# Ocna Sibiului [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Sibiu County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/sibiu) › [Ocna Sibiului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/ocna-sibiului) > A spa resort 15 km from Sibiu with salt lakes formed where old salt mines caved in: in summer you swim in water that keeps you afloat, between white banks of salt. [Top 100 in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/top-100) **At a glance:** Resorts and thermal baths in Ocna Sibiului, Sibiu County. Opening hours: daily 07:00 – 20:00. Open from 22 May to 30 September. Ticket: 35 lei. Information verified on 29 September 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** daily 07:00 – 20:00 — Open from 22 May to 30 September — These are the hours of the Natural Lakes complex, which opens only in the summer season: in 2026, from 22 May to 30 September. The ticket office and entry to the grounds run daily from 07:00 to 20:00, while the bathing area stays open until 22:00. The start of the season depends on the weather and the water temperature. Outside the season the lakes are not open for bathing and the car parks close. According to its website, the treatment centre of the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand (Strada Băilor 26) runs all year, for over-14s only; its hours are not published, so phone ahead. - **Ticket:** 35 lei — 25 lei off-peak - **With kids:** Yes — salt pool and playground - **Parking:** Yes, paid — 10 lei per entry - **Best season:** May – September — treatment centre all year - **Address:** Strada Salinelor 7 (entrance to the Natural Lakes complex), Ocna Sibiului, Sibiu County - **Coordinates:** 45.8745, 24.0645 - **Phone:** +40 771 625 769 - **Website:** https://www.lacuriocnasibiului.ro/ - **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocna_Sibiului - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186719 - **Categories:** [Resorts and thermal baths](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/statiuni-si-bai-termale), [Salt mines](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saline) ## About Ocna Sibiului Ocna Sibiului is a small spa resort 15 km from Sibiu, nicknamed "the Transylvanian seaside". It has no salt mine you can visit underground: salt was cut here for centuries from bell-shaped pits, and once they were abandoned their roofs caved in and the hollows filled with water. What remains are salt lakes on the surface, with white banks of salt and mud, where people swim in summer. Salt was already mined here in Roman times, and the last pit, St Ignatius, closed in 1931. The baths were officially opened in 1858, and their pavilion, a listed historic monument, went up in the early 20th century. The deepest lake, Avram Iancu (Ocna Pustie), is about 130 m deep and is regarded as the deepest man-made salt lake in Romania. Brâncoveanu holds more than 300 grams of salt per litre, and several lakes are heliothermal: beneath a layer of less salty water, the brine below warms up in the sun. ### What you can see The Natural Lakes complex, run by a company owned by the town, has a dozen lakes used for bathing, linked by paths and wooden steps rebuilt in 2026. The largest is Ocnița, nearly 7,500 m², with beaches on its shore; Brâncoveanu is framed by white salt banks, Auster has an island in the middle and Balta cu Nămol has a thick layer of sapropelic mud. Lacul fără Fund, the "Bottomless Lake", formed in 1775 over a collapsed pit, is protected as a nature reserve. Separately, on Strada Băilor, the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand has its own lido on the Horea, Cloșca and Crișan lakes, a hotel and a treatment centre with an indoor salt-water pool. ### Good to know The lakes open only in summer: in 2026, from 22 May to 30 September. The historic bath pavilion is on the 2026 list of the county's monuments at risk of collapse. ## Don't miss - A swim in Lake Ocnița, in water so salty you float without effort, from the beaches and steps rebuilt in 2026. - The white salt banks around Lake Brâncoveanu, one of the saltiest lakes in the country. - Lake Avram Iancu, the former Great Pit, about 130 m deep, the deepest man-made salt lake in Romania. - Lake Auster, small and shallow, with its island in the middle. - The fortified Reformed church in the town centre, a 13th-century Romanesque basilica. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** Ocna Sibiului lies about 15 km north-west of Sibiu. In town, follow the signs for the Lacurile Naturale (Natural Lakes); the entrance is on Strada Salinelor, while the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand is on Strada Băilor. From Brașov it is ~160 km, from Bucharest ~290 km. **Public transport:** regional trains on the Sibiu – Copșa Mică line stop at the Băile Ocna Sibiului halt, a few hundred metres from the lakes, and at Ocna Sibiului station, on the southern edge of town. There has been engineering work on the Ocna Sibiului – Loamneș section, with buses replacing some trains, so check the timetable before you travel. ### Where to park The Natural Lakes complex has two paid car parks with CCTV: 10 lei per entry in the 2026 season. Out of season the car parks are closed. At the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand, the guarded car park on site is included for hotel guests, and the resort's hotels and guesthouses usually have their own parking. ### Fees & discounts At the Natural Lakes complex, run by Lacurile Naturale Ocna Sibiului SA, the town's company, a single entry in 2026 costs 35 lei for adults and 20 lei for children over 10 from 7 June to 31 August, and 25 and 10 lei from 22 May to 6 June and in September. Children under 10 and people with severe or serious disabilities go in free. A 7-day pass costs 210 lei for adults and 120 lei for children in the peak season, 150 and 60 lei the rest of the time; it allows two entries a day at least three hours apart and is valid for 30 days from first use. Parking is 10 lei per entry, and tickets are not refunded in bad weather. At the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand, a day of treatment costs ~100 lei per person, and a double room with breakfast, lido and pool access ~500 lei a night (prices from the complex's website, last updated in 2024); the lido entry price for non-residents is not posted. Prices checked in September 2026. ### Rules The Natural Lakes rules forbid jumping into the lakes and pools, open fires and cooking, taking mud or salt water away from the site, and mopeds, motorbikes or quad bikes. Shower before using the pools, and do not enter the children's pools covered in mud. Dogs are allowed on a lead, medium and large dogs also muzzled, but not in the water. Keep an eye on children at all times near the lakes. The very salty water stings the eyes and must not be swallowed, so do not dive under. The hotel and spa centre of the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand accept only guests over 14 and do not allow pets. ### Facilities At the Natural Lakes: salt-water children's pool, fresh-water pools, playgrounds, gazebos, hot and cold showers, terraces, first-aid point, two monitored car parks · at the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand: 51-bed hotel, camping cabins, restaurant with terrace, treatment centre with an indoor salt-water pool at 31–33 °C, saunas, jacuzzi and massage · in the resort, more than 500 beds in hotels, guesthouses and a campsite · railway halt next to the lakes ## Details - **Water type:** salt lakes and mud - **Therapeutic uses:** rheumatism, gynaecological conditions - **Mining period:** Roman times – 1931 ## Frequently asked questions about Ocna Sibiului **How much is a ticket to Ocna Sibiului?** A ticket to Ocna Sibiului costs 35 lei (25 lei off-peak). At the Natural Lakes complex, run by Lacurile Naturale Ocna Sibiului SA, the town's company, a single entry in 2026 costs 35 lei for adults and 20 lei for children over 10 from 7 June to 31 August, and 25 and 10 lei from 22 May to 6 June and in September. Children under 10 and people with severe or serious disabilities go in free. A 7-day pass costs 210 lei for adults and 120 lei for children in the peak season, 150 and 60 lei the rest of the time; it allows two entries a day at least three hours apart and is valid for 30 days from first use. Parking is 10 lei per entry, and tickets are not refunded in bad weather. At the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand, a day of treatment costs ~100 lei per person, and a double room with breakfast, lido and pool access ~500 lei a night (prices from the complex's website, last updated in 2024); the lido entry price for non-residents is not posted. Prices checked in September 2026. **What are the opening hours of Ocna Sibiului?** Opening hours at Ocna Sibiului: daily 07:00 – 20:00. These are the hours of the Natural Lakes complex, which opens only in the summer season: in 2026, from 22 May to 30 September. The ticket office and entry to the grounds run daily from 07:00 to 20:00, while the bathing area stays open until 22:00. The start of the season depends on the weather and the water temperature. Outside the season the lakes are not open for bathing and the car parks close. According to its website, the treatment centre of the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand (Strada Băilor 26) runs all year, for over-14s only; its hours are not published, so phone ahead. **Can you visit Ocna Sibiului with kids?** Yes, Ocna Sibiului is suitable for children (salt pool and playground). **Where can I park at Ocna Sibiului?** There is paid parking at Ocna Sibiului (10 lei per entry). The Natural Lakes complex has two paid car parks with CCTV: 10 lei per entry in the 2026 season. Out of season the car parks are closed. At the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand, the guarded car park on site is included for hotel guests, and the resort's hotels and guesthouses usually have their own parking. **How do I get to Ocna Sibiului?** Ocna Sibiului is located at Strada Salinelor 7 (entrance to the Natural Lakes complex), Ocna Sibiului, Sibiu County. By car: Ocna Sibiului lies about 15 km north-west of Sibiu. In town, follow the signs for the Lacurile Naturale (Natural Lakes); the entrance is on Strada Salinelor, while the Complexul Balnear Ocna Sibiului Ștrand is on Strada Băilor. From Brașov it is ~160 km, from Bucharest ~290 km. Public transport: regional trains on the Sibiu – Copșa Mică line stop at the Băile Ocna Sibiului halt, a few hundred metres from the lakes, and at Ocna Sibiului station, on the southern edge of town. There has been engineering work on the Ocna Sibiului – Loamneș section, with buses replacing some trains, so check the timetable before you travel. **When is the best time to visit Ocna Sibiului?** The best season for Ocna Sibiului: May – September (treatment centre all year). ## Nearby attractions - [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-brukenthal) — Castles and palaces · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 · 14 km The Baroque palace of Governor Samuel von Brukenthal on Sibiu's Great Square has housed Romania's oldest museum since 1817: a gallery of European painting with van Eyck, Titian and Bruegel. - [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mare-sibiu) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 45 min · 14 km The main square of old Sibiu, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with "eyes" in their roofs, by the Brukenthal Palace, the Jesuit church and the Council Tower. - [Sibiu Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-sibiu) — Zoos and aquariums · Sibiu, SB · 20 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · 17 km The zoo in the Dumbrava forest, opened in 1929 and considered the first in Romania, with tigers, lions, jaguars, white wolves, bears and lakes where you can go boating. - [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-civilizatiei-populare-traditionale-astra) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 20 · 18 km Romania's largest open-air museum, in the Dumbrava forest outside Sibiu: over 300 houses, mills, workshops and wooden churches brought from across the country, along ~10 km of paths. - [Cisnădioara Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cisnadioara) — Monasteries and churches · Cisnădioara, SB · 10 lei · 25 km A Romanesque basilica from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, left almost unaltered, on the rocky top of St Michael's Hill, ringed by a defensive wall and looking out to the Făgăraș Mountains. - [Valea Viilor Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-valea-viilor) — Monasteries and churches · Valea Viilor, SB · 8 lei · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 · 37 km The Saxon church in a vineyard valley near Mediaș, with its choir turned into a defence tower, an almost intact oval wall and a wood-and-iron portcullis that has survived for centuries. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ocna-sibiului Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/ocna-sibiului.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/ocna-sibiului.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/ocna-sibiului.md Last updated: 29 September 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania