# Ocna Șugatag

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Maramureș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/maramures) › [Maramureș County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/maramures) › [Ocna Șugatag](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/ocna-sugatag)

> A spa resort in Maramureș with salt lakes that formed on the surface above old salt mines, including Lake Gavril, 30 m deep; salt-water bathing happens in the pools of the local complexes.

**At a glance:** Resorts and thermal baths in Ocna Șugatag, Maramureș County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 2½ – 3 hours. Information verified on 29 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The lakes and the streets between them can be visited at any time; only the pools, all privately run, have opening hours. The pools of the Lacul Sărat complex are open all year, but their daily hours are not published: phone ahead. The outdoor pool of the Crăiasca hotel only operates in summer, with dates announced by the operator each season, while the indoor pools and the treatment centre run all year. Outside summer, ask the hotel whether the outdoor pool is still open.
- **Ticket:** Free — the private pools charge entry
- **Visit duration:** 2½ – 3 hours — the lakes and a few hours at the pools
- **Best season:** All year round — outdoor pool in summer only
- **Address:** Strada Între Lacuri, on the shore of Lake Gavril, Ocna Șugatag, Maramureș County
- **Coordinates:** 47.7788, 23.9303
- **Phone:** +40 262 374 005
- **Website:** https://primariaocnasugatag.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocna_%C8%98ugatag
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12135430
- **Categories:** [Resorts and thermal baths](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/statiuni-si-bai-termale), [Salt mines](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saline)

## About Ocna Șugatag

Ocna Șugatag is a small spa resort in the Maramureș Depression, at 490 m above sea level and 20 km south of Sighetu Marmației. The name tells the story of the place: "ocnă" means salt mine, and the salt here is mentioned in documents as early as 1355. Mining went on, one mine after another, until around 1950, when fresh water seeping in flooded the galleries and work was stopped.

There is no salt mine to go down into here: the old mines are flooded and closed. What you see today are the salt lakes that appeared on the surface where the ceilings of the abandoned mines caved in, along a strip of about a kilometre in the south-west of the village. The largest is Lake Gavril, formed in 1966: it covers about 2.35 hectares and is almost 30 m deep, with a layer of fresh water over the salt water, and is often described as the largest man-made salt lake in the country. Next to it lie Lake Bătrân and Tăul fără Fund ("the Bottomless Pool"), the deepest, at around 33 m.

The village has had the status of a balneoclimatic area since 2016 and was certified as a tourist resort of national interest in 2020. The salt water is used in treatments for rheumatic, peripheral neurological and gynaecological conditions.

### What you can see

You walk among the salt lakes, along reed-lined shores and the lanes between guesthouses, then head north to the Crăiasca Forest, a 44-hectare reserve of centuries-old sessile oaks and larches. Salt-water bathing happens in pools: the Lacul Sărat complex, on the shore of Lake Gavril, has indoor and outdoor pools with heated salt and fresh water, open all year, while the Crăiasca hotel has an outdoor mineral-water pool open in summer, indoor pools and a treatment centre.

### Good to know

The shores of Lake Gavril have not yet been landscaped for visitors. In 2025 the town hall signed the funding for a project with promenade paths, a bridge, floating pontoons, sports pitches, playgrounds and a zip line across the lake, due to be finished in June 2028; in 2026 the project was still at the procurement stage. The very salty water stings the eyes and must not be swallowed, and anyone with heart or blood pressure problems should ask a doctor first.

## Don't miss

- Lake Gavril, the largest of the salt lakes, which appeared in 1966 over a collapsed mine and is almost 30 m deep.
- Tăul fără Fund, a lake of only a thousand square metres but almost 33 m deep.
- A dip in the heated salt-water pools of the Lacul Sărat complex, open out of season too.
- A walk through the Crăiasca Forest, the reserve of centuries-old sessile oaks and larches on the northern edge of the resort.
- The wooden churches in the villages of the commune, at Breb (1622) and Sat-Șugatag (1642), a few kilometres away.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Sighetu Marmației it is ~20 km, about 25 minutes: on the DN18 as far as Vadu Izei, then on the DJ109F. From Baia Mare it is ~50 km, about an hour, on the DN18 over the Gutâi Pass and then on the DJ185. The lakes are in the south-west of the village, on Strada Gavril and Strada Între Lacuri.

**Public transport:** Dracard minibuses link Sighetu Marmației with Ocna Șugatag several times a day, taking about 25–30 minutes; from Baia Mare, Dracard and Transagria minibuses run daily, taking about an hour. The nearest railway station is in Sighetu Marmației.

### Where to park

Near Lake Gavril you can park at the Lacul Sărat complex and on the streets between the lakes; the hotels and guesthouses have their own car parks for guests. The town hall does not publish parking charges for the lake area. The Lake Gavril landscaping project also includes a new car park, once the works are finished.

### Fees & discounts

Walking around the lakes and through the Crăiasca Forest is free. The pools and outdoor baths belong to private operators, and their prices vary from one to another and are not published on their websites: ask at reception. At the Crăiasca hotel, run by BN Sind Balneo Turism, guests have free access to the outdoor pool in season and to the indoor pools; anyone wanting treatment without a medical referral pays 90 lei a day (4 procedures Monday to Friday, 3 on Saturday), plus an initial medical consultation of 100 lei (prices from the operator's website, September 2026).

### Rules

In the treatment pools at the Crăiasca hotel swimwear is compulsory, and the indoor pools can only be used after your procedures are finished and for a limited time. For state-covered treatment, hotel guests need a medical referral and their health insurance card. The hotel does not accept pets. In the salt water do not dive and do not rub your eyes; stay in for 20–30 minutes at a time. The lake shores are not set up as a beach, so keep an eye on children.

### Facilities

Lacul Sărat complex: indoor and outdoor pools with heated salt and fresh water, jacuzzi, steam and dry sauna, salt room, restaurant with terrace, rooms · Crăiasca hotel: seasonal outdoor pool, indoor pools, spa treatment centre, restaurant · tourist information centre, 24-hour medical centre, three pharmacies, a bank and shops in the village · campsite by Lake Gavril

## Details

- **Water type:** sodium chloride, salt lakes
- **Therapeutic uses:** rheumatism, neurological conditions
- **Mining period:** 14th century – 1950

## Frequently asked questions about Ocna Șugatag

**How much is a ticket to Ocna Șugatag?**

Admission to Ocna Șugatag is free (the private pools charge entry). Walking around the lakes and through the Crăiasca Forest is free. The pools and outdoor baths belong to private operators, and their prices vary from one to another and are not published on their websites: ask at reception. At the Crăiasca hotel, run by BN Sind Balneo Turism, guests have free access to the outdoor pool in season and to the indoor pools; anyone wanting treatment without a medical referral pays 90 lei a day (4 procedures Monday to Friday, 3 on Saturday), plus an initial medical consultation of 100 lei (prices from the operator's website, September 2026).

**What are the opening hours of Ocna Șugatag?**

Opening hours at Ocna Șugatag: daily open 24 hours. The lakes and the streets between them can be visited at any time; only the pools, all privately run, have opening hours. The pools of the Lacul Sărat complex are open all year, but their daily hours are not published: phone ahead. The outdoor pool of the Crăiasca hotel only operates in summer, with dates announced by the operator each season, while the indoor pools and the treatment centre run all year. Outside summer, ask the hotel whether the outdoor pool is still open.

**How long does a visit to Ocna Șugatag take?**

A visit to Ocna Șugatag takes about 2½ – 3 hours (the lakes and a few hours at the pools).

**How do I get to Ocna Șugatag?**

Ocna Șugatag is located at Strada Între Lacuri, on the shore of Lake Gavril, Ocna Șugatag, Maramureș County. By car: from Sighetu Marmației it is ~20 km, about 25 minutes: on the DN18 as far as Vadu Izei, then on the DJ109F. From Baia Mare it is ~50 km, about an hour, on the DN18 over the Gutâi Pass and then on the DJ185. The lakes are in the south-west of the village, on Strada Gavril and Strada Între Lacuri. Public transport: Dracard minibuses link Sighetu Marmației with Ocna Șugatag several times a day, taking about 25–30 minutes; from Baia Mare, Dracard and Transagria minibuses run daily, taking about an hour. The nearest railway station is in Sighetu Marmației.

**When is the best time to visit Ocna Șugatag?**

The best season for Ocna Șugatag: All year round (outdoor pool in summer only).

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Last updated: 29 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania