Cheia

Cluj County · Romania
Cheia — photo 1 Cheia — photo 2 Cheia — photo 3 3

Photos: Țetcu Mircea Rareș, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Markolaci, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons); Țetcu Mircea Rareș, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Cheia (formerly Mischiu, Hungarian Mészkő) is a village in the commune of Mihai Viteazu, Cluj County, Transylvania, at 325 m. It is first recorded in 1333; the 2021 census counted 538 inhabitants.

Near the village, at Piatra Tăiată (“the cut stone”), was the main quarry of the Roman town and fort of Potaissa; it is a historic monument. A column 1.5 m high was brought from the quarry to the village church, and tiles, lamps, pottery and Roman coins have been found around it.

For a hiker Cheia is the nearest village to the Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii): the trail “Cheia – Cheile Turzii Hut” starts here on the site, and “Cornești – Cheile Turzii Hut” and “Tureni – Cheile Turzii Hut” lead to the same hut.

Getting there from Ukraine

The nearest place we have road figures for is Cluj-Napoca (≈26 km from here in a straight line): Rakhiv – Cluj-Napoca ≈219 km, ≈3 h 44 min (via Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației); Ivano-Frankivsk – Cluj-Napoca ≈353 km, ≈6 h 04 min (via Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației). Times are without border queues, by our road routing. Romanian national roads require an electronic vignette (rovinieta).

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia

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What's nearby

Trails nearby

All trails
Cheia – Cheile Turzii HutEasyOne-dayMarkedCheia Cheile Turzii HutElevation profile341–516 m3.9 kmascent 187 m≈ 1.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreCornești – Cheile Turzii HutEasyOne-dayMarkedCornești Cheile Turzii HutElevation profile342–726 m9 kmascent 389 m≈ 3 h walking2.5 km from the centreTureni – Cheile Turzii HutEasyOne-dayMarkedTureni Cheile Turzii HutElevation profile442–672 m9.8 kmascent 235 m≈ 3 h walking2.8 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
Piatra SecuiuluiPeakPiatra SecuiuluiRimeteaaltitude 1 129 m14 km from the centrePiatra Secuiului (Romanian: Piatra Secuiului, Hungarian: Székelykő, also Colții Trascăului) is a bare limestone peak at 1,129 m in the Trascău and Metaliferi Mountains...

What to visit

All
Salina Turda: a lake 112 m underground and speleotherapyWater parks & thermal poolsSalina Turda: a lake 112 m underground and speleotherapyTurda8 km from the centreThe Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda) is one of Romania's best-known underground sights, on the edge of the town of Turda in Cluj County, a few dozen kilometres from Cluj...

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Salina Turda: a lake 112 m underground and speleotherapyWater parks & thermal poolsSalina Turda: a lake 112 m underground and speleotherapyTurda8 km from the centreThe Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda) is one of Romania's best-known underground sights, on the edge of the town of Turda in Cluj County, a few dozen kilometres from Cluj...

Huts, shelters and springs nearby

418 mDrinking waterDrinking water below Dealu AlbTrascău and Metaliferi Mountains · RomaniaNot verified
659 mSpringSpring below MănăstireaTrascău and Metaliferi Mountains · RomaniaNot verifiedMarked as drinkable
390 mDrinking waterDrinking water below FluerișteTrascău and Metaliferi Mountains · RomaniaNot verified

All springs of the CarpathiansAll Carpathian huts

Getting there from Ukraine

Border crossings

  • Porubne – Siret — road and pedestrian, 24/7
  • Diakivtsi – Racovăț — road and pedestrian, 24/7 No freight traffic.
  • Krasnoilsk – Vicovu de Sus — road and pedestrian, 08:00–20:00 Cars up to 3.5 t and pedestrians only; not 24/7.
  • Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației — road and pedestrian, 24/7 Passenger traffic only: vehicles up to 3.5 t with up to 9 seats, pedestrians.
  • Diakove – Halmeu — road, 24/7 No pedestrian crossing.

By car

Rakhiv – Cluj-Napoca ≈219 km, ≈3 h 44 min (via Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației); Ivano-Frankivsk – Cluj-Napoca ≈353 km, ≈6 h 04 min (via Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației); Chernivtsi – Cluj-Napoca ≈343 km, ≈6 h 28 min (via Krasnoilsk – Vicovu de Sus). Times without border queues, our road routing (GraphHopper, OSM).

Checked 03.11.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.