Balvanyos: the Stinky Cave, mofettes and iron-rich springs

Balvanyos (Hungarian Bálványosfürdő) is a small mountain resort in Covasna County, on the land of Turia commune, north-west of the town of Târgu Secuiesc. It lies at 840–950 m along the DN11C road, which crosses the Turia Pass between the Bodoc Mountains and the volcanic Puturosu – Ciomatu massif. These are the youngest volcanoes of the Harghita Mountains: the last eruptions happened in the Pleistocene, and today volcanism is recalled by mofettes, sulphurous caves and mineral springs. Sulphurous gases were already used for cures here in 1767, the first bath facilities were built in 1895, and at the end of the 19th century a plant liquefying carbon dioxide operated next to the Stinky Cave – the first of its kind in the Carpathians; it burned down in 1916. The resort grew out of the former bath colonies of Turia, Csiszár and Transilvania (Várpad) and lies within the Natura 2000 site «Ciomad – Balvanyos».

Natural healing factors

• Mofettes – the resort's main feature. The Romanian Wikipedia names three: the Stinky Cave (Peștera Puturoasă, Hungarian Büdös-barlang), the mofette in the centre of the resort and the mofette of the Csiszár baths. The gas of the Turia Pass mofette is the most radioactive in Romania; in the Stinky Cave hydrogen sulphide is mixed with the carbon dioxide.
• Mineral waters – 57 springs of carbonated water («borvíz») are counted in the Balvanyos micro-depression. All contain iron, some bromine, iodine and fluorine, some are slightly radioactive, and the water of the Timsós bath contains alum and free sulphuric acid.
• Climate – tonic and moderately stimulating, with ozonised air rich in negative ions; forested ridges shelter the resort from strong winds.

What is treated

According to the Romanian Wikipedia, the indications for treatment at the resort are cardiovascular diseases (arterial hypertension, Raynaud's syndrome, acrocyanosis, chronic venous insufficiency together with occlusive atherosclerosis of the legs, compensated valve disease), as well as rheumatic and degenerative disorders of the musculoskeletal system, occupational diseases and neurasthenia. Some springs are recommended for gastritis and ulcer disease (Imola, Ibolya, Mogyorós), certain liver and biliary disorders (Imola, Jordán) and anaemia (Vasas, Mogyorós). Important: as of 2013 the resort's only treatment base, the former Turia sanatorium, was mothballed and there was no balneology doctor, and we found no newer information about a medical base. So the mofettes and baths here are folk balneology, not treatment under medical supervision. This information is for reference only and is not medical advice: the course and the procedures are prescribed by a doctor after a consultation, and people with heart conditions should consult a cardiologist first.

Procedures and springs

The Stinky Cave lies at about 1,050 m on the south-western slope of Mount Puturosu and is reached by the blue circular trail. Because of fatal accidents its entrance was closed with a door as early as the late 19th century, and warning signs now stand next to it. The gas is heavier than air and collects at the bottom: you stand in the cave, your head must always stay above the marked gas level, you must not bend down, and according to the Covasna County tourism portal a single visit should not exceed 10 minutes. Children are not allowed in the mofette. Nearby are the Alum Cave and the «Bird Cemetery», where toxic gases kill birds and small animals.

The Csiszár baths were returned to the grandchildren of their founder, Dénes Csiszár, in 2012 and renovated. They have cold pools of mineral water of different composition, hot tubs, saunas and both a «wet» and a dry mofette; you are advised to arrange your visit by phone beforehand. The Vasas spring (by the ecumenical chapel) and the Ibolya spring (on the path to Balvanyos fortress) give sparkling ferruginous water that people drink straight from the source. The Balvanyos Resort hotel complex has the Grand Santerra Spa wellness centre with pools, saunas and a salt room – that is relaxation, not spa therapy.

Practical information

As of November 2026 the Grand Santerra Spa pools and saunas are open on Mondays 11:00–21:00 and Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–21:00; an appointment in advance is required. Prices and hours of the Csiszár baths and the Stinky Cave are not officially published. The resort is open all year; the caves and springs are easiest to explore from spring to autumn, while winters here are long and snowy. The nearest railway station is in the village of Bixad on main line 400.

Getting there from Ukraine

From Chernivtsi the shortest route is via the Diakivtsi – Racovăț border crossing: 375 km, about 6 h 34 min. From Rakhiv via Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației it is 402 km, about 7 h 23 min; from Uzhhorod via Diakove – Halmeu 520 km, about 8 h 57 min. Times are without border queues. Romanian roads require the electronic vignette (rovinieta).

Nearby

A road branches north off the DN11C to the crater of the Ciomatu Mare volcano with Lake Saint Anne and the Mohoș peat bog. To the west lies the village of Bixad, and beyond the massif, in the Olt valley, the resort of Băile Tușnad with a mofette and sparkling springs. South of Târgu Secuiesc lies Covasna, «the resort of a thousand springs». Above Balvanyos itself, on Fortress Hill, stand the ruins of the medieval Balvanyos fortress.

Official website: balvanyosresort.ro

Photos: VargaA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; jeffwarder, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Andrei kokelburg, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons.