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.
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. Adults: 65 lei Mon–Fri, 70 lei Sat–Sun; Happy Hour after 15:00: 55/60 lei. Children under 4 enter free; ages 4–14 pay 35 lei, or 30 lei after 15:00. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 consultation; the last verified rate, 1,386 lei/place in a double room, was valid through 31 August 2026. Check the current rate with the operator. |
| From Brașov | 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 | 160.9 km / about 2 h 30 (measured). From Târgu Mureș: 53.8 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 1 October 2026. Times are continuous driving, no stops, one way.
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oradea | Băile Felix | 15.3 | 18 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Sovata | 160.9 | 150 |
| Târgu Mureș | Sovata | 53.8 | 64 |
| 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).
Map
Positions from each site's coordinates; towns for orientation. Relief: Copernicus GLO-90 model. Scale bar: 50 km.
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 | Apollo: 65 lei Mon–Fri · 70 lei Sat–Sun | Apollo + 5 hotels | Oradea: 15.3 km |
| Sovata | salty (Bear Lake) | —* | Ensana (40+ cabins) | Cluj: 160.9 km |
| Băile Herculane | sulfurous | sulfur bath 30–44 lei | Afrodita (Mon–Sun 8–16) | Bucharest: 390.1 km |
| Covasna | mineral + mofettas | last rate: 1,386 lei · expired 31 Aug 2026 | 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 Mon–Fri, 70 lei Sat–Sun; Happy Hour after 15:00: 55/60 lei. Children under 4 enter free; ages 4–14 pay 35 lei, or 30 lei after 15:00. Thermomineral water.
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.
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.
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: Last verified rate for the 5-night pack: 1,386 lei/place in a double room, valid through 31 August 2026; check the current rate with the operator.
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.
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
For a full day, Apollo-Felix costs less than Wellness Tușnad: adults 55 lei after 15:00 Monday–Friday, 60 lei Saturday–Sunday; day ticket 65 lei Monday–Friday, 70 lei Saturday–Sunday. Tușnad: 60 lei for three hours or 120 lei for a day. Prices checked on 17 October 2026.
Bear Lake
A heliothermal salt lake: the fresh upper layers trap the sun and warm the salty water below.
Questions
Apollo-Felix or Tușnad: how much is a day at the pools?
For a full day, Apollo-Felix costs less than Wellness Tușnad: adults 55 lei after 15:00 Monday–Friday, 60 lei Saturday–Sunday; day ticket 65 lei Monday–Friday, 70 lei Saturday–Sunday. Tușnad: 60 lei for three hours or 120 lei for a day. Prices checked on 17 October 2026.
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 160.9; 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
- Felix — Apollo complex (2026 tariffs, hours)
- Felix — closures (aqua park, Internațional)
- Sovata — Ensana spa (pools, cabins)
- Sovata — Ensana hotel (lake, mud)
- Herculane — Afrodita medical treatments
- Herculane — procedure menu (PDF)
- Covasna — 5-night heart pack
- Covasna — mofettas and mineral waters
- Tușnad — hours and prices
- Tușnad — pools and capacity
Further
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