Dragons' Garden (Grădina Zmeilor)

About Dragons' Garden (Grădina Zmeilor)

At a glance: National parks and reserves in Gâlgău Almașului, Sălaj County. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

On the slope of Dumbrava hill, above the village of Gâlgău Almașului, the oak and hornbeam forest opens onto something unusual for the hills of Sălaj: towers, needles and steep walls of sandstone with microconglomerates, greyish-yellow and 10–15 m high. Frost and thaw, wind, washing rain and collapses have carved the rock for thousands of years, and the process goes on: part of the rocks fell as recently as the 1970s, and today's shapes will not be the same in a few decades.

The locals named the formations after what they saw in them: the Dragon and the Dragoness (Zmeul și Zmeoaica), Fata Cătanei ("the Soldier's Daughter"), the Old Man (Moșu), the Monks (Călugării), the Captain, the Soldiers, Cleopatra's Needle, the Sphinx, the Infantryman and the Little Finger. The best-known story is that of Fata Cătanei, cursed by her mother to turn into a stone, either because she fell in love with a soldier or because she refused to take the sheep up the hill in the evening. The place was first called "Închieturi" or "La Fata Cătanei"; the name "Grădina Zmeilor" is said to have caught on after a stage show in the 1980s with actors dressed as dragons.

The area is a nature reserve of national interest (code RONPA0699), of about 3 ha, in IUCN category IV, declared by Law no. 5/2000; some tourist sources say ~5 ha, probably counting the surrounding forest. It is run by Bălan commune, which developed the paths, steps and wooden railings in 2009–2010 with European funds.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the reserve is ~500 m from the DN1G (Huedin–Jibou), at the edge of Gâlgău Almașului village; there are signs from the road to the car park. From Jibou it is ~10 km (~15 minutes), from Zalău ~35 km (~45 minutes), from Cluj-Napoca ~70–80 km (~1½ hours), via Hida and Sâncraiu Almașului. The road to the entrance was asphalted by the commune, as the press reported in 2022.

Public transport: we found no direct connection to the reserve; the nearest town is Jibou, from where you continue by car or taxi.

Where to park

The car park is right at the reserve entrance, next to a gazebo and camping spots, and one guide mentions a terrace. The press does not mention any parking fee, but we found no official information.

Fees & discounts

The sources contradict each other: the press in 2014 and 2022 says access is free, while a 2017 guide gives 5 lei for adults and 3 lei for pupils, students and pensioners. We found no current official tariff; check with Bălan Town Hall before you go.

Rules

Stay on the marked paths and do not climb the rocks, which are crumbling. Do not pick plants or leave litter: it is a protected natural area. Keep away from the edge of the steep walls, especially with children. Do not come in slippery footwear. Ask the administrator's consent before flying a drone.

Facilities

Paths and wooden steps with railings · gazebo near the viewpoint · information panels · rubbish bins · car park and camping spot at the entrance · no accommodation in the village (the nearest is in Jibou)