About Huda lui Papară Cave
At a glance: Caves in Sub Piatră, Alba County. Ticket: 300 lei. The visit takes 3 – 3½ hours. Information verified on 29 September 2026.
Above the village of Sub Piatră, the Morilor stream flows out of a huge cleft in the limestone wall of Bulz mountain: the portal of Huda lui Papară, almost 40 m high and narrow at the base, where the water forms a lake. It is the longest cave in the Trascău Mountains, crossed by an underground river that gathers several streams from the plateau above, with rapids, potholes and waterfalls all along the way.
People used it as early as the Palaeolithic, and a bronze axe left as an offering was also found inside. Cavers from Blaj began studying it systematically in 1979 and in 1986 fitted metal walkways and ladders, later swept away by floods. Since 2013 the entrance has been closed by a metal gate, and the cave is a speleological reserve: you can only go in with a guide, a permit and wet-cave equipment. The passages measure 2,022 m according to the reserve's sign, while more recent cave surveys give about 5.2 km. In winter the cave shelters a very large bat colony: the count in the winter of 2007–2008 found about 84,000 bats of nine species.
What you can see
The tour starts by wading through the lake under the portal, with daylight behind you. You then follow the underground river upstream, through cold water, over fallen boulders and past waterfalls, among them the Evantai (Fan) Waterfall. The classic tour reaches the Hall of Wonders, the largest chamber in the cave, with tall stalagmites and thick guano deposits. Longer tours go on through passages well known among cavers, such as the Hall of the Cross and the Hall of Silence, and reach the fossil zone, with rimstone pools of clear water and white formations.
Good to know
Huda lui Papară is not a show cave: it has no lighting, walkways or ticket office, and in 2026 the only way in is a guided tour booked in advance. We could not find on an official website who currently manages the reserve or whether the operator selling the tours holds an up-to-date permit: ask when you book. After heavy rain or during snowmelt the river rises suddenly, and tours are postponed.
- The portal, almost 40 m high, opening like a cleft in the limestone wall, with the lake at the entrance.
- Wading through the lake under the portal, straight from daylight into the active river passage.
- The Evantai (Fan) Waterfall and the rapids of the underground river, which you climb with the guide's help.
- The Hall of Wonders, the largest chamber in the cave, with tall stalagmites, where the classic tour turns back.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: take the DN 75 (Turda – Câmpeni) to Sălciua de Jos, then the DC 130 local road ~5 km to the village of Sub Piatră, where the road ends close to the cave; the last ~200 m are on a footpath. From Turda it is ~50 km (~1 hour), from Cluj-Napoca ~85 km (~1h45), from Alba Iulia ~95 km (~1h45), from Câmpeni ~45 km (~1 hour).
Public transport: we found no scheduled service to Sub Piatră. The nearest road with public transport is the DN 75 at Sălciua de Jos, ~5 km from the cave.
- Fees & discounts
Tours are paid to the operator, with equipment included (wetsuit, harness, helmet, head torch) and photos: the classic tour, 3–4 hours, to the Hall of Wonders, 300 lei per person; Adventure+, 4–5 hours, ~2 km, 400 lei; Explorer, 6–7 hours, ~2.3 km, with rope technique, 500 lei. We found no reductions for children or students.
- Rules
Unaccompanied entry is forbidden: the cave is gated and is a speleological reserve, and access is only with a caving tourism guide, with a permit from the Speleological Heritage Commission and approval from the National Agency for Protected Natural Areas. The classic tour needs no experience, but you must move well over uneven ground and wade through cold water. Bring a swimsuit to wear under the wetsuit, shoes that can get wet and dry clothes to change into. Do not touch or break the formations, do not disturb the bats and do not light fires in the reserve.
- Facilities
The cave is not developed: no lighting, walkways or ticket office · technical equipment is provided by the tour operator · guesthouses in Sub Piatră, next to the cave · the route through water and over boulders is not pushchair- or wheelchair-accessible
Frequently asked questions about Huda lui Papară Cave
- How much is a ticket to Huda lui Papară Cave?
- A ticket to Huda lui Papară Cave costs 300 lei (classic tour, equipment included). Tours are paid to the operator, with equipment included (wetsuit, harness, helmet, head torch) and photos: the classic tour, 3–4 hours, to the Hall of Wonders, 300 lei per person; Adventure+, 4–5 hours, ~2 km, 400 lei; Explorer, 6–7 hours, ~2.3 km, with rope technique, 500 lei. We found no reductions for children or students.
- How long does a visit to Huda lui Papară Cave take?
- A visit to Huda lui Papară Cave takes about 3 – 3½ hours (classic tour, 3–4 hours).
- How do I get to Huda lui Papară Cave?
- Huda lui Papară Cave is located at At the end of the DC 130 local road, ~5 km from Sălciua de Jos (DN 75), Sub Piatră, Alba County. By car: take the DN 75 (Turda – Câmpeni) to Sălciua de Jos, then the DC 130 local road ~5 km to the village of Sub Piatră, where the road ends close to the cave; the last ~200 m are on a footpath. From Turda it is ~50 km (~1 hour), from Cluj-Napoca ~85 km (~1h45), from Alba Iulia ~95 km (~1h45), from Câmpeni ~45 km (~1 hour). Public transport: we found no scheduled service to Sub Piatră. The nearest road with public transport is the DN 75 at Sălciua de Jos, ~5 km from the cave.
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