About Coliboaia Cave
Coliboaia Cave opens on the western slope of the Sighiștel Valley, in the Bihor Mountains, within the commune of Câmpani, at about 550 m above sea level, in Apuseni Nature Park. It is an active cave, crossed by an underground river, with more than 1,000 m of mapped passages. Cavers knew it before 1900, and in 1981 an exploration followed the underground river as far as an impassable sump, without noticing the gallery with the drawings.
On 20 September 2009, five Romanian cavers, Tudor Rus, Mihai Besesek, Valentin Alexandru Radu, Roxana Laura Țociu and Marius Kenesz, found, about 770 m from the entrance, a gallery some 50 m long with charcoal drawings on both walls. In May 2010 a French team that included the Palaeolithic art specialist Jean Clottes confirmed their authenticity, and the discovery was announced in June 2010. Claw marks and polish left by cave bears over some of the drawings show that they are older than the last bears to hibernate here.
Radiocarbon dating of six samples, carried out between 2010 and 2012, points to an age of about 32,000–36,000 years, most of them around 33,000. The drawings are attributed to the Aurignacian, the culture of the first modern humans in Europe, and are considered the oldest known Palaeolithic depictions in Central Europe. Since April 2026 the cave has been on Romania's Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage.
What was discovered
The black charcoal drawings and a few engravings show a bison, the only animal drawn in full, a horse, an undetermined animal (horse or feline), one or two bear heads and two rhinoceros heads, plus lines that are hard to read. Most are heads only, placed without any particular composition; the rhinoceros has become the symbol of the cave. Cave bear skulls and bones lie on the floor, as the bears used the cave for a long time to hibernate.
Good to know
The cave cannot be visited and will not be opened to the public. The gallery with the drawings lies beyond flooded sections (sumps) of the underground river, and microclimate measurements have shown that even a few people in the gallery change its temperature, which can damage the drawings. Exploration stopped in November 2012, and access is allowed only to specialists, under strict conditions. Show caves nearby: Bears' Cave at Chișcău, with its cave bear skeletons, Vârtop Ice Cave, where the footprint of a Neanderthal was found, the Focul Viu Ice Cave and Scărișoara Ice Cave.
Information verified on 31 October 2026.
- The two rhinoceros heads drawn in charcoal, which have become the symbol of the cave.
- The bison, the only animal in the gallery drawn in full.
- The claw marks of cave bears scored over some of the drawings, proof of their age.
- The Sighiștel Valley, climbed by the path marked with a blue triangle from Câmpani.
- Bears' Cave at Chișcău, ~16 km by car from Sighiștel, with its cave bear skeletons.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Beiuș towards Câmpani on the DN 75, then on the local road to the village of Sighiștel: ~28 km (~40 minutes); from Oradea ~94 km (~1 h 50 min). From Sighiștel the path climbs the Sighiștel Valley for about 5 km to the area of the cave. Bears' Cave at Chișcău is ~16 km (~25 minutes) from Sighiștel, Scărișoara Ice Cave ~53 km (~1 h 15 min).
- Rules
Access to the cave is forbidden to the public; only specialists enter the gallery with the drawings, under strict conditions. The Sighiștel Valley lies in Apuseni Nature Park: keep to the paths, light no fires and leave no litter.
- Facilities
No facilities · cave closed to the public
Frequently asked questions about Coliboaia Cave
Can you visit Coliboaia Cave with kids?
No, Coliboaia Cave is not recommended for visits with children (cave closed to the public).
How do I get to Coliboaia Cave?
Coliboaia Cave is located at Sighiștel Valley, about 5 km upstream of the village of Sighiștel, Câmpani, Bihor County. More under “Getting there”
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