by Lonely Planet author Leif Pettersen

Meziad Cave

Apuseni Mountains

The Crisana side of the Apuseni Mountains has a number of unique attractions, starting with the Meziad Cave. Aim for the small market town of Beius, 63 kilometers southeast of Oradea, on the approach to the western fringe of the Apuseni Mountains. From here you can visit the Meziad Cave (Pestera Meziad), discovered in 1859. The cave features an enormous opening and entrance tunnel, which has equally enormous stalactites with an odd curved shape. Bring a good flashlight as there’s no electric light in the cave, as well as some money (admission is less than a euro).

If you arrive outside visiting hours (scantly set at 9-11am and 2-4pm), the massive entrance hall (25m high, 40m wide) is open and satisfactorily illuminated by natural light. A guide is required to enter the real cave, which it splits into three levels, the main passage being the middle. Again, the climbs and descents are slippery so wear good footwear.

Unless you're camping by the cave, you'll need a car for this trip. From Beius’s town centre, follow the signs for ‘Pestera Meziad’ for 11km. When you get to the village of Remetea, bear right at the fork next to the Camin Cultural building and continue for 9km until you reach Meziad. Turn left at the first fork, then cross the small white bridge to a gravel road. The main office for the cave is 4km along this road. The entrance to the cave is a further 1.5km, which is not accessible by car.

Wild camping is permitted around the cave or hike on from the cave for three hours (path not accessible by car) to ‘Coada Lacului’ (Tale of the Lake) where camping is permitted by the lake. Additionally, One kilometer from Beius is Motel Desira (Tel. +40 (0) 259 322 420; doubles 29 euros), which has five clean rooms and offers currency exchange.

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