Băile Felix · Sovata · Băile Herculane · Covasna · Băile Tușnad

Where do you take the waters?

Five resorts, five different answers. Below: the verdict by what you want — pools, mud, mofettas or sulfur — the comparator with official tariffs, and measured road access.

Data read on 17 September 2026

The quick verdict

Pick by what you want to do in the water. Distances are measured by road (OSRM/OpenStreetMap).

A day of pools	Felix (Apollo)	10 pools, open all year 8:00–20:00, 65 lei per adult. Happy hour after 15:00: 55 lei.
The mud cure	Sovata (Ensana)	Bear Lake salt water + 11 mud-pack cabins. The lake entry fee is not published officially.
Heart and mofettas	Covasna	5-night package with 15 procedures and a consult, 1386 lei/place. With a GP referral.
Minimum budget	Tușnad	60 lei/3 hours, 120 the day. Monday from 14:00, Tue–Sun 10:00–21:00. Under-3s free.
Sulfur baths	Herculane (Afrodita)	Pool 30 lei, individual 44; the consult 65. Treatments Mon–Sun 8:00–16:00, with referral.
From Cluj	Sovata	154.2 km / about 2 h 30 (measured). From Târgu Mureș: 45.2 km.

Access, measured by road

How many kilometres you drive from town to resort. Every leg is measured by road, not as the crow flies.

Method: OSRM car routes on OpenStreetMap, measured on 17 September 2026. Times are continuous driving, no stops, one way.

From	To	km	min
Oradea	Băile Felix	15.3	18
Cluj-Napoca	Sovata	154.2	154
Târgu Mureș	Sovata	45.2	73
București	Băile Herculane	390.1	327
Brașov	Covasna	59.8	66
Brașov	Băile Tușnad	68.9	69

Herculane is far from everything: 390.1 km from Bucharest, about 5 h 30 driving (measured).

The resorts, one by one

Compare all five

Prices are the officially published operator tariffs. Where the official page is silent, the table is silent.

Resort	Water	Price anchor	Treatment base	Access
Băile Felix	thermomineral	pools 65 lei/day	Apollo + 5 hotels	Oradea: 15.3 km
Sovata	salty (Bear Lake)	—*	Ensana (40+ cabins)	Cluj: 154.2 km
Băile Herculane	sulfurous	sulfur bath 30–44 lei	Afrodita (Mon–Sun 8–16)	Bucharest: 390.1 km
Covasna	mineral + mofettas	5-night pack 1386 lei	Turism Covasna	Brașov: 59.8 km
Băile Tușnad	thermal 34–36 °C	entry 60 lei/3h	Wellness Tușnad	Brașov: 68.9 km

* Sovata: the Bear Lake entry fee is not published officially; Ensana publishes facilities, not a day rate.

Băile Felix 10 pools

Apollo strand: 10 pools — waves, 4 outdoor thermal, one with 20 hydromassage beds, 2 kids, indoor, 5 slides.
Open all year, daily 8:00–20:00; tickets online. The aqua park is seasonal (closed since 22 Sep 2025).
Hotel Internațional 4* is closed for renovation since 28 Sep 2025.

Tariffs: Adults 65 lei/day, kids ≤14: 35; happy hour after 15:00: 55/30. Thermomineral water.

Official source

Sovata mud

Bear Lake: salt water + curative mud; the 2800 m² Ensana base over 2 floors.
2 therapy pools with lake water (32–36 °C); 11 mud cabins, 11 massage, CO2 baths.
Silent hours 7:00–9:00 and 20:00–21:00; 111 Trandafirilor Street.

Tariffs: No officially published day rate — neither the lake nor Ensana. Check at reception before you go.

Official source

Băile Herculane sulfur

Herculum Spa (Afrodita/Bacolux): balneologist, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy.
Treatments Mon–Sun 8:00–16:00; packages require a GP referral + health card.
Sulfurous thermomineral waters; tariffs include VAT.

Tariffs: Sulfur baths: pool 30 lei, individual 44; kinesiotherapy 60/38; the consult 65 lei.

Official source

Covasna heart

«Health and immunity with mofettas and mineral waters» (operator Turism Covasna's site).
«Health for your heart» pack: 5 nights, half-board, 15 procedures/stay, consult included — with referral.
Under-4s free; 4–14: 65 lei/day without extra bed.

Tariffs: The 5-night pack: 1386 lei/place in a double (valid to 31.08.2026).

Official source

Băile Tușnad 60 lei

Wellness Tușnad (the town's company): thermal 34–36 °C, swim 26–28, kids 30–32 °C; capacity 200.
Mon 14:00–21:00, Tue–Sun 10:00–21:00; town centre, by Ciucaș lake.
Pensioners 35 lei (Mon–Fri, outside holidays); kids <150 cm 30; under-3s free.

Tariffs: Entry 60 lei/3 hours (+10 lei per 30 min over); day ticket 120 lei.

Official source

Other resorts (Călimănești, Slănic, Vatra Dornei, Geoagiu) are missing here: five well-documented entries beat ten half-done ones.

Practical

Referral

At Afrodita and Covasna, treatment packages require a GP referral + health card. Pools are paid at the gate, no papers.

Season

Felix (Apollo) and Tușnad are open all year. Aqua Park Felix is seasonal. Bear Lake is a summer thing — in winter the Ensana pools remain.

Money

Cheapest entry: Tușnad, 60 lei/3 hours. Felix Apollo: 65 lei/day. Sovata publishes no tariffs.

Bear Lake

A heliothermal salt lake: the fresh upper layers trap the sun and warm the salty water below.

Questions

What is the cheapest pool day?

Tușnad: 60 lei/3 hours (120 the day). Next Felix Apollo: 65 lei/day, 55 after 15:00.

Do I need a doctor's referral?

For Afrodita and Covasna treatment packages: yes, referral + health card. For pools you pay the entry, no papers.

What is a mofetta?

A natural CO2 emanation, used in the Covasna cure («health and immunity with mofettas and mineral waters»). The doctor sets the program — don't walk in on a hunch.

When is Felix open?

Apollo strand: all year, daily 8:00–20:00. The aqua park closed 22 September 2025 (seasonal). Hotel Internațional is under renovation since 28 September 2025.

How far is the drive?

Oradea–Felix 15.3 km; Brașov–Covasna 59.8; Brașov–Tușnad 68.9; Cluj–Sovata 154.2; Bucharest–Herculane 390.1 (measured).

Where do I go with a heart condition?

Covasna: «Health for your heart» packs, 5 nights + 15 procedures + consult. With a GP referral.

Sources