# Lake Bolboci

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [Dâmbovița County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/dambovita) › [Moroeni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/moroeni)

> A reservoir on the Ialomița at 1,438 m, in the heart of the Bucegi Mountains, held back by a 55 m stone dam and ringed by spruce forest, between the Tătaru and Zănoaga gorges.

**At a glance:** Lakes in Moroeni, Dâmbovița County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: 10 lei. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 4 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The lake and the dam are in the open air and can be reached at any time. The access roads are mountain roads and may close or become hard going in winter, in heavy snow or blizzards; check the Dâmbovița County Council announcements before setting off. In late autumn the lake level is deliberately lowered ahead of winter.
- **Ticket:** 10 lei — park ticket, valid 90 days
- **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — the dam and a lakeside walk
- **With kids:** Yes — no facilities along the shore
- **Best season:** May – October — difficult road access in winter
- **Address:** DJ714, at the Bolboci Dam (Ialomița Valley, Bucegi Mountains), Moroeni, Dâmbovița County
- **Coordinates:** 45.3396, 25.4299
- **Website:** https://www.bucegipark.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacul_Bolboci
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12731842
- **Categories:** [Lakes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacuri), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Lake Bolboci

Lake Bolboci fills the basin of the same name on the upper Ialomița, on the Dâmbovița side of the Bucegi Mountains, between the Tătaru Gorge upstream and the Zănoaga Gorge downstream. It formed behind the Bolboci Dam, brought into service on 11 October 1988: a rockfill dam, built from blocks of stone quarried nearby, 55 m high and sealed with concrete on the side facing the lake. It lies at 1,438 m, one of the highest altitudes at which a dam has been built in Romania, and locals and visitors call it "the Sea of the Bucegi".

The reservoir, which holds about 18 million cubic metres, is above all a drinking-water reserve for Târgoviște and the towns along the Ialomița. Its water also feeds Lake Scropoasa further down the valley, from where it flows on to the hydropower stations at Dobrești and Moroeni. Besides the Ialomița, the lake is fed by the Bolboci, Valea Mircii and Nucet streams, and its water is a clear greenish blue.

### What you can see

From the dam the lake opens out to the north between spruce-covered slopes, with the bare peaks of the Bucegi above the forest; on the other side, the stone face of the dam drops steeply to the Ialomița valley. The county road follows the shore to the head of the lake, where the Ialomița emerges from the Tătaru Gorge, limestone walls through which the valley climbs on towards Padina and Peștera. Just downstream of the dam begins the Zănoaga Gorge. The lake is also a starting point for hikes to Ialomița Cave, Babele and Omu Peak.

### Good to know

The water level varies: in late autumn the lake is partly drained ahead of winter, leaving the shores exposed. The roads up here are mountain roads with unsurfaced stretches, and access can be difficult in winter. You are in Bucegi Natural Park, where a visitor fee applies.

## Don't miss

- The view from the dam, with the lake stretching between spruce forests on one side and the deep Ialomița valley on the other.
- The 55 m stone face of the dam, built from blocks of stone quarried nearby.
- The road along the shore to the head of the lake, where the Ialomița emerges from the Tătaru Gorge.
- The Zănoaga Gorge, just downstream of the dam, on the road to Moroeni.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Sinaia take the DN71 towards Târgoviște, turn right onto the DJ713 (Transbucegi) up to the Dichiu Saddle, then drop down the DJ713A towards Zănoaga and Lake Bolboci: ~25 km from Sinaia in all, and ~125 km from Bucharest to Sinaia on the DN1. From Târgoviște, drive up the DN71 to Glod (Moroeni commune) and from there take the DJ714, past the Moroeni Sanatorium, ~25 km to the lake; apart from the first few kilometres the road is unsurfaced and in poor condition in places, and the funding contract for modernising it was signed in July 2026. The roads are narrow, with no petrol stations: fill up in Sinaia or on the DN71.

**Public transport:** there are no scheduled services to the lake. Without a car, the nearest link is the Babele – Peștera cable car, whose lower station is next to Hotel Peștera; from there you walk down the Ialomița valley, through Padina and the Tătaru Gorge, to the lake.

### Where to park

Leave the car near the dam or at the chalets in the area, without blocking the road. On summer weekends spaces fill up quickly. Do not park on the pasture or in the forest: you are in Bucegi Natural Park.

### Fees & discounts

Access to the lake and the dam is free, but the area lies in Bucegi Natural Park, where a visitor fee applies: 10 lei per person aged 14 and over, valid for 90 days, bought online on the park's website or in cash from the rangers; children under 14 go free. The fee is not included in chalet accommodation or cable car tickets.

### Rules

The lake is a drinking-water source: do not throw anything into the water or wash dishes or cars on the shore. It is not a designated bathing area. Recreational fishing requires a permit. In the park, do not camp outside marked sites, do not light fires and do not leave litter; vehicles may only use roads open to traffic.

### Facilities

Cabana Bolboci next to the dam, with rooms and a restaurant · campsite and cabins at Zănoaga, ~2 km away · chalets and guesthouses upstream at Padina and Peștera · no petrol station in the area; the nearest are in Sinaia and on the DN71

## Details

- **Protected area type:** natural park
- **Part of:** Bucegi Natural Park
- **Lake type:** reservoir
- **Altitude:** 1,438 m

## Frequently asked questions about Lake Bolboci

**How much is a ticket to Lake Bolboci?**

A ticket to Lake Bolboci costs 10 lei (park ticket, valid 90 days). Access to the lake and the dam is free, but the area lies in Bucegi Natural Park, where a visitor fee applies: 10 lei per person aged 14 and over, valid for 90 days, bought online on the park's website or in cash from the rangers; children under 14 go free. The fee is not included in chalet accommodation or cable car tickets.

**What are the opening hours of Lake Bolboci?**

Opening hours at Lake Bolboci: daily open 24 hours. The lake and the dam are in the open air and can be reached at any time. The access roads are mountain roads and may close or become hard going in winter, in heavy snow or blizzards; check the Dâmbovița County Council announcements before setting off. In late autumn the lake level is deliberately lowered ahead of winter.

**How long does a visit to Lake Bolboci take?**

A visit to Lake Bolboci takes about ½ – 1 hours (the dam and a lakeside walk).

**Can you visit Lake Bolboci with kids?**

Yes, Lake Bolboci is suitable for children (no facilities along the shore).

**How do I get to Lake Bolboci?**

Lake Bolboci is located at DJ714, at the Bolboci Dam (Ialomița Valley, Bucegi Mountains), Moroeni, Dâmbovița County. By car: from Sinaia take the DN71 towards Târgoviște, turn right onto the DJ713 (Transbucegi) up to the Dichiu Saddle, then drop down the DJ713A towards Zănoaga and Lake Bolboci: ~25 km from Sinaia in all, and ~125 km from Bucharest to Sinaia on the DN1. From Târgoviște, drive up the DN71 to Glod (Moroeni commune) and from there take the DJ714, past the Moroeni Sanatorium, ~25 km to the lake; apart from the first few kilometres the road is unsurfaced and in poor condition in places, and the funding contract for modernising it was signed in July 2026. The roads are narrow, with no petrol stations: fill up in Sinaia or on the DN71. Public transport: there are no scheduled services to the lake. Without a car, the nearest link is the Babele – Peștera cable car, whose lower station is next to Hotel Peștera; from there you walk down the Ialomița valley, through Padina and the Tătaru Gorge, to the lake.

**When is the best time to visit Lake Bolboci?**

The best season for Lake Bolboci: May – October (difficult road access in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Transbucegi](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transbucegi) — Scenic roads · Dâmbovița County · 10 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · 8 km
  The DJ713 climbs from the DN71 near Sinaia over 16 km of tarmac to 1,925 m at Piatra Arsă: the only road that takes you by car onto the Bucegi plateau.
- [Ialomița Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ialomitei) — Caves · Moroeni, DB · 30 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 8 km
  A cave cut into the wall of the Ialomița Gorge, in the heart of the Bucegi Mountains at 1,660 m, with a monastery built against its mouth and 480 m of lit galleries leading to the Bears' Hall and the Altar.
- [Babele](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/babele) — Mountains and trails · Moroeni, DB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 11 km
  The stone mushrooms of the Bucegi plateau, at ~2,200 m: conglomerate rocks worn by wind, frost and rain, a few minutes from the Bușteni cable car and the Sphinx.
- [The Bucegi Sphinx](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sfinxul-din-bucegi) — Mountains and trails · Moroeni, DB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 11 km
  An 8 m conglomerate rock shaped by wind, frost and rain that, from certain angles, looks like a human head; it stands on the Bucegi plateau at 2,216 m, next to Babele.
- [Pelișor Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-pelisor) — Castles and palaces · Sinaia, PH · 30 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 12 km
  Queen Marie's Art Nouveau castle, built between 1899 and 1902 next to Peleș, with the Gold Room, the Gold Bedroom and interiors designed by the queen herself; her heart is kept here.
- [Caraiman Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-caraiman) — Waterfalls · Bușteni, PH · 10 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · 12 km
  A waterfall on the rock step at the head of the Jepi valley, below the Caraiman chalet in the Bucegi; it only flows in full in late spring and early summer, hence its nickname of the ‘ghost waterfall’.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-bolboci
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Last updated: 4 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania