# Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților)

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Banat](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/banat) › [Caraș-Severin County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/caras-severin) › [Băile Herculane](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/baile-herculane)

> A 143 m rock shelter, five minutes up a concrete staircase behind the Hotel Roman; its walls carry visitors' signatures from the 19th century, and excavations have uncovered traces of habitation from the Palaeolithic to the Roman period.

**At a glance:** Caves in Băile Herculane, Caraș-Severin County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 31 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Visit duration:** 30 min — the climb and a walk through the cave
- **With kids:** Yes — concrete staircase, slippery floor
- **Address:** Strada Română, behind the Hotel Roman, Băile Herculane, Caraș-Severin County
- **Coordinates:** 44.89625, 22.42847
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42874522
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/caves), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monuments-and-historic-sites)

## About Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților)

Peștera Hoților, known to everyone as Grota Haiducilor (the Outlaws' Grotto), lies in Băile Herculane, at the foot of the right-hand slope of the Cerna Valley, behind the Hotel Roman. It is about 143 m long and opens towards the valley through wide portals that let daylight in; the floor is almost level. The name comes from local legends about outlaws and thieves who are said to have hidden here, in a spot that overlooked the access route.

The cave is an archaeological site listed as a historic monument (code CS-I-s-B-10772). Excavations showed that it was inhabited as early as the Middle Palaeolithic and uncovered traces from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age, as well as Roman vessels and coins. On the walls, visitors have left their names since the 19th century; the oldest dated signature is from 1820.

### What you can see

From the path by the road, a long concrete staircase climbs to the entrance. The first chamber, the brightest, is the Signature Hall, its walls covered in old inscriptions. A linking gallery leads towards the excavation hall, and further on to higher spaces and more secluded corners, where a torch is needed. The openings facing the valley look out over the wooded slope of the Cerna.

### Good to know

The floor can be very slippery, so shoes with good grip and a torch are advisable. The path can be continued towards the Steam Grotto (Grota cu Aburi), a smaller cave higher up the slope.

## Don't miss

- The long concrete staircase that climbs from behind the Hotel Roman to the mouth of the cave.
- The Signature Hall, its walls covered in names and dates left by visitors, the oldest from 1820.
- The wide portals that let daylight into the first galleries.
- The excavation hall, where archaeologists found traces of habitation from the Palaeolithic to the Roman period.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Băile Herculane is ~26 km from Orșova (~35 minutes), ~51 km from Drobeta-Turnu Severin (~1 hour), ~80 km from Caransebeș (~1 h 20 min) and ~190 km from Timișoara (~3 hours). The resort is reached by the main road that climbs the Cerna Valley; the cave is ~3 km from Hercules Square, behind the Hotel Roman, off Strada Română.

**On foot:** from Hercules Square it is ~600 m to the Hotel Roman, then about 5 minutes up the concrete staircase to the entrance.

### Rules

The cave is a historic monument: the old inscriptions are worth preserving, and adding new graffiti damages an archaeological site. A torch helps in the dark corners, and shoes with good grip suit the slippery floor. Do not leave litter.

### Facilities

No facilities in the cave

## Details

- **Total length:** 143 m
- **Developed and lit:** No
- **Historical period:** Middle Palaeolithic – Roman period

## Frequently asked questions about Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților)

**How long does a visit to Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților) take?**

A visit to Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților) takes about 30 min (the climb and a walk through the cave).

**Can you visit Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților) with kids?**

Yes, Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților) is suitable for children (concrete staircase, slippery floor).

**How do I get to Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților)?**

Thieves' Cave (Peștera Hoților) is located at Strada Română, behind the Hotel Roman, Băile Herculane, Caraș-Severin County. More under “Getting there”.

## Nearby attractions

- [Domogled–Valea Cernei National Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/domogled-valea-cernei-national-park) — National parks and reserves · Băile Herculane, CS · 2 euro + TVA · 5 – 5½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 1 km
  A national park of over 61,000 ha in the Cerna Valley above Băile Herculane: limestone cliffs with Banat black pine, gorges and ancient beech forests on the UNESCO list since 2017.
- [Băile Herculane](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-herculane) — Resorts and thermal baths · Băile Herculane, CS · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 1 km
  Romania's oldest spa resort, recorded as early as AD 153, in the Cerna valley: hot sulphur springs, a Habsburg old town around the Hercules statue and free thermal tubs on the riverbank.
- [Cerna Valley Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cerna-valley-road) — Scenic roads · Caraș-Severin County · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 8 km
  The DN67D links Baia de Aramă to Băile Herculane in about 65 km: it climbs to the Arșasca saddle at ~900 m and drops down the Cerna Valley, between limestone walls, through Domogled–Valea Cernei National Park.
- [Vânturătoarea Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vanturatoarea-waterfall) — Waterfalls · Băile Herculane, CS · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 12 km
  A two-tier waterfall of about 50 m in the Cerna Mountains, with Romania's longest free drop (~40 m), above Lake Prisaca; reached by a steep 1.5 km path from the Cerna valley road, 13 km from Băile Herculane.
- [Topolnița Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/topolnita-cave) — Caves · Cireșu, MH · ½ – 1 hours · 17 km
  One of the longest caves in Romania, with more than 20 km of passages on four levels, on the Mehedinți Plateau; the interior is a protected area with no tourist route, but the Gura Prosacului portal can be seen from a short trail.
- [Holy Voivodes Wooden Church in Isverna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/holy-voivodes-wooden-church-in-isverna) — Churches · Isverna, MH · 30 min · 23 km
  A small 19th-century wooden church with a shingle roof and whitewashed walls, tucked among trees in Isverna, with a painted iconostasis and folk murals inside.

## Featured in the guides

- [Caves in Romania: the ones you can visit, by area, with a map](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/caves-in-romania) — 37 caves in Romania you can visit, by area: Bears' Cave, Scărișoara, Women's Cave, Ialomița, Polovragi. What is open now, tickets, map, what to bring.
- [The nearest cave to Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj, Sibiu, Oradea and Timișoara: distances for a day trip](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/nearest-cave-to-bucharest-brasov-cluj) — Ialomița Cave is 160 km from Bucharest, Valea Cetății 18 km from Brașov, Vadu Crișului 55 km from Oradea, Românești 100 km from Timișoara. Distances, times.

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Last updated: 31 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania