# Meziad Cave

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Crișana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/crisana) › [Bihor County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bihor) › [Meziad](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/meziad)

> One of Romania's oldest show caves, with a 16 m high entrance arch, vast chambers on two levels and one of the largest bat colonies in the country.

**At a glance:** Caves in Meziad, Bihor County. Opening hours: daily 10:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 40 lei. The visit takes 50 min. Information verified on 28 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 10:00 – 17:00 — Summer hours (May–October), daily: tours on the hour from 10:00, with the last entry at 17:00. In March, April and November the last entry is at 16:00, and in December, January and February tours run between 11:00 and 15:00. Be at the ticket desk at least 10–15 minutes before your tour; groups need at least 2 people. These are the hours published by the cave's custodian (CAPDD Bihor) in May 2026; the cave's own website still shows the 2025 timetable, so ring ahead on public holidays or in winter.
- **Ticket:** 40 lei — children 5–18: 30 lei
- **Visit duration:** 50 min — guided tour, plus the walk up
- **With kids:** Yes — ~1 km walk; 9–12 °C
- **Best season:** All year round — shorter hours in winter
- **Address:** Peșterii Valley, above the village: paved road to Cabana Meziad, then ~1.2 km on foot, Meziad, Bihor County
- **Coordinates:** 46.7626, 22.4789
- **Phone:** +40 744 426 272
- **Website:** https://www.pestera-meziad.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%C8%99tera_Meziad
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q975836
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pesteri), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Meziad Cave

Meziad Cave opens in a limestone cliff in the Peșterii Valley, a few kilometres above the village of Meziad, in the south-eastern corner of the Pădurea Craiului Mountains. The Austrian geographer Adolf Schmidl first described it in 1863, and in the early 20th century it was explored almost in full by Czárán Gyula, the pioneer of mountain tourism in Bihor. From then on it became a fashionable outing for the townspeople of Oradea: expeditions set off from Stâna de Vale and lasted several days, and balls and New Year's Eve parties were held in the great chambers.

The passages add up to about 4.75 km and lie on two storeys: the lower level, over 1.5 km long, has unusually wide spaces, 20–30 m across and 15–20 m high, while the upper one runs for more than 3.2 km. Cave bear bones, pottery fragments of the Coțofeni culture and the skull of a young man thought to have been sacrificed in a ritual have all been found here. The cave is a nature reserve and part of the Crișul Repede Gorge – Pădurea Craiului Natura 2000 site; in 2012 it was given LED lighting and new paths.

### What you can see

Right at the start, the huge entrance, 16 m high and 10 m wide, frames the forest outside like a window. Inside, the route follows the broad passages of the lower level, with stalactites, stalagmites, columns and draperies. The most striking spot is the Natural Bridge area, where the two levels overlap and the roof rises to 35 m. A large colony of Schreibers' bent-winged bats (*Miniopterus schreibersii*) winters in the Bats' Hall, and the Bones Hall takes its name from the cave bear remains found there.

### Good to know

Entry is only with a guide, on the hour. From Cabana Meziad, where you leave the car, it is about 1 km uphill on foot through a narrow, gorge-like valley. Inside it is 9–12 °C all year: bring a jacket and shoes with good grip.

## Don't miss

- The 16 m high entrance arch, which frames the forest of the Peșterii Valley like a giant window when seen from inside.
- The Natural Bridge area, where the cave's two levels overlap and the roof is 35 m overhead.
- The Bats' Hall, where one of the largest bat colonies in Romania spends the winter.
- The Bones Hall, named after the cave bear remains found there.
- The walk from Cabana Meziad up to the cave, along a narrow valley between gorge-like limestone walls.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Beiuș (DN 76 / E79) take the DJ 764 towards Roșia as far as Remetea (~9 km), then the paved road up the Meziad valley to the village of Meziad (~9 km); from the top end of the village a road climbs the Peșterii Valley to Cabana Meziad, from where you continue on foot for about 1.2 km. It is ~20 km from Beiuș (~35 minutes) and ~80 km from Oradea via Beiuș (~1h40). From Cluj-Napoca leave the E60 at Borod and take the DJ 764 through Bratca, Damiș, Roșia and Remetea: ~150 km, about 3 hours.

**Public transport:** buses and trains run between Oradea and Beiuș; from Beiuș there is a local bus to Meziad, but with only one or two departures a day, in the afternoon, meant for commuters (ask at Beiuș bus station). From the village it is still several kilometres on foot to the cave, so in practice you need a car or a taxi from Beiuș. You can also hike in on trails marked with a blue triangle, from Stâna de Vale (22.5 km) or from Leșu in the Iad Valley (9 km).

### Where to park

Leave the car in the car park at Cabana Meziad, at the end of the road, which also has room for coaches; from there it is about 1.2 km on foot to the cave. Park only in the marked bays; the track up to the cave is closed to cars. The official website does not say whether parking is charged.

### Fees & discounts

Prices published by the cave's custodian (May 2026): adults 40 lei, children aged 5 to 18 30 lei. Members of the Romanian Speleological Federation with a card valid for the current year go in free. You can pay in cash or by card. Organised groups (schools, agencies, camps) book the visit and ask for a quote by email or text message, Monday to Friday; the cave's own website still shows the older prices (37 and 25 lei).

### Rules

Visits are only with a guide, in groups of 2 to 50 people; guiding is available in Romanian, Hungarian and English. No photography with flash or a phone torch, so as not to disturb the bats. Do not touch the formations or the walls, do not pick up stones from the path, and follow the guide's instructions. Pets are not allowed inside the cave and can only wait at the entrance. Barbecues, picnics and camping are forbidden in the car park and around the cave. Inside it is 9–12 °C: bring a jacket and shoes with grip.

### Facilities

Ticket desk · car and coach park at Cabana Meziad · toilets in the car park · restaurant at Cabana Meziad · souvenir shop · card payment accepted · guiding in Romanian, Hungarian and English · the way up to the cave is a mountain path, and the route inside is not pushchair- or wheelchair-accessible · guesthouses in Remetea and Roșia

## Details

- **Protected area type:** nature reserve
- **Part of:** Crișul Repede Gorge – Pădurea Craiului Natura 2000 site
- **Total length:** 4,750 m
- **Developed and lit:** Yes
- **Guided visits only:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Meziad Cave

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

A ticket to Meziad Cave costs 40 lei (children 5–18: 30 lei). Prices published by the cave's custodian (May 2026): adults 40 lei, children aged 5 to 18 30 lei. Members of the Romanian Speleological Federation with a card valid for the current year go in free. You can pay in cash or by card. Organised groups (schools, agencies, camps) book the visit and ask for a quote by email or text message, Monday to Friday; the cave's own website still shows the older prices (37 and 25 lei).

**What are the opening hours of Meziad Cave?**

Opening hours at Meziad Cave: daily 10:00 – 17:00. Summer hours (May–October), daily: tours on the hour from 10:00, with the last entry at 17:00. In March, April and November the last entry is at 16:00, and in December, January and February tours run between 11:00 and 15:00. Be at the ticket desk at least 10–15 minutes before your tour; groups need at least 2 people. These are the hours published by the cave's custodian (CAPDD Bihor) in May 2026; the cave's own website still shows the 2025 timetable, so ring ahead on public holidays or in winter.

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

A visit to Meziad Cave takes about 50 min (guided tour, plus the walk up).

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

Yes, Meziad Cave is suitable for children (~1 km walk; 9–12 °C).

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

Meziad Cave is located at Peșterii Valley, above the village: paved road to Cabana Meziad, then ~1.2 km on foot, Meziad, Bihor County. By car: from Beiuș (DN 76 / E79) take the DJ 764 towards Roșia as far as Remetea (~9 km), then the paved road up the Meziad valley to the village of Meziad (~9 km); from the top end of the village a road climbs the Peșterii Valley to Cabana Meziad, from where you continue on foot for about 1.2 km. It is ~20 km from Beiuș (~35 minutes) and ~80 km from Oradea via Beiuș (~1h40). From Cluj-Napoca leave the E60 at Borod and take the DJ 764 through Bratca, Damiș, Roșia and Remetea: ~150 km, about 3 hours. Public transport: buses and trains run between Oradea and Beiuș; from Beiuș there is a local bus to Meziad, but with only one or two departures a day, in the afternoon, meant for commuters (ask at Beiuș bus station). From the village it is still several kilometres on foot to the cave, so in practice you need a car or a taxi from Beiuș. You can also hike in on trails marked with a blue triangle, from Stâna de Vale (22.5 km) or from Leșu in the Iad Valley (9 km).

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

The best season for Meziad Cave: All year round (shorter hours in winter).

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