# Bolii Cave

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Hunedoara County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/hunedoara) › [Bănița](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/banita)

> A cave crossed by a mountain stream north of Petroșani, with a 20 m-wide portal and a gallery of about 466 m walked end to end on footbridges, beneath the Dacian fortress of Bănița.

**At a glance:** Caves in Bănița, Hunedoara County. Ticket: 10 lei. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 28 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The Petro Aqua Association, which manages the cave, does not publish opening hours on its website. The Petroșani tourist information centre gives daily visits from 1 June to 15 September, 09:00–18:00, and only on Saturdays and Sundays the rest of the year; other sources give slightly different times. Ring before setting out on +40 722 559 980. Groups should book at least 24 hours ahead.
- **Ticket:** 10 lei — 5 lei pensioners and students
- **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — ~466 m gallery, on walkways
- **With kids:** Yes — wide gallery, no low passages
- **Parking:** Yes, free — ~100 m from the entrance
- **Best season:** June – September — in winter, usually weekends only
- **Address:** On the access road off the DN66, by the Peștera Bolii railway halt, ~6 km north of Petroșani, Bănița, Hunedoara County
- **Coordinates:** 45.45365, 23.31837
- **Phone:** +40 722 559 980
- **Website:** https://petroaqua.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%C8%99tera_Bolii
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12737929
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pesteri), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Bolii Cave

Bolii Cave formed in the Jurassic limestone of Bolii Hill, where the Jiu Valley meets the Hațeg Country, between the Retezat and Șureanu Mountains. The Jupâneasa stream enters the mountain through a portal 20 m wide at the base and 10 m high, runs through the cave and comes out on the other side as the Galbina. The main gallery is about 466 m long and drops only 3 m along its whole length, making it one of the few natural through-caves in Romania that can be walked from end to end.

The name most likely comes from the Bolia noble family, who owned land and forests in the area from the 15th century. Emperor Joseph II passed this way in 1773, and his travel diary records the cave under the stream's name, Jupâneasa. Traces of an Eneolithic settlement and Pleistocene animal bones have been found inside. Since the interwar years its largest chamber has hosted concerts for its acoustics, a tradition revived in recent years, including carol concerts. The footbridges built in the 1960s decayed over time; the cave was restored by cavers from the Petro Aqua Association in Petroșani, which manages it.

### What you can see

The gallery is wide and high, with water-worn limestone walls, opening in places into real chambers, the largest being the Concert Hall. The route follows the stream and crosses it several times on wooden bridges and walkways. Dripstone formations appear mostly on the roof and in the higher parts of the gallery: the cave impresses more with its size and the water running through it than with stalactites. At certain times of year it is home to two rare species of bat.

### Good to know

The cave lies within the Dealul și Peștera Bolii nature reserve, part of the Grădiștea Muncelului–Cioclovina Nature Park. The gallery has electric lighting, but a torch comes in handy.

## Don't miss

- The entrance portal, 20 m wide and 10 m high, through which the Jupâneasa stream disappears into the mountain.
- The Concert Hall, the cave's largest chamber, used for concerts since the interwar years.
- The wooden walkways and bridges that cross the stream again and again along the whole gallery.
- The Dacian fortress of Bănița, on the hill above the cave, one of the Dacian fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the cave is ~6 km north of central Petroșani (~10 minutes), on the DN66 (E79) towards Hațeg. Before the hairpins up to Bănița, an access road leaves the DN66 towards the Peștera Bolii railway halt, and the entrance is a few hundred metres further on. From Hațeg it is ~40 km (~45 minutes) on the DN66, over the Merișor Pass; from Târgu Jiu ~60 km (~1h15), through the Jiu Gorge.

**Public transport:** regional trains on the Simeria–Petroșani line stop at the Peștera Bolii halt, a few hundred metres below the cave; check with CFR Călători which trains stop there. From Petroșani you can also take a taxi.

### Where to park

OpenStreetMap shows a free car park about 100 m from the entrance, at the end of the access road. We found no official information on its size or charges.

### Fees & discounts

Prices published by the Petro Aqua Association: ~10 lei adults, ~5 lei pensioners and students, ~2.5 lei schoolchildren. Pay at the entrance. The Petroșani tourist information centre lists a lower adult price (5 lei), probably out of date; confirm by phone.

### Rules

You walk the cave on the walkways, with no compulsory guide; organised groups should notify the managers at least 24 hours ahead. It is damp and cool inside all year: bring a jacket and shoes with good grip. The cave is a protected area: do not touch the walls or formations and keep quiet, especially when the bats are present.

### Facilities

Electric lighting along the main gallery · wooden bridges and walkways over the stream · Peștera Bolii railway halt a few hundred metres away · no official information on toilets or wheelchair access (there are steps at the entrance)

## Details

- **Protected area type:** nature reserve
- **Part of:** Grădiștea Muncelului–Cioclovina Nature Park
- **Visitor route:** 466 m
- **Developed and lit:** Yes
- **Guided visits only:** No

## Frequently asked questions about Bolii Cave

**How much is a ticket to Bolii Cave?**

A ticket to Bolii Cave costs 10 lei (5 lei pensioners and students). Prices published by the Petro Aqua Association: ~10 lei adults, ~5 lei pensioners and students, ~2.5 lei schoolchildren. Pay at the entrance. The Petroșani tourist information centre lists a lower adult price (5 lei), probably out of date; confirm by phone.

**How long does a visit to Bolii Cave take?**

A visit to Bolii Cave takes about ½ – 1 hours (~466 m gallery, on walkways).

**Can you visit Bolii Cave with kids?**

Yes, Bolii Cave is suitable for children (wide gallery, no low passages).

**Where can I park at Bolii Cave?**

There is free parking at Bolii Cave (~100 m from the entrance). OpenStreetMap shows a free car park about 100 m from the entrance, at the end of the access road. We found no official information on its size or charges.

**How do I get to Bolii Cave?**

Bolii Cave is located at On the access road off the DN66, by the Peștera Bolii railway halt, ~6 km north of Petroșani, Bănița, Hunedoara County. By car: the cave is ~6 km north of central Petroșani (~10 minutes), on the DN66 (E79) towards Hațeg. Before the hairpins up to Bănița, an access road leaves the DN66 towards the Peștera Bolii railway halt, and the entrance is a few hundred metres further on. From Hațeg it is ~40 km (~45 minutes) on the DN66, over the Merișor Pass; from Târgu Jiu ~60 km (~1h15), through the Jiu Gorge. Public transport: regional trains on the Simeria–Petroșani line stop at the Peștera Bolii halt, a few hundred metres below the cave; check with CFR Călători which trains stop there. From Petroșani you can also take a taxi.

**When is the best time to visit Bolii Cave?**

The best season for Bolii Cave: June – September (in winter, usually weekends only).

## Nearby attractions

- [Bănița Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-banita) — Fortresses and fortifications · Bănița, HD · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 1 km
  The ruins of a Dacian fortress on the rocky summit of Piatra Cetății, above the DN66, which guarded the southern approach to Sarmizegetusa Regia; a UNESCO site, reached only on foot by a steep climb.
- [Sarmizegetusa Regia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sarmizegetusa-regia) — Fortresses and fortifications · Grădiștea de Munte, HD · 30 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 · 24 km
  The capital of the Dacian kingdom, hidden in the beech forests of the Orăștie Mountains: the walls of Decebalus's fortress, the paved road and the sacred area with andesite and limestone sanctuaries, a UNESCO site.
- [Piatra Roșie Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-piatra-rosie) — Fortresses and fortifications · Luncani, HD · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 28 km
  A Dacian fortress on top of a rocky hill above Luncani, with an ancient paved road of stone steps and tower ruins hidden in the forest; a UNESCO site, far from the crowds.
- [Jiu Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/defileul-jiului) — Scenic roads · Gorj County · Free · Top 100 · 28 km
  The 33 km gorge by which the Jiu crosses the Carpathians between Bumbești-Jiu and Livezeni: the DN66 follows the river through Defileul Jiului National Park, past Lainici Monastery.
- [Lotru Valley Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/valea-lotrului) — Scenic roads · Vâlcea County · Free · 32 km
  The DN7A climbs 108 km from Brezoi up the Lotru valley, through Voineasa and past Lake Vidra to Obârșia Lotrului, then crosses the Groapa Seacă Pass and drops through the Jieț Gorge to Petroșani.
- [Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-costesti-blidaru) — Fortresses and fortifications · Costești, HD · 5 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 35 km
  One of the strongest Dacian fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains: murus dacicus walls, six towers and a dog-leg entrance, on a wooded hill above Costești, a UNESCO site.

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