# Polovragi Cave

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Gorj County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/gorj) › [Polovragi](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/polovragi)

> A cave more than 10 km long, carved by the Olteț river into the limestone of the Olteț Gorge, with 800 m of gallery open to visitors and legends about Zalmoxis, a kilometre from Polovragi Monastery.

**At a glance:** Caves in Polovragi, Gorj County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 20 lei. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 28 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 09:00 – 17:00 — The official website gives opening hours of 09:00 to 17:00 daily, Monday to Sunday (page updated in September 2025). The local press has reported that the hours are extended in summer, until 19:00 or even 20:00, but the website does not confirm this. Visits are guided and leave at set times; ring ahead if you are coming in the evening, in winter or on a public holiday.
- **Ticket:** 20 lei — 10 lei children and pupils under 18
- **Visit duration:** 45 min — guided tour, 30–50 minutes
- **With kids:** Yes — wet, slippery floor; 9 °C
- **Best season:** All year round — 9 °C all year, bring a jacket
- **Address:** In the Olteț Gorge, ~1 km north of Polovragi Monastery, along the forest road through the gorge, Polovragi, Gorj County
- **Coordinates:** 45.20047, 23.78354
- **Phone:** +40 754 541 482
- **Website:** https://pesterapolovragi.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%C8%99tera_Polovragi
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18545380
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pesteri), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii)

## About Polovragi Cave

The cave opens in the left-hand wall of the Olteț Gorge, at about 670 m above sea level, where the river divides the Căpățâna Mountains from the Parâng, roughly a kilometre upstream of Polovragi Monastery. Cavers have mapped more than 10 km of passages, many of them active and flooded, explored by divers from the 1970s and 1980s onwards, but visitors only walk the first 800 m or so. The gallery was laid out and lit with electricity for visitors in 1984; since 2019 it has been run by Polovragi Town Hall, which took it over from the Gorj County Museum.

People have used the place since prehistory: excavations in 1965–1967 turned up traces from the Neolithic, the Eneolithic and the Dacian period. This is also where the legends that made it famous begin. Local tradition says that Zalmoxis, the god and teacher of the Getae and Dacians, lived in the cave, and that healers made remedies from a plant called "polovragă", which is said to have given the village its name. Alexandru Vlahuță recorded in his book "România pitorească" the story that the drops seeping from the roof are the tears of Zalmoxis. These are legends, not established facts, but the guides enjoy telling them.

The cave and the gorge together form the "Cheile Oltețului și Peștera Polovragi" nature reserve, a 150-hectare protected area.

### What you can see

The entrance is wide and high, and you can walk the main gallery upright, without stooping. Along the first 400 m or so the guides point out the shapes tied to the legends: Zalmoxis's Chair, a throne-like stone, the Dacian Oven, and a lamp-soot drawing on the wall, attributed to a monk, showing Death with his scythe. Water running down the walls stains the rock differently from one stretch to the next, hence names such as the Bloodied Vault and the White Chamber.

Further in, in the Sector of the Ogives, between the Corridor of Pillars and the Suffocating Corridor, come stalactites, columns, domes, clusters of stalagmites and pools of water. The cave is also home to a colony of some 300 horseshoe bats, which spend the winter beneath the roof of the gallery.

### Good to know

Inside it is 8–9 °C all year round, with humidity of around 90%. The floor is unpaved and wet in places, with puddles and mud: shoes with good grip matter more than a jacket.

## Don't miss

- Zalmoxis's Chair, the throne-shaped stone that legend links to the god of the Getae and Dacians.
- The lamp-soot drawing on the wall, attributed to a monk, showing Death with his scythe.
- The Bloodied Vault and the White Chamber, stretches where water running down the walls has stained the rock in different colours.
- The stalactites, columns and domes of the Sector of the Ogives, towards the end of the developed route.
- The approach through the Olteț Gorge to the entrance, with sheer limestone walls above the river.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the cave is at the northern end of Polovragi, where the village gives way to the Olteț Gorge. From Târgu Jiu it is ~55 km on the DN 67 (~1h10), from Râmnicu Vâlcea ~65 km on the DN 67 via Horezu (~1h30), from Horezu ~20 km (~30 minutes), from Novaci ~16 km (~25 minutes) and from Craiova ~120 km (~2h30). In Polovragi follow the road to the monastery; from there the road carries on along the Olteț, through the gorge, to near the entrance, the last kilometre on a passable gravel forest road.

**Public transport:** we could not confirm any scheduled service to the cave. The most reliable option without a car is to get to Horezu or Târgu Jiu and continue by taxi; from Polovragi Monastery to the cave it is ~1 km on foot through the gorge (15–20 minutes).

### Where to park

There are a few parking spaces along the gorge road, a few hundred metres before the cave entrance; they fill up quickly on summer weekends. Further down, next to Polovragi Monastery, the town hall has built a large car park with a barrier, from which you walk up through the gorge in 15–20 minutes. We could not find official parking charges.

### Fees & discounts

Official prices: 20 lei for adults and 10 lei for children and pupils up to 18. The website lists no other reductions; a 2026 travel guide mentions free entry for people with disabilities, not officially confirmed.

### Rules

Visits are guided, in groups, at set times; if you arrive between departures, you wait for the next group. Stay on the route, do not touch or break the formations and do not disturb the bats, which spend the winter beneath the roof of the gallery. It is 8–9 °C and very humid all year: wear shoes with grip, as the floor is unpaved, with puddles and mud, and bring a warm layer. The route is not suitable for pushchairs.

### Facilities

Ticket desk at the entrance · paid public toilet on the road through the Olteț Gorge · large car park next to Polovragi Monastery · guesthouses and restaurants in Polovragi and Horezu · the gallery has a natural, wet and uneven floor and is not accessible by wheelchair or pushchair

## Details

- **Protected area type:** mixed nature reserve
- **Part of:** the Nordul Gorjului de Est Natura 2000 site
- **Total length:** 10,000 m
- **Visitor route:** 800 m
- **Inside temperature:** 9 °C
- **Altitude:** 670 m
- **Developed and lit:** Yes
- **Guided visits only:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Polovragi Cave

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

A ticket to Polovragi Cave costs 20 lei (10 lei children and pupils under 18). Official prices: 20 lei for adults and 10 lei for children and pupils up to 18. The website lists no other reductions; a 2026 travel guide mentions free entry for people with disabilities, not officially confirmed.

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

Opening hours at Polovragi Cave: daily 09:00 – 17:00. The official website gives opening hours of 09:00 to 17:00 daily, Monday to Sunday (page updated in September 2025). The local press has reported that the hours are extended in summer, until 19:00 or even 20:00, but the website does not confirm this. Visits are guided and leave at set times; ring ahead if you are coming in the evening, in winter or on a public holiday.

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

A visit to Polovragi Cave takes about 45 min (guided tour, 30–50 minutes).

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

Yes, Polovragi Cave is suitable for children (wet, slippery floor; 9 °C).

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

Polovragi Cave is located at In the Olteț Gorge, ~1 km north of Polovragi Monastery, along the forest road through the gorge, Polovragi, Gorj County. By car: the cave is at the northern end of Polovragi, where the village gives way to the Olteț Gorge. From Târgu Jiu it is ~55 km on the DN 67 (~1h10), from Râmnicu Vâlcea ~65 km on the DN 67 via Horezu (~1h30), from Horezu ~20 km (~30 minutes), from Novaci ~16 km (~25 minutes) and from Craiova ~120 km (~2h30). In Polovragi follow the road to the monastery; from there the road carries on along the Olteț, through the gorge, to near the entrance, the last kilometre on a passable gravel forest road. Public transport: we could not confirm any scheduled service to the cave. The most reliable option without a car is to get to Horezu or Târgu Jiu and continue by taxi; from Polovragi Monastery to the cave it is ~1 km on foot through the gorge (15–20 minutes).

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

The best season for Polovragi Cave: All year round (9 °C all year, bring a jacket).

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