Băile Tușnad

Băile Tușnad developed as a spa in the nineteenth century around springs of carbonated mineral water and mofettes, natural carbon dioxide emissions used in treatment for circulatory conditions. It is the smallest town in Romania by population, laid out along a single main road in the Olt gorge with fir-covered slopes rising steeply on both sides, villas and sanatoria among the trees, and paths climbing to viewpoints such as Piatra Șoimilor. Above it lies Lake Sfânta Ana in its volcanic crater and the Mohoș peat bog. The town has become known for another reason in recent years: brown bears come down into the streets regularly to raid bins, sightings are routine, and the authorities have installed bear-proof containers and electric fencing in places. Visitors are asked, seriously, not to feed or approach them.

History

The Székely people long bathed in the water here, and the spa was most probably founded in 1842; after a shepherd's son was said to have been cured of a rash, a company was set up to develop the springs in 1845. Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the baths rebuilt on his visit in 1852, the town grew fast after 1860, the Stefánia Medical Center opened in 1890, Lake Ciucaș was made in 1900 and the big hotels went up in the 1970s (Wikipedia, Băile Tușnad).

The main sights

• Mineral springs and mofettes - carbonated water and carbon dioxide treatment facilities.
• The gorge setting - fir slopes rising directly above the single main street.
• Piatra Șoimilor - a short climb to a rock viewpoint over the town.
• Spa villas - nineteenth-century buildings among the trees.

When to go

May to October for walking and the best of the setting; the spa works year-round. Autumn colour in the gorge is excellent. Bear activity is highest in late summer and autumn, when they are feeding hard before winter.

Practical notes

Bears in the town are a genuine hazard, not a photo opportunity: keep away, do not leave food in cars, and take local warnings seriously. The town is very small and quiet, with limited eating options outside hotels. Some sanatoria are dated. The main road runs through the middle and traffic noise carries in the gorge.

Nearby

Lake Sfânta Ana is a short drive up the crater road; Miercurea Ciuc lies north.

Key facts