# Vadu Crișului Cave

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Crișana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/crisana) › [Bihor County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bihor) › [Vadu Crișului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/vadu-crisului)

> A show cave in the Crișul Repede Gorge, with a stream that leaves it as a small waterfall at the entrance, stalactites, bat colonies and a 680 m guided route.

**At a glance:** Caves in Vadu Crișului, Bihor County. Opening hours: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 20 lei. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 31 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00 — Tuesday–Sunday. 1 April–31 October: 9:00–17:00, last entry at 16:00; 1 November–31 March: 10:00–16:00, last entry at 15:00. The cave is closed on Mondays, on the first and second day of Christmas and Easter and on 1–2 January. Visits must be booked by phone at least 24 hours ahead.
- **Ticket:** 20 lei — concessions: children, seniors
- **Visit duration:** 45 min — guided tour, 30–60 min
- **With kids:** Yes — stairs in the cave; 10 °C
- **Best season:** All year round — all year, shorter hours in winter
- **Address:** Crișul Repede Gorge, in the side valley by the Peștera halt: about 30 minutes on foot from the car park on the left bank, Vadu Crișului, Bihor County
- **Coordinates:** 46.96198, 22.51098
- **Phone:** +40 742 120 940
- **Website:** https://mtariicrisurilor.ro/pestera-vadu-crisului/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe%C8%99tera_de_la_Vadu_Cri%C8%99ului
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q587636
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/caves)

## About Vadu Crișului Cave

Vadu Crișului Cave lies in the Crișul Repede Gorge, in a side valley about 50 m from the river, on the northern slope of the Pădurea Craiului Mountains. In Hungarian it is called Zichy-barlang, after Count Zichy, the owner of the land. It was discovered on 10 November 1903, when Karl Handl, a railway worker, came across it and Czárán Gyula opened the entrance with dynamite; the first visitors went in in 1905.

The cave is about 1,510 m long, but only the 680 m of the developed route can be visited, at roughly 305 m above sea level. A stream runs through the main passage and comes out into the open as a small waterfall right by the entrance; the water that sinks into Peștera Bătrânului, 3 km away, reappears here.

### What you can see

The route follows electrically lit stairs and walkways past stalactites, stalagmites and calcite columns. The cave is known for its cave fauna, with troglobiont species, some of them endemic, also studied by Emil Racoviță, and for a large bat colony that includes species protected at European level. Cave bear bones up to 27,000 years old have been found near the entrance.

### Good to know

Entry is only with a guide, and the visit must be booked by phone at least 24 hours ahead. From the car park on the left bank of the Crișul Repede it is about 30 minutes on foot along the forest path, beside the stream with its small cascades. Inside it is around 10 °C. In the same gorge, about 14 km away by car, is Unguru Mare Cave.

## Don't miss

- The stream that leaves the cave as a small waterfall by the entrance.
- The stalactites, stalagmites and columns along the 680 m developed route.
- The bat colony and the cave fauna, with endemic species studied as far back as Emil Racoviță.
- The 30-minute walk through the forest, on the path marked with a red dot, to the entrance.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Oradea it is about 55 km (~1 hour) on the E60 (DN 1) towards Cluj-Napoca as far as Vadu Crișului, and from Cluj-Napoca about 105 km (~2 hours) on the same road in the opposite direction. The last car park is at the entrance to the Crișul Repede Gorge, on the left bank; from there you follow the path marked with a red dot on foot, about 30 minutes.

**Public transport:** the Oradea – Cluj-Napoca line has a Peștera halt, from where you cross the river on foot and climb the side valley to the cave. You can also walk from Vadu Crișului (1.9 km) or from Șuncuiuș (2.6 km).

### Where to park

Leave the car in the last car park, at the entrance to the gorge on the left bank of the Crișul Repede; from there it is about 30 minutes on foot through the forest. Park only in the marked areas.

### Fees & discounts

Adults 20 lei; children, pupils, students and pensioners 10 lei. Accredited tour guides accompanying groups enter free.

### Rules

Entry is only with the guide, who leads groups in Romanian or Hungarian; book at least 24 hours ahead. No eating, drinking or smoking in the cave, and flash and phone torches are not used. Do not touch the formations or the walls, do not disturb the bats and do not take stones from the path. Pets are not allowed. Barbecues and camping are not allowed around the cave. Wear shoes with non-slip soles and clothes for about 10 °C.

## Details

- **Total length:** 1,510 m
- **Visitor route:** 680 m
- **Inside temperature:** 10 °C
- **Altitude:** 305 m
- **Developed and lit:** Yes
- **Guided visits only:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Vadu Crișului Cave

**How much is a ticket to Vadu Crișului Cave?**

A ticket to Vadu Crișului Cave costs 20 lei (concessions: children, seniors). More under “Fees & discounts”.

**What are the opening hours of Vadu Crișului Cave?**

Opening hours at Vadu Crișului Cave: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. More under “Opening hours”.

**How long does a visit to Vadu Crișului Cave take?**

A visit to Vadu Crișului Cave takes about 45 min (guided tour, 30–60 min).

**Can you visit Vadu Crișului Cave with kids?**

Yes, Vadu Crișului Cave is suitable for children (stairs in the cave; 10 °C).

**How do I get to Vadu Crișului Cave?**

Vadu Crișului Cave is located at Crișul Repede Gorge, in the side valley by the Peștera halt: about 30 minutes on foot from the car park on the left bank, Vadu Crișului, Bihor County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Vadu Crișului Cave?**

The best season for Vadu Crișului Cave: All year round (all year, shorter hours in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Wind Cave (Peștera Vântului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/wind-cave) — Caves · Șuncuiuș, BH · 1½ – 2 hours · 5 km
  The longest known cave in Romania, with more than 42 km of passages on several levels, which can only be visited on caving tours with an accredited guide.
- [Unguru Mare Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/unguru-mare-cave) — Caves · Șuncuiuș, BH · 20 lei · 30 min · 6 km
  A cave with an entrance more than 30 m high facing the Crișul Repede, reached over a suspension bridge and inhabited by people as far back as the Neolithic.
- [Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Beznea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/wooden-church-of-the-archangels-michael-and-gabriel-in-beznea) — Churches · Beznea, BH · 30 min · 10 km
  A wooden church of 1723 with a tall pointed bell tower, a carved rope-like belt and a porch whose balustrade is cut with small hearts, in the Bihor village of Beznea.
- [Crystal Cave of the Farcu Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/crystal-cave-of-the-farcu-mine) — Caves · Roșia, BH · 40 lei · 25 min · 23 km
  A small cave lined with calcite crystals, broken into by miners in a gallery of the Farcu bauxite mine; it is visited with a guide, after an exhibition on mining.
- [Meziad Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/meziad-cave) — Caves · Meziad, BH · 40 lei · 50 min · 29 km
  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.
- [Octavian Goga Memorial Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/octavian-goga-memorial-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Ciucea, CJ · 1 – 1½ hours · 30 km
  The ensemble at Ciucea, the former manor of the poet Octavian Goga, includes the castle, the White House, the Ady Endre House and the poet's mausoleum; the museum is closed for rehabilitation.

## 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.
- [Apuseni caves: a 2–3 day route through Bihor and Alba](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/apuseni-caves) — 13 caves to visit in the Apuseni Mountains, ~350 km from Oradea to Gârda de Sus: Meziad, Bears' Cave, Padiș, Scărișoara. Order, distances, what is closed.
- [The largest cave in Romania and the other records: the longest, the deepest, the oldest show cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/largest-cave-in-romania) — Longest: Wind Cave, over 42 km. Deepest: Avenul de sub Vârful Grind, −815 m. Largest halls: Humpleu. Plus the oldest show cave and the ice cave record.
- [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.
- [Famous caves in Romania you cannot visit: Movile, Topolnița, Vântului, Coliboaia, Peștera cu Oase (and what to see instead)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/caves-you-cannot-visit-in-romania) — Movile, Coliboaia, Cu Oase, Cloșani and Piatra Altarului are closed; Topolnița and Tăușoare need a permit; Wind Cave is open with a caving guide.
- [Stalactites and stalagmites: what they are, how a cave forms and where to see them in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/stalactites-and-stalagmites) — Stalactites hang from the ceiling, stalagmites grow up from the floor. They usually grow less than 10 cm in 1,000 years. How caves form and where to see them.

---

Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vadu-crisului-cave
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/pestera-vadu-crisului.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/hoehle-vadu-crisului.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/grotta-di-vadu-crisului.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/grotte-de-vadu-crisului.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/cueva-de-vadu-crisului.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/zichy-barlang.md
Last updated: 31 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania