About Focul Viu Ice Cave
At a glance: Caves in Pietroasa, Bihor County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. Information verified on 29 September 2026.
At 1,165 m, on the side of the Galbena Valley at the edge of the Padiș Plateau, a cave mouth in a limestone wall opens into a chamber almost 50 m high. Its roof is broken by a wide skylight, through which snow, leaves and tree trunks have fallen over time. Cold air collects in the chamber in winter and, with no draughts to carry it out, stays there all year: this is how a block of ice formed on the floor.
The name, Romanian for "Living Fire", comes from the play of light: around midday the sun shines in through the skylight and lights up the ice and the ice stalagmites at the back of the chamber. The Apuseni Natural Park Administration describes it as the third-largest underground glacier in the country by volume, after Scărișoara and the Borțig Pothole, with about 25,000 m³ of ice. The cave is a speleological nature reserve and part of Apuseni Natural Park.
The glacier has been losing ice for years, however, and in 2024 several hikers reported that only a white patch was left. We found no recent official measurement, so we do not know how much remains.
What you can see
Visits are only allowed as far as the metal gate at the entrance, where a wooden stair and platform bring you out above the chamber. From there you see the great chamber, the light falling through the skylight, the mound of snow and fallen wood beneath it and, depending on the year and the season, the ice on the floor.
Good to know
You cannot drive to the cave: it is reached on foot along a marked trail, and the Galbena Valley circuit it lies on is closed in winter.
- The wide skylight in the roof of the chamber, through which light enters and snow and wood have fallen over time.
- The midday light falling on the ice, which gave the cave its name.
- The view into the great chamber from the wooden platform at the gate.
- The walk through the beech forest of the Galbena Valley, part of the circuit that continues to Poiana Florilor and the Galbena Gorge.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the cave is in the Padiș area, reached from Oradea via Beiuș, Sudrigiu and Pietroasa (~100 km), or from Cluj-Napoca on forest roads via Răchițele or via Poiana Horea. Leave the car at Cabana Padiș or in Poiana Glăvoi and continue on foot. Wikipedia also gives an approach along the Bălăleasa – Valea Seacă forest road to the forestry lodge in the Cetăților Valley, leaving ~1.5 km on foot; ask in Padiș first whether the road is open.
On foot: from Poiana Glăvoi, on the Galbena Valley circuit (yellow dot), it takes ~1 hour; allow 2–3 hours there and back. From Cabana Padiș it is ~5 km. The full circuit (Glăvoi – Focul Viu Ice Cave – Poiana Florilor – Galbena Gorge – Borțig Pothole – Glăvoi) takes 8–9 hours. Cetățile Ponorului are in the same area and can be visited on another day.
Public transport: there is no scheduled service to Padiș.
- Where to park
There is no car park at the cave. People park at Cabana Padiș or in Poiana Glăvoi, where the trails start; we found no official information on parking fees.
- Fees & discounts
There is no admission charge: the cave can only be seen from the gate, and the Apuseni Natural Park price list does not include it. On the same circuit, the park fee for the Galbena Gorge (Galbena Valley Canyon) was 15 lei in the 2018 list; check at the Padiș information point.
- Rules
The cave entrance is closed by a metal gate; do not go past it and do not throw anything inside. Keep to the marked trails, and in winter do not set out on the Galbena Valley circuit, which is closed in the cold season. Bring hiking boots, rain gear and an extra layer: it is cold at the cave mouth even in summer.
- Facilities
No facilities at the cave · Cabana Padiș and the Poiana Glăvoi campsite, where the trail starts · forest trail, not pushchair- or wheelchair-accessible · weak or no mobile signal along the trail
Frequently asked questions about Focul Viu Ice Cave
- How much is a ticket to Focul Viu Ice Cave?
- Admission to Focul Viu Ice Cave is free (viewing only from the gate). There is no admission charge: the cave can only be seen from the gate, and the Apuseni Natural Park price list does not include it. On the same circuit, the park fee for the Galbena Gorge (Galbena Valley Canyon) was 15 lei in the 2018 list; check at the Padiș information point.
- What are the opening hours of Focul Viu Ice Cave?
- Opening hours at Focul Viu Ice Cave: daily open 24 hours. Free access at any time, as far as the metal gate at the cave entrance; walk only in daylight. The Galbena Valley circuit (yellow dot), on which the cave lies, is closed in winter, according to the Apuseni Natural Park Administration.
- Can you visit Focul Viu Ice Cave with kids?
- Yes, Focul Viu Ice Cave is suitable for children (forest path, can be muddy).
- How do I get to Focul Viu Ice Cave?
- Focul Viu Ice Cave is located at Galbena Valley, on the yellow-dot marked circuit, ~1 hour's walk from Poiana Glăvoi, Pietroasa, Bihor County. By car: the cave is in the Padiș area, reached from Oradea via Beiuș, Sudrigiu and Pietroasa (~100 km), or from Cluj-Napoca on forest roads via Răchițele or via Poiana Horea. Leave the car at Cabana Padiș or in Poiana Glăvoi and continue on foot. Wikipedia also gives an approach along the Bălăleasa – Valea Seacă forest road to the forestry lodge in the Cetăților Valley, leaving ~1.5 km on foot; ask in Padiș first whether the road is open. On foot: from Poiana Glăvoi, on the Galbena Valley circuit (yellow dot), it takes ~1 hour; allow 2–3 hours there and back. From Cabana Padiș it is ~5 km. The full circuit (Glăvoi – Focul Viu Ice Cave – Poiana Florilor – Galbena Gorge – Borțig Pothole – Glăvoi) takes 8–9 hours. Cetățile Ponorului are in the same area and can be visited on another day. Public transport: there is no scheduled service to Padiș.
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