is at its most impressive in spring and after torrential rain; in a dry summer only a few threads of water are left.

### Good to know

The path down to the bottom of the sinkhole and to the cave is steep, over grass and through woodland, and very slippery when wet; the balcony is enough for most visitors. There are no facilities between the road and the balcony, and beyond the end of the tarmac the local road is dirt and gravel.

## Don't miss

- The view from the mountain rescue team's wooden balcony above the sinkhole, with every tier of the waterfall in front of you.
- The 25 m main drop of Valea Poienii, falling straight into the bottom of the funnel.
- The mouth of Dâlbina Cave, where the stream disappears underground on its way to Huda lui Papară.
- The bluish-purple streaks on the limestone walls that give the place its name.

## 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

## Details

- **Protected area type:** nature reserve
- **Drop height:** 25 m
- **Watercourse:** Valea Poienii stream
- **Walk to the waterfall:** ~400 m from the road

## Frequently asked questions about Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall

**How much is a ticket to Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall?**

Admission to Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall is free (no visitor fee). Entry to the reserve and the balcony is free.

**What are the opening hours of Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall?**

Opening hours at Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall: daily open 24 hours. The reserve is in the open air, with no opening hours and no gate. Come in daylight: the path and the edge of the drop are not lit.

**How long does a visit to Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall take?**

A visit to Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall takes about ½ – 1 hours (there and back from the road).

**Can you visit Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall with kids?**

Yes, Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall is suitable for children (short path, sheer edge).

**Where can I park at Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall?**

There is free parking at Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall (on the roadside, informal). 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.

**How do I get to Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall?**

Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall is located at At the end of the tarmac in Dumești, then ~400 m on a blue-stripe marked path, Dumești, Alba County. 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.

**When is the best time to visit Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall?**

The best season for Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall: April – October (biggest flow in spring).

## Nearby attractions

- [Huda lui Papară Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-huda-lui-papara) — Caves · Sub Piatră, AB · 300 lei · 3 – 3½ hours · 1 km
  An active cave in the Trascău Mountains, with a portal almost 40 m high in the limestone wall and an underground river of lakes and waterfalls, visited only on guided tours in a wetsuit.
- [Șipote Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-sipote) — Waterfalls · Sălciua de Jos, AB · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 5 km
  A chain of travertine cascades on the Șipote stream, below the Bedeleu cliffs in the Trascău Mountains: the last one drops straight into the Arieș by the DN75, the upper ones are reached on a nature trail from Sălciua.
- [Transapuseana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transapuseana) — Scenic roads · Alba County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · 8 km
  County road DJ107I, 78 km through the Trascău Mountains between Aiud and Bucium, near Abrud: villages scattered along the ridges, thatched houses and views from over 1,100 m.
- [Ocna Mureș Salt Baths](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-sarate-ocna-mures) — Resorts and thermal baths · Ocna Mureș, AB · 80 lei · 3½ – 4 hours · 40 km
  A modern spa complex in Ocna Mureș, opened in 2023, with heated salt-water and fresh-water pools, saunas and treatments. It is above ground only: the old salt mine cannot be visited.
- [Coronation Cathedral](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-incoronarii) — Monasteries and churches · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 45 min · Top 100 · 45 km
  The Orthodox cathedral inside Alba Carolina Fortress, built in 1921–1922 for the coronation of Ferdinand and Marie as king and queen of Greater Romania, with a 58 m bell tower and royal portraits in fresco.
- [Durgău Salt Lakes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/strandul-durgau) — Resorts and thermal baths · Turda, CJ · 40 lei · 45 km
  A summer lido on two salt lakes formed in collapsed old salt pits, 100 m from the Durgău entrance of the Turda Salt Mine. The very salty water keeps you afloat; the mine is visited separately.

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Last updated: 4 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania