# Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Crișana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/crisana) › [Bihor County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bihor) › [Roșia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/rosia)

> A small cave lined with calcite crystals, broken into by miners in a gallery of the Farcu bauxite mine; it is visited with a guide, after an exhibition on mining.

**At a glance:** Caves in Roșia, Bihor County. Opening hours: daily 10:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 40 lei. The visit takes 25 min. Information verified on 31 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 10:00 – 17:00 — Open daily, all year. The closing time shown is the last entry: May–October 10:00–17:00, March, April and November 11:00–16:00, December–February 11:00–15:00. Be at the ticket desk at least 10 minutes before the last entry. Groups need at least 2 people; if there are not two at the time you arrive, you wait for the next entry.
- **Ticket:** 40 lei — children 5–18: 30 lei
- **Visit duration:** 25 min — guided tour
- **With kids:** Yes — short tour; 9–12 °C inside
- **Best season:** All year round — shorter hours in winter
- **Address:** About 3.5 km from the centre of the commune, on the signposted road to the cave, Roșia, Bihor County
- **Coordinates:** 46.81719, 22.4237
- **Phone:** +40 744 426 272
- **Website:** https://padureacraiului.ro/pestera-farcu/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%C8%99tera_Farcu
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12737940
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/caves), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/national-parks-and-reserves)

## About Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine

The Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine lies above the commune of Roșia, in the Pădurea Craiului Mountains. It has no natural entrance: it was discovered during bauxite mining, when the working face of a gallery in the Farcu mine broke into a sealed, geode-like cavity. The lack of any connection to the outside created ideal conditions for calcite crystals, in very varied shapes, which now cover its walls.

The cave then stayed closed for years, but thieves still got in and took some of the crystals. In 2012 the Bihor Centre for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development and Roșia town hall fitted it out for visitors, and the two still run it today. The underground cavity is about 250 m long and has been protected since 2000 as a speleological reserve.

### What you can see

The visit starts in a mine gallery about 200 m long, which houses a small exhibition on mining, with tools the miners used and samples of bauxite. Next comes a viewpoint looking down into an underground shaft, then the cave itself: small, but covered in crystals. The route ends at a balcony overlooking the "Farcu discs" and the "Crystal Dragonflies", the formations the cave is known for.

### Good to know

Entry is only with a guide, in groups of 2–25 people, and the tour takes about 25 minutes. Inside it is 9–12 °C all year. On the same day you can also see [Meziad Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-meziad), ~25 km away and run by the same custodian; in the north of the massif, in the Crișul Repede Gorge, are [Vadu Crișului Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-vadu-crisului) and [Unguru Mare Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-unguru-mare).

## Don't miss

- The mine gallery at the entrance, with an exhibition on bauxite mining: miners' tools and samples of ore.
- The viewpoint looking down into an underground shaft, built right on the route.
- The cave walls, covered in calcite crystals of different shapes that grew in a cavity with no link to the outside.
- The balcony at the end of the route, overlooking the "Farcu discs" and the "Crystal Dragonflies".

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from the centre of Roșia follow the signs for the Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine, ~3.5 km on a road suitable for any car. From Beiuș (DN 76 / E79) take the DJ 764 through Delani, Petreasa, Remetea and Căbești to Roșia: ~22 km to the cave, about 30 minutes. From Oradea it is ~67 km (~1h30). From Cluj-Napoca leave the E60 at Borod and take the DJ 764 through Bratca and Damiș to Roșia: ~130 km, ~2h30.

**Public transport:** trains and buses run between Oradea and Beiuș; from there to the cave you need, in practice, a car or a taxi.

### Where to park

Leave the car in the car park at the end of the road, then walk down about 50 m, following the arrows, to the ticket desk and the gallery entrance. Park only in the marked spaces.

### Fees & discounts

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 (agencies, schools, universities, camps) book the visit and ask for a quote by email, at rezervari.pesteri@gmail.com, or by text message, Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00.

### Rules

Visits are only with a guide, in groups of 2 to 25 people. No photography with flash or a phone torch. Do not touch the crystals or the walls, do not move stones on the path, and follow the guide's instructions; the bats along the route must not be disturbed. 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 suitable shoes.

### Facilities

Ticket desk · car park · toilets · picnic area · restaurant and accommodation in the area · souvenir shop · card payment accepted · nearby: the "Discover the Roșia Valley" themed trail and the Cheile Cuților via ferrata

## Details

- **Protected area type:** speleological reserve
- **Total length:** 251 m
- **Visitor route:** 300 m
- **Developed and lit:** Yes
- **Guided visits only:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine

**How much is a ticket to Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine?**

A ticket to Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine costs 40 lei (children 5–18: 30 lei). More under “Fees & discounts”.

**What are the opening hours of Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine?**

Opening hours at Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine: daily 10:00 – 17:00. More under “Opening hours”.

**How long does a visit to Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine take?**

A visit to Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine takes about 25 min (guided tour).

**Can you visit Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine with kids?**

Yes, Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine is suitable for children (short tour; 9–12 °C inside).

**How do I get to Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine?**

Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine is located at About 3.5 km from the centre of the commune, on the signposted road to the cave, Roșia, Bihor County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine?**

The best season for Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine: All year round (shorter hours in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Meziad Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/meziad-cave) — Caves · Meziad, BH · 40 lei · 50 min · 10 km
  One of Romania's oldest show caves, with a 16 m high entrance arch, vast chambers on two levels and one of the largest bat colonies in the country.
- [Iadolina Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/iadolina-waterfall) — Waterfalls · Budureasa, BH · Free · 30 min · 18 km
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- [Unguru Mare Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/unguru-mare-cave) — Caves · Șuncuiuș, BH · 20 lei · 30 min · 21 km
  A cave with an entrance more than 30 m high facing the Crișul Repede, reached over a suspension bridge and inhabited by people as far back as the Neolithic.
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- [Săritoarea Ieduțului Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saritoarea-iedutului-waterfall) — Waterfalls · Budureasa, BH · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 22 km
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- [Vadu Crișului Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vadu-crisului-cave) — Caves · Vadu Crișului, BH · 20 lei · 45 min · 23 km
  A show cave in the Crișul Repede Gorge, with a stream that leaves it as a small waterfall at the entrance, stalactites, bat colonies and a 680 m guided route.

## Featured in the guides

- [Caves in Romania: the ones you can visit, by area, with a map](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/caves-in-romania) — 37 caves in Romania you can visit, by area: Bears' Cave, Scărișoara, Women's Cave, Ialomița, Polovragi. What is open now, tickets, map, what to bring.
- [Apuseni caves: a 2–3 day route through Bihor and Alba](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/apuseni-caves) — 13 caves to visit in the Apuseni Mountains, ~350 km from Oradea to Gârda de Sus: Meziad, Bears' Cave, Padiș, Scărișoara. Order, distances, what is closed.
- [The nearest cave to Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj, Sibiu, Oradea and Timișoara: distances for a day trip](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/nearest-cave-to-bucharest-brasov-cluj) — Ialomița Cave is 160 km from Bucharest, Valea Cetății 18 km from Brașov, Vadu Crișului 55 km from Oradea, Românești 100 km from Timișoara. Distances, times.
- [Famous caves in Romania you cannot visit: Movile, Topolnița, Vântului, Coliboaia, Peștera cu Oase (and what to see instead)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/caves-you-cannot-visit-in-romania) — Movile, Coliboaia, Cu Oase, Cloșani and Piatra Altarului are closed; Topolnița and Tăușoare need a permit; Wind Cave is open with a caving guide.
- [Stalactites and stalagmites: what they are, how a cave forms and where to see them in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/stalactites-and-stalagmites) — Stalactites hang from the ceiling, stalagmites grow up from the floor. They usually grow less than 10 cm in 1,000 years. How caves form and where to see them.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/crystal-cave-of-the-farcu-mine
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/pestera-cu-cristale-farcu.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/kristallhoehle-in-der-farcu-grube.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/grotta-dei-cristalli-della-miniera-farcu.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/grotte-aux-cristaux-de-la-mine-farcu.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/cueva-de-los-cristales-de-la-mina-farcu.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/farcui-kristalybarlang.md
Last updated: 31 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania