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Salt lakes and salt baths in Romania: where to swim, season and prices

Lake Ursu seen from above in summer, with the lido's wooden pontoons and red-roofed pavilions on the shore, surrounded by forest
Lake Ursu seen from above in summer, with the lido's wooden pontoons and red-roofed pavilions on the shore, surrounded by forest · Christo · CC BY-SA 4.0

In Romania you can bathe in salt water in three kinds of places: in natural salt lakes, formed on the site of collapsed salt workings (Ocna Sibiului, Lake Ursu in Sovata, Durgău at Turda, Cojocna, Telega) or left behind by former bays and riverbeds (Techirghiol, Lacu Sărat, Amara), at the salt-water lidos of the salt mines (Praid, Târgu Ocna, Cacica) and in pool complexes filled with brine (Ocna Mureș, Ocna Șugatag). The lakes and lidos only open in summer, from late May to mid-September; the indoor pools, all year round. At the height of the 2026 season, an adult day ticket cost between 33 and 90 lei.

This guide takes them region by region, with the type of place, the season and the 2026 price, then clears up the most common confusions (the salt canyon, the ‘salt mine’ at Ocna Mureș) and sets out what the operators say about benefits and contraindications. The difference between a salt mine, where you go underground, and salt baths is explained in the salt mines guide; up-to-date opening hours are on each place's page.

In short

  • The site covers 11 places with salt baths or salt lakes and 3 salt-water lidos at salt mines: Ocna Sibiului, Lake Ursu, the Durgău Salt Lakes, Băile Sărate Turda Lido, Băile Cojocna, the Ocna Mureș Salt Baths, Ocna Șugatag, the Telega Salt Baths, Lake Techirghiol, Lacu Sărat, Amara and the lidos at Praid, Târgu Ocna and Cacica.
  • The salt lakes only open in summer: in 2026, Ocna Sibiului between 22 May and 30 September, the Durgău lido between 1 June and 6 September, Băile Cojocna between 1 June and 15 September, and the Lake Ursu lido from 26 June.
  • The only way to bathe in salt water all year round is in indoor pools: at the Ocna Mureș Salt Baths, in the warm pool at Cojocna, at the complexes in Ocna Șugatag and in the treatment centres at Ocna Sibiului and Turda.
  • Adult day ticket in the 2026 season: 33 lei at the Cacica Salt Mine lido, 35 lei at Ocna Sibiului, 40 lei at Durgău, 50 lei at Cojocna and at the Praid Salt Mine lido, 60 lei at the Târgu Ocna Salt Mine lido, 80 lei at Ocna Mureș (90 lei at weekends).
  • At Ocna Mureș there is no salt mine to visit: there is only the spa complex at the surface, opened in 2023, with salt-water pools.
  • The Salt Canyon, searched for as ‘Sovata salt canyon’, is at Praid, in the Corund valley, and access to it is prohibited for as long as the state of alert declared after the flooding of the salt mine in 2025 lasts.

Salt baths in Romania: the list of places where you can swim

The table brings together all the salt baths and salt lakes that have a page on the site. The ‘what it is’ column tells you where you actually get into the water: in the lake, from a lido laid out on the shore, or in a pool filled with salt water. The difference matters for the season: the lakes and outdoor lidos only open once the weather warms up, and the date is announced every year in May or June.

PlaceWhat it isNear2026 seasonAdult ticket
Ocna Sibiuluinatural lakes in former salt pits, with a lidoSibiu, 15 km22 May – 30 September35 lei (25 lei off-peak)
Lake Ursu (Sovata)natural heliothermal lake, lido on the shoreTârgu Mureș, ~55–60 kmfrom 26 June, until Septembernot published
Durgău Salt Lakes (Turda)two salt lakes, lidoCluj-Napoca, ~30 km1 June – 6 September40 lei
Băile Sărate Turda Lidosalt lake (Lacul Roman), lidoCluj-Napoca, ~30 kmfrom 1 June40 lei (announced in the press)
Băile Cojocnatwo salt lakes and an indoor warm poolCluj-Napoca, 24 km1 June – 15 September; the pool, all year50 lei
Ocna Mureș Salt Bathscomplex with salt-water poolsTurda, ~25 kmall year; outdoor pools in summer80 lei (90 lei at weekends)
Ocna Șugatagsalt lakes; bathing in the complexes' poolsSighetu Marmației, ~20 kmpools all year, outdoor lido in summernot published
Telega Salt Bathssalt lakes, two summer sitesCâmpina, ~6 kmfrom 15 June (Șoimul) and 18 July (the commune's baths)not published for 2026
Praid Salt Mine lidosalt-water lidoSovata, ~7 kmwarm season50 lei
Târgu Ocna Salt Mine lidosalt-water lidoOnești, 14 kmsummer, until 15 September60 lei
Cacica Salt Mine lidosalt-water lidoSuceava, 35 kmsummer, in good weather33 lei
Lake Techirghiolsalt lagoon (liman), cold baths with mudConstanța, ~15 kmJune – mid-September40 lei at Băile Reci in Eforie Nord
Lacu Sărat Resortsalt lake, beach and treatment centresBrăila, ~5 kmbeach in summer, treatment all yearnot published
Amarasalt lake, private beachesSlobozia, ~7 kmthe beaches, in summernot published

Seasons and prices from the operators' websites and the places' pages, checked in October 2026; prices are peak 2026 season day tickets. Distances are those given on the places' pages. The 2026 season is over at all the lakes and lidos: the dates for 2027 are announced in spring.

Ocna Sibiului: salt lakes, lido, opening hours and prices

Ocna Sibiului, 15 km from Sibiu, is one of the most searched-for places to bathe in salt water in the country. The Natural Lakes complex, owned by the town, has a dozen lakes for bathing, among them Ocnița, the largest, Brâncoveanu, with more than 300 g of salt per litre, and Avram Iancu, around 130 m deep. Besides the lakes there are a salt-water pool for children, freshwater pools and play areas.

In 2026 the season ran from 22 May to 30 September, with entry between 07:00 and 20:00. The adult ticket was 35 lei at the height of the season (7 June – 31 August) and 25 lei the rest of the time; children over 10 paid 20 or 10 lei, under-10s went in free, and parking cost 10 lei per entry. Separately, the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand has an indoor salt-water pool, open all year round, for over-14s only.

Lake Ocnița in summer, with people floating in the salt water, wooden steps on the shore and wooden pavilions on the beach behindTop 100

Ocna Sibiului

Ocna Sibiului, SBClosed35 lei
Resorts and thermal baths

Sovata: Lake Ursu, the salt lake with warm water

Lake Ursu, in the resort of Sovata, is a natural salt lake of about 4 ha and more than 18 m deep, formed after 1875 over a body of salt. It is heliothermal: a thin layer of fresh water lies on top of the salt water and holds in the heat, so in summer, one or two metres below the surface, the water often goes above 40 °C.

The lido on the southern shore opens at the end of June (in 2026, on 26 June) and stays open until September, depending on the weather. Every day, bathing stops for two hours at midday so that the freshwater layer can re-form. The operator, Ensana, does not publish its prices; the path of more than a kilometre around the lake is free all year. The lake lies in the ‘Lacul Ursu și arboretele de pe sărături’ nature reserve, together with Lake Aluniș and the Verde and Roșu lakes, which are fenced off and cannot be entered.

Salt baths in Turda: the Durgău lido and Băile Sărate

Turda has two salt-water lidos, about 2 km apart, with tickets separate from the salt mine.

  • The Durgău Salt Lakes are 100 m from the new entrance of the Turda Salt Mine, on two lakes formed in collapsed salt pits: Lacul Ocnei, around 33 m deep, and Lacul Rotund. In summer the water reaches about 30 °C. In 2026 the lido was open between 1 June and 6 September, with last entry at 20:00; the ticket cost 40 lei for adults and 25 lei for children and seniors, and from Monday to Thursday after 17:00, 25 and 18 lei. Children under 3 go in free.
  • Băile Sărate Turda Lido, on the Roman Lake (Lacul Roman), is the town's historic lido, with a play area. The operator does not publish its prices; for 2026 the local press announced 40 lei for adults and 20 lei for children. The Arieșul Hotel next door has an indoor salt-water pool at 37 °C, all year round.

Salt baths near Cluj: Ocna Mureș and Cojocna

  • The Ocna Mureș Salt Baths, about 25 km from Turda and 64 km from Cluj-Napoca, are a pool complex opened in 2023, with a large salt-water pool, a freshwater pool and a salt-water treatment pool at 36–38 °C, plus outdoor pools in summer. It is open all year, on Mondays 12:00–21:00 and Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–21:00. From 1 July 2026, a full day costs 80 lei for adults from Monday to Friday and 90 lei at weekends, children aged 7–14 pay 45 and 50 lei respectively, and under-7s go in free.
  • Băile Cojocna, 24 km from Cluj-Napoca, have two heliothermal salt lakes, among them Lake Durgău (Toroc), more than 40 m deep. In 2026 the lakes were open between 1 June and 15 September, 8:00–20:00, with a ticket of 50 lei for adults and 35 lei after 17:00. The indoor pool with warm salt water also operates out of season.

Salt mine lidos: Praid, Târgu Ocna and Cacica

Three Salrom salt mines have a salt-water lido at the surface, next to the entrance, open only in the warm season and in good weather:

  • Praid: the salt mine has been closed since May 2025, but the lido next to it was not affected. The ticket is 50 lei for adults and 35 lei for children aged 3–18, pupils and students, or 40 and 25 lei after 16:00; under-3s go in free.
  • Târgu Ocna: the lido in the salt mine's grounds was open in 2026 until 15 September, with a ticket of 60 lei for adults and 35 lei for children and pupils. Anyone searching for a ‘Târgu Ocna salt mine pool’ ends up here: there is no pool underground.
  • Cacica: the lido next to the salt mine costs 33 lei for adults and 15 lei for children aged 3–18; in September 2026 it was open daily 10:00–19:00.

At Târgu Ocna and Cacica, mud is not allowed on the lido. The lido ticket does not include a visit to the salt mine.

Salt baths in Maramureș and near Bucharest: Ocna Șugatag and Telega

  • Ocna Șugatag, about 20 km from Sighetu Marmației and 50 km from Baia Mare, is the salt-bath resort of Maramureș. The lakes formed on the site of the old mines, among them Lake Gavril, almost 30 m deep, still have shores that are not fitted out for bathing. You bathe in the private pools: the Lacul Sărat complex has indoor and outdoor salt-water pools, open all year, and the Crăiasca hotel has an outdoor lido in summer. Prices are not published.
  • The Telega Salt Baths are about 6 km from Câmpina and about 100 km from Bucharest. The water has almost 277 g of salts per litre. In summer two sites operate: the Complexul Șoimul, which opened on 15 June in 2026, with a salt lake and mud, and the commune's Băile Minerale Telega, reopened on 18 July 2026.

At Slănic Prahova, the site only covers the salt mine and, on its page, the Salt Mountain; there is no salt-water lido there with a page of its own.

Salt lakes by the sea and in the Bărăgan: Techirghiol, Lacu Sărat, Amara

The largest salt lakes are former bays or abandoned riverbeds, with mud on the bottom:

  • Lake Techirghiol, almost 11 km² and with 80–95 g of salts per litre, is the largest salt lake in the country, between Eforie Nord and the town of Techirghiol, about 15 km from Constanța. In summer the Băile Reci (Cold Baths) are open: you spread the mud on your skin, let it dry in the sun and wash it off in the lake. At Băile Reci No. 1 in Eforie Nord, entry is 40 lei, and children go in free with a parent.
  • Lacu Sărat Resort, about 5 km from Brăila, has a lake of about 172 ha with water of 70–84 g/l, a beach in summer and treatment centres open all year.
  • Amara Resort, about 7 km from Slobozia, has a lake of roughly 132 ha, with bitter water and private beaches.

None of them has a single official price: the beaches and treatment centres belong to several operators.

The salt canyon, the ‘salt mine’ at Ocna Mureș and other confusions

  • ‘Sovata salt canyon’ is in fact the Salt Canyon at Praid, in the Corund valley, about 7 km from Sovata. For as long as the state of alert declared after the flooding of the salt mine lasts, access to it is prohibited. In Sovata, the ‘Drumul Sării’ (Salt Road) trail starts at Lake Ursu and leads to the Verde and Roșu lakes and the Salt Mountain.
  • ‘Ocna Mureș salt mine’ does not exist for visitors: the mines are flooded or backfilled. The spa complex calls a halotherapy room lined with salt its ‘salt mine’.
  • Ocna Sibiului, Cojocna, Telega, Ocna Șugatag have no salt mines you can go down into; what is left of the old workings are the lakes at the surface.
  • The salt baths at Jabenița, Bazna and in other villages often come up in searches, but they do not have a page on the site yet, so they are not described here.

For the difference between salt mines, salt baths and the salt rooms in towns, see the salt mines guide.

Salt baths: benefits and contraindications, according to the operators

What follows is what the operators of the baths publish, not medical advice. The places' pages list as indications for salt water mainly rheumatic conditions, then gynaecological ones (Ocna Sibiului, Lake Ursu, Telega), neurological ones (Ocna Șugatag, Techirghiol) and disorders of the peripheral circulation (Durgău). The Ocna Mureș complex publishes the longest list, from rheumatic and skin conditions to respiratory ones.

The operators also publish contraindications. Ocna Mureș lists diseases in the acute phase, infectious diseases and feverish states, the first months of pregnancy and tumours; Cojocna, advanced hypertension and heart, liver or kidney failure. For actual treatment, the centres require a medical consultation. If you have a chronic illness or are pregnant, ask your doctor before bathing. Cures in salt mines have a guide of their own: treatment in a salt mine.

Before you bathe in salt water

  • Do not put your head under and do not rub your eyes: very salty water stings and must not be swallowed. Rinse off in the shower afterwards.
  • The lakes are deep: the former salt pits are tens of metres deep (Ocna Sibiului, Durgău, Cojocna), and the banks shelve steeply. Keep children close.
  • The warm water is further down: in the heliothermal lakes (Ursu, Cojocna) the layers below the surface are much warmer than those on top; the places' pages recommend sessions of 20–30 minutes.
  • The season depends on the weather: the opening date is announced every year, and on cold days the salt mine lidos stay closed. Check the place's page before you set off.
  • Mud: at Techirghiol it is part of the bath; at the Târgu Ocna and Cacica salt mine lidos it is not allowed, and at Ocna Sibiului it must not be taken out of the grounds.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the salt baths in Romania?
The best known are the lakes at Ocna Sibiului, Lake Ursu in Sovata, the Durgău Salt Lakes and Băile Sărate in Turda, Băile Cojocna, the Telega Salt Baths, Ocna Șugatag, Lake Techirghiol and Lacu Sărat. All year round, you can bathe in salt-water pools at the Ocna Mureș Salt Baths.
When do the Ocna Sibiului salt lakes open and how much is entry?
In 2026 the Natural Lakes complex was open between 22 May and 30 September, with entry daily between 07:00 and 20:00. The adult ticket cost 35 lei between 7 June and 31 August and 25 lei the rest of the time; children under 10 went in free, and parking was 10 lei.
How much does the Durgău lido in Turda cost?
In the 2026 season: 40 lei for adults, 25 lei for children and seniors over 65, and from Monday to Thursday after 17:00, 25 and 18 lei. Children under 3 go in free. The lido was open between 1 June and 6 September 2026.
Can you swim at Ocna Mureș?
Yes, at the Ocna Mureș Salt Baths, a complex with salt-water pools opened in 2023 and open all year. A full day costs 80 lei for adults from Monday to Friday and 90 lei at weekends (prices from 1 July 2026). The old salt mine cannot be visited.
Is the Praid Salt Mine lido open?
Praid Salt Mine has been closed since May 2025, but the salt-water lido next to it was not affected and operates in the warm season. The adult ticket is 50 lei, and 35 lei for children aged 3–18 (Salrom prices, October 2026).
Where is the salt canyon near Sovata?
The Salt Canyon is at Praid, in the Corund valley, about 7 km from Sovata. For as long as the state of alert declared after the flooding of the salt mine in 2025 lasts, access to it is prohibited.
Where can you bathe in salt water in winter?
In indoor pools: at the Ocna Mureș Salt Baths, in the warm pool of Băile Cojocna, at the Lacul Sărat complex in Ocna Șugatag, at the treatment centre of the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand and at the Arieșul Hotel in Turda. The lakes and outdoor lidos are closed.
What are the benefits of salt baths?
The operators list as indications mainly rheumatic conditions, then gynaecological, neurological and skin conditions, and they also publish contraindications: acute or infectious diseases, fever, the first months of pregnancy, heart failure. Ask your doctor first, especially if you have a chronic illness.

Sources

All guides