# Lake Sfânta Ana

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Harghita County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/harghita)

> Romania's only volcanic lake: an almost round sheet of water in the Ciomatu crater, ringed by forest, with a Catholic chapel on the shore and the Mohoș peat bog in the neighbouring crater.

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**At a glance:** Lakes in Harghita County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Ticket: 46 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 28 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 09:00 – 19:00 — Summer hours (1 April – 31 October): daily 09:00–19:00, last entry 18:30. Winter (1 November – 31 March): 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00; the Mohoș bog is closed in winter. Overnight stays are only allowed in the designated camping area next to the car park.
- **Ticket:** 46 lei — 41 lei online; includes Mohoș
- **Visit duration:** 1½ – 2 hours — plus ~2 hours for Mohoș
- **With kids:** Yes — play park at the centre
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — free for a few hours with ticket
- **Best season:** All year round — Mohoș closed in winter
- **Address:** Ciomatu massif, reached from the DN12 via Bixad, on the DJ113, Harghita County
- **Coordinates:** 46.127, 25.8898
- **Phone:** +40 752 171 050
- **Website:** https://mohos.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Sf%C3%A2nta_Ana
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q924912
- **Categories:** [Lakes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacuri), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Lake Sfânta Ana

Lake Sfânta Ana (Saint Anne) lies on the floor of a crater of the extinct Ciomatu volcano, in the south of Harghita County, above the spa town of Băile Tușnad. The almost circular lake covers about 19.5 hectares, is at most 7 m deep and sits at 946 m, enclosed by the forested walls of the crater. It is regarded as Romania's only volcanic lake.

The lake has no springs: it is fed only by rain and melting snow, which is why its water holds very few minerals. Studies disagree on when Ciomatu last erupted, but pollen analysis shows that the lake has existed for around 9,000 years. Sediment is slowly filling it in — in the 19th century it was about 12 m deep — and, to protect it, the reserve's management plan banned swimming from 2018.

The name comes from the Roman Catholic chapel dedicated to Saint Anne on the northern shore, where pilgrims gather every summer around the saint's feast day on 26 July.

### What you can see

From the car park on the saddle between the two craters you walk down to the eastern shore, where the jetty for the boats is. From here a path circles the lake along the shore, under the trees, passing the chapel. For more, climb the marked trail along the crater rim, with views down onto the lake.

In the neighbouring crater lies the Mohoș peat bog, crossed by a wooden boardwalk. The entry ticket covers both, as well as the visitor centre by the car park, with an exhibition on the volcano and a scale model of the massif.

### Good to know

The area has a large bear population. The visitor area is protected by kilometres of electric fencing, including along the Mohoș boardwalk; keep food out of sight and never feed the animals.

## Don't miss

- The view from the eastern shore, with the whole forested crater reflected in the water.
- The Roman Catholic chapel of Saint Anne on the northern shore of the lake.
- The walk along the crater rim path, looking down onto the lake.
- The wooden boardwalk through the Mohoș peat bog in the neighbouring crater.
- The scale model of the Ciomatu massif in the visitor centre, showing how the two craters sit side by side.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** leave the DN12 (Sfântu Gheorghe – Miercurea Ciuc) at Bixad for the DJ113 and climb a narrow, winding tarmac road through the forest to the car park by the visitor centre. The lake is ~48 km from Sfântu Gheorghe and ~55 km from Miercurea Ciuc. Cars can no longer drive down to the lake: from the car park it is ~1.5 km on foot, downhill.

**Public transport:** take the train to Băile Tușnad (Brașov – Miercurea Ciuc line), then walk the trail marked with a red cross, which starts in the centre of the resort: 6.7 km, 2.5–3 hours.

### Where to park

The main car park, which is paid, is on the saddle between the craters next to the visitor centre, with room for ~120 cars and 8 coaches. The entry ticket includes a few hours of free parking; without a ticket the first 10 minutes are free, after which you pay. For an overnight stay, a pitch in the designated camping area costs 150 lei per car.

### Fees & discounts

The day ticket covers the lake, the Mohoș peat bog and the visitor centre (exhibition, film, toilets). At the ticket office: 46 lei for adults, 35 lei for pupils aged 15–18 and students, 32 lei for children aged 5–14; online it is cheaper (41, 31 and 29 lei). Children under 5 go free. Family and group tickets (from 8 people) are available. Guiding in Mohoș and boat rides are paid separately.

### Rules

The lake is a nature reserve: swimming has been banned since 2018 and fishing is not allowed. Picnics on the lakeshore are not allowed — do not bring large bags of food down to the water; fires may only be lit in designated spots. Do not feed the bears or leave food scraps behind. Camping is only allowed in the overnight area by the car park, with quiet hours round the clock. Keep your ticket throughout the visit, as it may be checked.

### Facilities

Visitor centre with exhibition, screening room and toilets (including an accessible one) · toilets on the lakeshore · buffet with terrace · food stalls in summer · interactive play park for children · transport down to the lake for disabled visitors, included in the ticket · camping area with showers

## Details

- **Protected area type:** nature reserve
- **Part of:** Tinovul Mohoș Natura 2000 site
- **Lake type:** volcanic
- **Area:** 19.5 ha
- **Maximum depth:** 7 m
- **Altitude:** 946 m
- **Swimming allowed:** No
- **Boat rental:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Lake Sfânta Ana

**How much is a ticket to Lake Sfânta Ana?**

A ticket to Lake Sfânta Ana costs 46 lei (41 lei online; includes Mohoș). The day ticket covers the lake, the Mohoș peat bog and the visitor centre (exhibition, film, toilets). At the ticket office: 46 lei for adults, 35 lei for pupils aged 15–18 and students, 32 lei for children aged 5–14; online it is cheaper (41, 31 and 29 lei). Children under 5 go free. Family and group tickets (from 8 people) are available. Guiding in Mohoș and boat rides are paid separately.

**What are the opening hours of Lake Sfânta Ana?**

Opening hours at Lake Sfânta Ana: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Summer hours (1 April – 31 October): daily 09:00–19:00, last entry 18:30. Winter (1 November – 31 March): 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00; the Mohoș bog is closed in winter. Overnight stays are only allowed in the designated camping area next to the car park.

**How long does a visit to Lake Sfânta Ana take?**

A visit to Lake Sfânta Ana takes about 1½ – 2 hours (plus ~2 hours for Mohoș).

**Can you visit Lake Sfânta Ana with kids?**

Yes, Lake Sfânta Ana is suitable for children (play park at the centre).

**Where can I park at Lake Sfânta Ana?**

There is paid parking at Lake Sfânta Ana (free for a few hours with ticket). The main car park, which is paid, is on the saddle between the craters next to the visitor centre, with room for ~120 cars and 8 coaches. The entry ticket includes a few hours of free parking; without a ticket the first 10 minutes are free, after which you pay. For an overnight stay, a pitch in the designated camping area costs 150 lei per car.

**How do I get to Lake Sfânta Ana?**

Lake Sfânta Ana is located at Ciomatu massif, reached from the DN12 via Bixad, on the DJ113, Harghita County. By car: leave the DN12 (Sfântu Gheorghe – Miercurea Ciuc) at Bixad for the DJ113 and climb a narrow, winding tarmac road through the forest to the car park by the visitor centre. The lake is ~48 km from Sfântu Gheorghe and ~55 km from Miercurea Ciuc. Cars can no longer drive down to the lake: from the car park it is ~1.5 km on foot, downhill. Public transport: take the train to Băile Tușnad (Brașov – Miercurea Ciuc line), then walk the trail marked with a red cross, which starts in the centre of the resort: 6.7 km, 2.5–3 hours.

**When is the best time to visit Lake Sfânta Ana?**

The best season for Lake Sfânta Ana: All year round (Mohoș closed in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Băile Tușnad](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-tusnad) — Resorts and thermal baths · Băile Tușnad, HR · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 4 km
  A spa resort in the Olt gorge between the Harghita and Bodoc mountains: naturally sparkling mineral springs, mofettes, a wellness centre with thermal water and trails up to Falcon Rock.
- [Kálnoky Castle in Micloșoara](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-kalnoky-miclosoara) — Castles and palaces · Micloșoara, CV · 30 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 35 km
  A Renaissance hunting manor of the Counts Kálnoky, begun in 1648, with bastions and rare stucco work, restored and opened in 2017 as the Museum of Transylvanian Life, with guided tours.
- [Székely National Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-national-secuiesc) — Museums and memorial houses · Sfântu Gheorghe, CV · 25 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · 40 km
  The oldest museum in Székely Land, in a building designed by Kós Károly in 1911–1912: history, ethnography, natural sciences and a garden with Székely gates.
- [Covasna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/covasna) — Resorts and thermal baths · Covasna, CV · Free · 50 km
  The spa resort in the town of Covasna, Romania's "resort of the heart": carbon dioxide mofettes, sparkling mineral springs on every corner and the Devil's Pond, a mud volcano in the central park.
- [Slănic-Moldova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/slanic-moldova) — Resorts and thermal baths · Slănic-Moldova, BC · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 100 · 56 km
  A spa resort more than two centuries old in a narrow valley of the Nemira Mountains: numbered mineral springs you drink from for free, a park with shaded paths and the 1894 Art Nouveau Casino.
- [Prejmer Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-prejmer) — Monasteries and churches · Prejmer, BV · 30 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 · 60 km
  One of the largest Saxon fortified churches: a Gothic church on a cross-shaped plan, ringed by an oval wall with over 270 refuge rooms reached by timber galleries.

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Last updated: 28 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania