Uncover the spectacular and iconic Bears’ Collapse northwestern Romania, uncovered in September 1975. This geological marvel boasts three galleries, together with the enchanting Candles Corridor and the historic Emil Racovita Corridor. A spotlight is the Bones Corridor, the place you possibly can marvel on the full skeleton of a cave bear.
This information will stroll you thru the fascinating chambers of Bear’s Cave, providing a novel glimpse right into a world the place historical past and pure magnificence intertwine.
In my view, Romania is without doubt one of the most stunning locations on this planet. Whereas it’s much less fashionable than different locations in Western Europe, like Spain or France, I believe it’s solely a matter of time till tourism explodes right here.
Why do I believe that?
As a result of Romania presents a lot: medieval cities like Sighisoara or Brasov, untouched rural areas, the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Delta, The Black Sea, castles and fortresses, caves, and lakes.
And so many different points of interest!
However I received’t go into extra particulars; that’s for an additional time.
This time, I need to introduce you to one of many coolest hidden gems in Romania: Bears’ Cave.
Skip Forward To My Recommendation Right here!
Bears’ Cave Location
Bears’ Cave is positioned in Chișcău, a village within the northwest of Romania, at an altitude of 482m.
The closest metropolis is Oradea, my hometown. I spent my first 18 years of life in Oradea, and I visited the Bears’ Cave numerous instances as a result of it’s so distinctive and interesting.
Bears’ Cave, found in 1975, is a couple of one-and-a-half-hour drive from Oradea on the DN76/E79 roads, positioned within the western Apuseni Mountains.
The opposite metropolis that’s shut by is Cluj Napoca. Nonetheless, Bears’ Cave is a couple of 3-hour drive from Cluj Napoca on the DN1/E60 roads.
How To Get To Bears’ Cave
The simplest technique to get to the Bears’ Cave is by automobile. There’s a big car parking zone on the Bears’ Cave. I extremely advocate you lease a automobile for those who go to Romania.
That’s as a result of essentially the most attention-grabbing points of interest are usually not in Bucharest however are unfold out throughout the nation. Additionally, Romanian public transportation will not be very dependable, so having your personal automobile is your greatest wager.
Since Oradea is the closest metropolis to Bears’ Cave, you possibly can select to both fly right here from Bucharest after which drive to Bears’ Cave or begin the drive in Bucharest and go on a street journey throughout Romania.
Should you resolve to fly to Bihor, TAROM, the Romanian airline, operates 2-4 every day flights between Bucharest and Oradea, so it’s very straightforward to get to the enduring Bears’ Cave. Should you select to drive, Oradea will most likely be the final cease of your street journey because it’s positioned on the other facet of the nation.
Manufacturers We Use And Belief
Hours And Entry Payment
The Bears’ Cave is open from 9 am to six pm each day from June to August and from 10 am to five pm throughout the different months of the 12 months. The final admission is one hour earlier than closing.
The entry price is 40 lei (the Romanian foreign money). That’s the equal of 8 euros or 9 United States {dollars}.
They don’t supply reductions to kids or college students, so hold that in thoughts when budgeting to your journey.
They solely supply reductions for varsity journeys for over 20 individuals. For each ten college students visiting the cave, a trainer will get a free ticket.
Guidelines For Visiting The Bears’ Cave
There are a couple of guidelines you want to concentrate on when visiting Bears’ Cave.
Admission is just potential in teams of a minimal of three individuals and with a tour information. You would not have to pay further for the information; it’s included within the value of the ticket. I believe it’s nice that everybody visits accompanied by a information since you’ll be taught rather a lot concerning the cave and its historical past.
The guides’ default language for the tour is Romanian, but when there are guests from different international locations who don’t perceive Romanian, they will converse in English. It’s important to give them a heads-up while you purchase the tickets.
The go to begins each hour on the hour and lasts about 45 minutes. You may’t contact something contained in the cave to make sure the limestone formations are preserved for a very long time.
They don’t permit individuals to take photos contained in the cave. Nonetheless, in my expertise, this rule is lax. It truthfully is determined by the information. Some will can help you snap an image, whereas others implement this rule.
Historical past Of Its Discovery
Bears’ Cave was found by chance on September 17, 1975. Throughout a managed explosion on the marble quarry in Chișcău, the employees seen a gap of about 30cm, which turned out to be the doorway to a spectacular cave.
The primary man who entered the cave was Traian Curta, one of many miners. There’s a plaque on the entrance to the cave along with his image, crediting him as the one who found the cave. He’s nonetheless alive as we speak; he’s 84 years previous, and the invention of Bears’ Cave is the spotlight of his life and profession.
The crack that was created throughout the explosion that led to the invention of the cave is on show, in addition to a part of the rope that was utilized by Traian Curta to go right down to the cave for the primary time. You may see each within the image above.
Traian was inquisitive about what he would discover down there. He went down by that gap with only a hammer and a lantern. He stated that when he received down and began strolling round, he tripped on a big cranium, and he didn’t know which species it belonged to.
Quickly after the invention of the cave, the speleologist groups from Ștei and Cluj Napoca got here on website and found that the cranium belonged to Ursus spelaeus (cave bear), an extinct species.
It seems that about 15,000 years in the past, there was a robust earthquake that utterly remoted the Bears’ Cave from the remainder of the world, trapping over 140 bears from the Ursus spelaeus species inside. These bears grew to become extinct over the past Glacial Most, a interval of serious climatic change and habitat loss that tremendously impacted many species, together with the cave bear.
The Bears’ Cave opened its doorways to the general public on July 14, 1980.
Visting 3 Galleries Inside The The Bears’ Cave
The Bears’ Cave is greater than 1,500 meters lengthy. It’s comprised of a number of galleries on two ranges. The highest degree (about 488 meters lengthy) is open to the general public and has three galleries: the Bones Gallery, the Emil Racoviță Gallery, and the Candles Gallery.
The underside degree is about 521 meters lengthy and is totally devoted to scientific analysis.
Bones Gallery
The Bones Gallery is the primary gallery open to guests. It has a formidable assortment of bones of Ursus spelaeus (cave bear), together with a whole skeleton of a bear. You may see it within the image above.
On the partitions of the Bones Gallery, you possibly can discover scratches left by the paws of the bears that inhabited the cave. In addition to the skeletons of extinct cave bears, you too can see fossils of different animals that disappeared 1000’s of years in the past, such because the cave lion or cave hyena.
The opposite attention-grabbing factor you could find within the Bones Gallery is a rock formation that resembles the underside half of a bear, together with its legs and tail. The legend says that this can be a bear that received trapped contained in the cave since you possibly can’t see its head or entrance legs.
In addition to the proper resemblance with a bear’s decrease half, the colour of this rock formation is brown. Is it a delusion, or is it the reality? Choose it for your self within the image under.
This gallery is my favourite one as a result of it’s so wealthy in historical past, and it’s what makes the Bears’ Cave distinctive from all different caves on the market.
Emil Racoviță Gallery
The second gallery known as Emil Racoviță, after the well-known Romanian speleologist. Emil was the primary Romanian to go on a scientific expedition within the Antarctic. After his voyage, he centered extra on speleology, and he explored over 1,400 caves in 5 international locations. He and René Jeannel are the founders of biospeleology.
That is the biggest gallery out of the three in Bears’ Cave. It has spectacular limestone formations that resemble wax statues. All of them have distinctive shapes. Among the ones that stand out are the Enchanted Palace, the Water Lily Lake, the Mastodon and the Home of the Dwarves, the Portal, the Pagodas, and the Council of Elders.
Nonetheless, they’re all open to interpretation, so for those who assume they appear to be one thing else, that’s completely advantageous. Even nature’s artwork is up for interpretation. That’s the great thing about artwork: everybody appears to be like on the similar factor and sees completely various things.
Candles Gallery
Subsequent is the Candles Gallery. It was named this manner as a result of the stalactites and stalagmites resemble lengthy candles. You may be a bit confused as to why Romanians named it the Candles Gallery since they won’t appear to be the tiny spherical candles you’re used to.
That’s as a result of the commonest faith in Romania is Greek-Orthodox, and, on this faith, the candles you employ at church are skinny and lengthy. Furthermore, the candles Romanians use throughout marriage ceremony ceremonies are additionally very lengthy (about 1 meter lengthy). So, now that you’ve this context, you may agree that the limestone formations on this gallery certainly resemble the Romanian definition of candles.
No spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
Remaining Ideas
The Bears’ Cave is without doubt one of the most stunning and spectacular caves in Romania and the world. In addition to providing stunning limestone formations, it additionally presents a lot historical past, highlighted within the three galleries.
You’re actually a couple of ft away from skeletons of extinct bears and different fossils. That’s why I believe it deserves a spot in your Romanian itinerary.
The temperature within the cave is 10 °C throughout all seasons, and the humidity is maintained at 97%. So, be sure that to pack a light-weight jacket for those who go to in the summertime, and don’t put on your warmest coat for those who go to within the winter.
Throughout the hotter months, there are numerous stalls outdoors of the cave by the car parking zone the place you possibly can purchase souvenirs to recollect your journey or share with family and friends.
I hope you favored studying concerning the Bears’ Cave. Should you’re visiting Romania quickly, which means you’re forward of the curve, and also you’ll be capable of get pleasure from Romania earlier than tens of millions of vacationers flood it. Pleased travels, and have one of the best time in Romania!
FAQs About Bears’ Cave
What’s Bears’ Cave?
Bears’ Cave is a novel collapse northwest Romania that has over 140 bear skeletons from the extinct Ursus spelaeus species moreover the standard limestone formations of a cave.
The place is it positioned?
Bears’ Cave is positioned in Chişcău village in northwest Romania, at an altitude of 482m. The closest metropolis is Oradea.
How can I get there?
The simplest technique to get to the Bears’ Cave is by automobile. There’s a big car parking zone on the Bears’ Cave. I extremely advocate you lease a automobile for those who go to Romania.
What are the opening hours?
The Bears’ Cave is open from 9 am to six pm each day from June to August and from 10 am to five pm throughout the different months of the 12 months. The final admission is one hour earlier than closing.
How a lot is the doorway price?
The entry price is 40 lei (the Romanian foreign money). That’s the equal of 8 euros or 9 United States {dollars}.
Do they converse English?
Sure, they do. The guides’ default language for the tour is Romanian, but when there are guests from different international locations who don’t perceive Romanian, they will converse in English. It’s important to give them a heads-up while you purchase the tickets.
How lengthy ought to I plan on being there?
The go to begins each hour on the hour and lasts about 45 minutes.
How chilly is contained in the cave?
The temperature within the cave is 10 °C throughout all seasons, and the humidity is maintained at 97%.
MORE ROMANIA TRAVEL BLOGS
