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The nearest thermal baths to Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Oradea, Timișoara, Sibiu and Arad: distances and what is open

The entrance building, with its glass facade and sail-like curved roof, behind the lawn and paths in front of the complex
The entrance building, with its glass facade and sail-like curved roof, behind the lawn and paths in front of the complex · Daniele Napolitano · CC BY-SA 4.0

The nearest thermal bath to Bucharest is Therme București, at Balotești, about 19 km from Piața Victoriei; to Oradea, Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai, 8 km away; to Brașov, Băile Tușnad, 67 km away; to Sibiu, Călimănești-Căciulata, 80 km away. From Cluj-Napoca the nearest thermal water is at Geoagiu-Băi, about 145 km and two hours away, and from Arad and Timișoara at Moneasa, 100 and 155 km away respectively; Buziaș, 36 km from Timișoara, has cold mineral water, not thermal water.

Below is the table for seven cities, then, city by city, what to choose for a day or a weekend and what is open only in summer. The resorts, region by region, are described in the guide to the thermal baths of Romania; opening hours and prices are on each bath's own page.

In short

  • Therme București, at Balotești, on the DN1, about 19 km from Piața Victoriei, is the nearest thermal bath to Bucharest and is open every day, all year round.
  • From Oradea, Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai are 8 km away, by OTL bus; at Felix, the Apollo-Felix Complex is open all year, while Venus Waterland at 1 Mai is open only in summer.
  • There is no thermal water near Cluj-Napoca: Geoagiu-Băi is about 145 km and two hours away, with its open-air pool open in summer, and Băile Felix, open all year, about 160 km and 2 h 45 away.
  • From Brașov the nearest is Băile Tușnad, about 67 km away, where Wellness Tușnad has a thermal-water pool at 34–36 °C, open all year.
  • From Sibiu, Călimănești-Căciulata is about 80 km away along the Olt Valley, with AquaPark Cozia open all year; Geoagiu-Băi is about 104 km away.
  • From Arad, Moneasa is about 100 km and 1 h 50 away, and Felix about 120 km; from Timișoara, Moneasa is about 155 km away, Felix and Herculane 175–180 km.
  • Buziaș (near Timișoara) and Covasna (near Brașov) have carbonated waters, not thermal ones, while Ocna Sibiului, Cojocna and Bazna have salt water.

The nearest thermal bath to each city

Distances are by road, from the city centre to the resort or the complex. Times are for clear roads: on the DN1 towards Therme and on the DN7 through the Olt Valley, at weekends, add half an hour or more. The "Open" column tells you whether the thermal-water pools run all year or only in the warm season.

CityNearest thermal bathDistance, driving timeSecond optionOpen
BucharestTherme București (Balotești)~19 km, ~30 minCălimănești-Căciulata, ~190 km, ~2 h 50all year
Cluj-NapocaGeoagiu-Băi~145 km, ~2 hBăile Felix, ~160 km, ~2 h 45, all yearopen-air pool, summer
BrașovBăile Tușnad (Wellness Tușnad)~67 km, ~1 h 10Therme București, ~151 km, ~2 h 35all year
OradeaBăile Felix and Băile 1 Mai~8 km, 10–15 minMoneasa, ~115 km, ~2 hFelix all year, 1 Mai summer
TimișoaraMoneasa~155 km, ~2 h 30Băile Felix, ~175 km, ~2 h 50, all yearopen-air pool, summer
SibiuCălimănești-Căciulata~80 km, ~1 h 25Geoagiu-Băi, ~104 km, ~1 h 20all year
AradMoneasa~100 km, ~1 h 50Băile Felix, ~120 km, ~2 h, all yearopen-air pool, summer

The distances are those on the attractions' own pages, as are the times Cluj–Geoagiu-Băi, Cluj–Felix, Oradea–Felix, Oradea–1 Mai, Oradea–Moneasa, Timișoara–Moneasa, Sibiu–Geoagiu-Băi and Arad–Moneasa; the Brașov–Therme distance and the other times are calculated on OpenStreetMap maps (OSRM), from the city centre, November 2026, rounded. The season follows the attractions' pages (November 2026).

Thermal baths near Bucharest: Therme, then the Olt Valley

"Thermal baths in Bucharest" in practice means Therme București, in the commune of Balotești, on the DN1, about 19 km from Piața Victoriei and 4 km north of Henri Coandă Airport. The water comes from its own borehole about 3,100 m deep, where it emerges at about 81 °C; in the pools it is 33–36 °C. The complex is open every day, all year round. Without a car, take STB bus 442 from Piața Presei Libere. Therme is a leisure complex, not a resort with medical treatments.

The nearest resort with thermal water is Călimănești-Căciulata, about 190 km away on the A1 and the DN7, roughly 2 h 50, with AquaPark Cozia open all year. Băile Olănești, about 195 km and three hours away, has its heated sulphurous-water pool open only in summer. Băile Herculane is about 380 km away, 5 h 30: a weekend trip, not a day trip. The region is covered in the pillar guide.

Thermal baths near Cluj: Geoagiu-Băi and Băile Felix

There is no warm thermal water near Cluj-Napoca. The nearest resort with thermal pools is Geoagiu-Băi, about 145 km away, roughly two hours. The Băile Daco Romane open-air pool complex, with four pools of water at 29–33 °C, runs only in summer; next to it are the Roman Baths of Germisara, the ancient pool carved into travertine.

In winter, the nearest open thermal water is at Băile Felix, about 160 km and 2 h 45 away on the E60. Băile 1 Mai, about 150 km away, has its open-air pool only in summer.

Close to the city there are only salt baths: Băile Cojocna, 24 km away, has an indoor pool with heated salt water, open all year, and the Ocna Mureș Salt Baths, about 64 km and an hour away, salt-water pools. Their water is salty, not thermal; they are described in the guide to salt baths.

The ancient pool of the Roman baths seen from above, with still water, stone steps and a masonry arch among ferns and travertine walls

Geoagiu-Băi

Geoagiu-Băi, HDOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
The half-timbered wooden pavilion with pointed turrets at the entrance to the Apollo baths, with its red sign and snow-covered firs in front of the stepsTop 100

Băile Felix

Băile Felix, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

Thermal baths near Brașov: Băile Tușnad and Therme

The nearest thermal water to Brașov is at Băile Tușnad, about 67 km away on the DN12, roughly 1 h 10. In the centre of the resort, next to Lake Ciucaș, Wellness Tușnad is open all year, with a thermal-water pool at 34–36 °C, an outdoor pool and saunas. Without a car, the direct Brașov – Sfântu Gheorghe – Miercurea Ciuc trains stop at the resort's station, from where you walk to the centre.

Covasna, about 60 km away, is closer, but it is a resort of mofettes and carbonated waters, not of bathing in warm water: the mofettes are in the guide to mofettes.

For a large complex, Therme București is about 151 km away, 2 h 35, and Călimănești-Căciulata about 193 km, 3 h 30. Harghita and Covasna are covered in the pillar guide.

The resort seen from above, from Falcon Rock: the hotels and houses in the valley, Lake Ciucaș and the fir-covered mountains, with a bush turning red for autumn in the foregroundTop 100

Băile Tușnad

Băile Tușnad, HROpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
The Devil's Pond in the central park: the stone basin under a dome of metal bars, with a weeping willow and a hotel behind it, on a summer day

Covasna

Covasna, CVOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

Thermal baths near Oradea: Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai

Oradea has two thermal resorts on the edge of the city. Băile Felix is 8 km south, on the DN76 towards Beiuș, roughly 15 minutes, with springs of up to 49 °C. The Apollo-Felix Complex is open all year; from 21 December the wave pool and the slides close until the new season. Băile 1 Mai is also about 8 km from the city and 4 km from Felix; Venus Waterland, its complex with geothermal-water pools, runs only in summer and closes from 14 September.

Without a car, take the OTL buses from the Nufărul bus station: line 511 to Felix, lines 512 and 514 to 1 Mai. The train no longer runs: the last Oradea – Băile Felix train ran in 2014.

For a day somewhere else, Moneasa is about 115 km away, two hours, with its open-air pool open in summer. How to choose between Felix and Herculane is in the pillar guide.

The half-timbered wooden pavilion with pointed turrets at the entrance to the Apollo baths, with its red sign and snow-covered firs in front of the stepsTop 100

Băile Felix

Băile Felix, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
The old Casino building, with small turrets, a green porch and a white fence, seen between leafless trees on an overcast autumn day

Băile 1 Mai

Băile 1 Mai, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
A wooden church with a red roof and pointed tower in a clearing with young firs and paths, at the edge of the forest, in spring

Moneasa

Moneasa, AROpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

Thermal baths near Timișoara: Moneasa, Felix, Herculane

From Timișoara the nearest warm thermal water is more than two hours away. Buziaș Spa Resort, about 36 km and 45 minutes away, is a spa resort, but its water is carbonated mineral water, cold (about 7 °C); the spa with a semi-Olympic pool works by reservation, and the treatment centre and the hotels changed owner in March 2026, so call ahead.

In summer, the nearest is Moneasa, about 155 km away, 2 h 30, with its open-air pool fed by a spring at 31 °C. All year, Băile Felix is about 175 km away, 2 h 50. Băile Herculane is about 180 km away, roughly three hours on the E70 via Lugoj and Caransebeș, with its thermal open-air pools open only in summer. Geoagiu-Băi is further, about 192 km away, but you get there somewhat faster, in about 2 h 25, with its open-air pool open in summer. The Banat is covered in the pillar guide.

A wooden church with a red roof and pointed tower in a clearing with young firs and paths, at the edge of the forest, in spring

Moneasa

Moneasa, AROpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
The half-timbered wooden pavilion with pointed turrets at the entrance to the Apollo baths, with its red sign and snow-covered firs in front of the stepsTop 100

Băile Felix

Băile Felix, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

Thermal baths near Sibiu: Călimănești-Căciulata and Geoagiu

The nearest thermal water to Sibiu is at Călimănești-Căciulata, about 80 km to the south, through the Olt Defile, roughly 1 h 25. The geothermal water comes from boreholes about 3,000 m deep at almost 90 °C, and at Căciulata AquaPark Cozia has 13 indoor and outdoor pools, at 28–37 °C, open all year. Călimănești has a station on the Râmnicu Vâlcea – Sibiu line. Traffic on the DN7 often moves in a queue, and in 2026 work is under way on the slopes and on the motorway, with alternating traffic on some stretches: check the situation on the defile's page.

To the west, Geoagiu-Băi is about 104 km away, 1 h 20, with its open-air pool open in summer; Băile Olănești, about 115 km and two hours away, has its sulphurous pool open only in summer.

Near Sibiu there are salt baths, not thermal ones: Ocna Sibiului, about 15 km away, with salt lakes in summer, and Băile Bazna, about 70 km away, with outdoor salt-water pools; both are in the guide to salt baths.

The ancient pool of the Roman baths seen from above, with still water, stone steps and a masonry arch among ferns and travertine walls

Geoagiu-Băi

Geoagiu-Băi, HDOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
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

Thermal baths near Arad: Moneasa and Băile Felix

From Arad the nearest thermal water is at Moneasa, the county's resort, about 100 km away, 1 h 50, via Ineu and Sebiș, then another 20 km up the Moneasa valley. The open-air pool complex has three pools, from 80 cm to 1.90 m deep, with thermal mineral water from a spring at 31 °C, and runs in the warm season.

All year, head towards Oradea: Băile Felix is about 120 km away, roughly two hours, and Băile 1 Mai, next to it, also about 120 km away, with its open-air pool only in summer. Geoagiu-Băi is about 223 km away, 2 h 35. Crișana is covered in the pillar guide.

A wooden church with a red roof and pointed tower in a clearing with young firs and paths, at the edge of the forest, in spring

Moneasa

Moneasa, AROpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
The half-timbered wooden pavilion with pointed turrets at the entrance to the Apollo baths, with its red sign and snow-covered firs in front of the stepsTop 100

Băile Felix

Băile Felix, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
The old Casino building, with small turrets, a green porch and a white fence, seen between leafless trees on an overcast autumn day

Băile 1 Mai

Băile 1 Mai, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

Thermal baths near the border, instead of Hungary

From Oradea, Arad and Timișoara people often search for "thermal baths in Hungary near the border". This guide does not describe the baths in Hungary; on the Romanian side of the border you have these options:

  • From Oradea: Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai, 8 km away, by city bus. Felix has springs of up to 49 °C and pools open all year.
  • From Arad: Moneasa, about 100 km away, in summer, or Felix, about 120 km away, all year.
  • From Timișoara: Moneasa, about 155 km away, in summer; all year, Felix, about 175 km away. Băile Herculane, about 180 km away, has thermal and sulphurous waters of up to 60 °C, with its open-air pools open in summer.

Buziaș Spa Resort, the nearest spa resort to Timișoara, is not an alternative for bathing in warm water: its water is cold. The open-air pools with slides at Felix and 1 Mai are in the guide to thermal open-air pools and aquaparks.

The half-timbered wooden pavilion with pointed turrets at the entrance to the Apollo baths, with its red sign and snow-covered firs in front of the stepsTop 100

Băile Felix

Băile Felix, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths
A wooden church with a red roof and pointed tower in a clearing with young firs and paths, at the edge of the forest, in spring

Moneasa

Moneasa, AROpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

Close to the city, but not thermal: Buziaș, Covasna, Ocna

A few resorts come up in searches for "thermal baths near …" even though they have no warm thermal water:

A day at the thermal baths: what is open all year

For a day trip, what is open matters more than the distance. Open all year are Therme București, the Apollo-Felix Complex, AquaPark Cozia at Căciulata and Wellness Tușnad; the open-air pools at Geoagiu-Băi, Moneasa, Băile 1 Mai and Herculane and the pool at Băile Olănești run only in the warm season. Which outdoor pools you will find open in winter is in the guide to thermal baths open in winter.

Without a car, the easiest to reach are Therme (bus 442), Felix and 1 Mai (OTL buses from Oradea), Băile Tușnad (direct train from Brașov) and Călimănești (station on the Râmnicu Vâlcea – Sibiu line). For Herculane the station is at Pecinișca, about 5 km from the historic centre, and for Geoagiu-Băi the nearest station is at Orăștie, from where you continue by bus or taxi.

Opening hours and tickets change from one season to the next: check them on each bath's page before you set off.

Frequently asked questions

What is the nearest thermal bath to Bucharest?
Therme București, at Balotești, on the DN1, about 19 km from Piața Victoriei, open every day all year round; you can also get there by STB bus 442. The nearest resort with thermal water is Călimănești-Căciulata, about 190 km away.
Where are there thermal baths near Cluj?
There is no thermal water near Cluj. Geoagiu-Băi is about 145 km and two hours away, with its open-air pool open in summer, and Băile Felix, open all year, about 160 km and 2 h 45 away. Băile Cojocna, 24 km away, has a pool with heated salt water, not thermal water.
Which thermal baths are close to Brașov?
Băile Tușnad, about 67 km and 1 h 10 away, where Wellness Tușnad has a thermal-water pool at 34–36 °C, open all year. Therme București is about 151 km away. Covasna, 60 km away, has mofettes and carbonated waters, not thermal pools.
Which thermal baths are near Oradea?
Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai, both about 8 km away, by OTL buses 511 (Felix) and 512 or 514 (1 Mai) from the Nufărul bus station. At Felix, the Apollo-Felix Complex is open all year; Venus Waterland at 1 Mai runs only in summer.
Where can you go to thermal baths from Timișoara?
In summer to Moneasa, about 155 km and 2 h 30 away; all year to Băile Felix, about 175 km and 2 h 50 away. Băile Herculane is about 180 km away, with its thermal open-air pools open only in summer.
Does Buziaș have thermal water?
No. The water at Buziaș is carbonated mineral water, at about 7 °C, used for drinking cures and in carbon dioxide baths. The resort's spa, with a semi-Olympic pool, works by reservation.
Which thermal baths are close to Sibiu?
Călimănești-Căciulata, about 80 km and 1 h 25 away along the Olt Valley, with AquaPark Cozia open all year, and Geoagiu-Băi, about 104 km away, with its open-air pool open in summer. Ocna Sibiului, 15 km away, has salt lakes, not thermal water.
Where can you find thermal baths near Arad?
At Moneasa, about 100 km and 1 h 50 away, with its open-air pool open in the warm season. All year, Băile Felix is about 120 km away, roughly two hours.
Which thermal baths are there in Romania near the Hungarian border?
Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai, 8 km from Oradea, with Felix open all year, and Moneasa, about 100 km from Arad, open in summer. From Timișoara, Felix is about 175 km away.

Sources

All guides