Simeria Arboretum

About Simeria Arboretum

The Simeria Arboretum, also called the Simeria Dendrological Park, is a protected area of more than 69 hectares on the edge of the town of Simeria, on the bank of the Mureș. According to the “Marin Drăcea” National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry (INCDS), which manages it, the first documented plantings date from 1763, made by the Gyulay family among old oaks and elms, and in the 19th century the Fáy and then the Ocskay families turned the park into a scientific collection. A forestry research station has operated here since 1954, and the park is on the List of Historic Monuments (LMI code HD-II-a-B-03448.02).

The collection holds, depending on the source, between 2,000 and 2,200 taxa of native and exotic trees and shrubs, many brought from North America and Asia. The exact figure differs from source to source, and the area is given sometimes as 69.15 ha (INCDS) and sometimes as 70 ha.

Information verified on 11 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the arboretum is on the edge of the town of Simeria, about 10 km east of Deva. From DN7 follow 1 Decembrie Street to its end, about 2 km, at the junction with Biscaria Street; the entrance is at number 1. In your GPS enter “Parcul Dendrologic Simeria” or “Arboretum Simeria”.

Public transport: Simeria is a railway junction on the Deva–Alba Iulia line, but the exact distance between the station and the entrance is not published; check the route on a map before you set off.

Fees & discounts

Visiting fee: 10 lei. Pupils, students and pensioners pay 4 lei, with a valid ID. Children under 7, people with disabilities and their companions enter free. Commercial photography or filming costs 200 lei a day, and an outdoor civil wedding ceremony 500 lei, with a written request made at least 5 days ahead. Season passes are also sold: 35 lei for one month, 80 lei for 3 months, 150 lei for 6 months, 210 lei for 12 months. The rates are from the list INCDS published in August 2023 on its official website; check them at the ticket office.

Rules

It is a protected park and a research station: keep to the paths, do not pick plants or collect fruit or seeds, do not drop litter, do not light fires. No official visiting rules are published on the website; the rules above are the usual ones for protected areas. Commercial photography requires the fee, and other events are held only with INCDS's written consent.

Facilities

ticket office at the entrance · dirt paths · no information on toilets, a café or access for people with disabilities