Bear Lake
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
186 reviews
Excellent
97
Very good
61
Average
22
Poor
5
Terrible
1
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Monia B
Genoa, Italy475 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
The rating is the result of an average family rating. For my children it is a 9 attraction, I would give it a 7. Bear Lake is a salt lake which was formed in 1875 and its shape resembles that of a bear, from which it takes its name. Hours 10am-6pm, but there is a break from 1pm to 3pm. Structure equipped with changing rooms and hot showers. I had read in the reviews that the water is thermal and very salty and therefore you float, honestly by thermal I meant something else, I didn't find the water as hot as I expected and it's certainly not true that you float, explained why there are myriads of stalls selling life jackets and armbands. There was a lot of people in the water, so much so that it was difficult to swim away from the ladders and the water.... well it's green and not very inviting. If I had known before, I would have avoided it and dedicated myself to bear spotting, which I skipped instead to go to the lake. There are several parking lots around the lake, we paid 20 lei. Entrance to the lake after 3.00 pm: 35 lei for students, 45 lei for adults
Written August 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriella A
Cluj-Napoca, Romania229 contributions
Sept 2021
The Bear lake area is always a nice place to visit while in Sovata even though the lake is closed for swimming these days. You can have a nice walk around the lake, enjoy the landscape and learn more about the wildlife in the area. You can see some wild ducks on the lake and if you're lucky you may also see some squirels in the wood area. Worth spending some time there.
Written September 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victor T
3 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
This was our first visit to a salt lake and it was a pleasant experience. The water keeps you afloat and makes swimming and exercising easy. The only downside was that there were a lot of leaves and other debris. The second day was marked by a lot of rain, so the lake was closed, but during our third day the lake was much cleaner. Overall, an enjoyable experience and a great workout.
Written August 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ilaudj
Bucharest, Romania1,273 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Had a nice walk around bear lake and really enjoyed it. There are a lot of different walks you can take and admire the nature. You can easily spend 2-3 hours there without having a swim.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriella A
Cluj-Napoca, Romania229 contributions
Sept 2022
The lake area is a nice place to visit in Sovata even when the weather is not that good. You can have a nice walk aroud the lake and admire the beautiful nature and wildlife. There are also some nice restaurants in the area where you can try some tradtional food.
Written September 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
passepartoutee
Oxford, UK37 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
Very enjoyable time floating in this warm lake in the summer sun. My friends were put off by the slightly slimy wooden steps into the water but they needn't have worried - once in I found it delightful and very relaxing. Changing cabins by the water side and there are several bars providing drinks, snack and pizza.
Written August 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Road15822310618
Brasov, Romania7 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Fantastic place with very green many ponds, has a path to visit them all perfect route !!!There are thermal baths organized, you can take a bath in the lake where permitted .Experience hotels large and picturesque Pension beautiful place !!We ate in Kicsi Gomba a wonderful restaurant next to the lake with a wonderful view, the food was very nice and the service perfect!
Automatically translated
Written October 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriella A
Cluj-Napoca, Romania229 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
It's a great attraction in Sovata.Some people like bathing in it while others like walking around it and also explore the different trails in the area. It's just great to spend some time there and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Written June 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexandru D
Ploiesti, Romania149 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
We visited the lake during the second week of August: a family with two kids. The price is a little bit higher since it does not offer anything, except the right to swim in the lake: 30 lei per adult, 25 lei per child. We arrived in a Friday at about 10.15 (it opens at 10) and it was already crowded. We could not find any spot under umbrellas nor there were available any sunbed (it costs extra: 20 lei per piece). You need to come earlier, at about 9.30 to take your tickets and to be able to enter when it opens at 10 and maybe you are lucky to catch a spot under the umbrellas and get sunbeds.
There is a free parking place before you start climbing the street in the last slope before the lake (i.e. short after a traffic roundabout). The next parking place before reaching the park has a charge of 15 lei per day).
The swim in the lake is great: you will just float due to high salt concentration. However, if you can not swim I recommend to stay close to the shore as there are some small arranged places with about 1.5-1.7 m depth. The swimming is closed between 13.00-15.00, then available after 15.00 until 18.00. They argue that this pause is necessary for the lake regeneration but it is clearly a commercial strategy since when it is very hot outside in the summer you will need to get out (i.e. most of the people does not have places under umbrellas since these are limited and not so many. Therefore about half 40-50% of the people get out at 13.00 and if you want to come back you will need to pay again the entrance fee. Therefore a lot of people get out for lunch and other will come starting with 15.00 resulting in more money for attraction administrators. Also, you need to get out to have a decent food since inside there are fast food/pizzas restaurant overpriced and below average food quality. You can bring your own food/drinks as they allows it. You need to have your own beach stuff: towels, swimming curl.
The water temperature did not seems to be that hot as they argued (i.e. 28 degrees Celsius) since my wife appreciated that is quite cold. I appreciate the temperature to be around 23-24 degrees Celsius which is OK in 5-10 minutes after you enter the water.
I recommend the visit if you stay in Sovata or Praid but you need to come earlier to get umbrellas spots and sunbed (or bring your own sub umbrellas/sunbeds).
There is a free parking place before you start climbing the street in the last slope before the lake (i.e. short after a traffic roundabout). The next parking place before reaching the park has a charge of 15 lei per day).
The swim in the lake is great: you will just float due to high salt concentration. However, if you can not swim I recommend to stay close to the shore as there are some small arranged places with about 1.5-1.7 m depth. The swimming is closed between 13.00-15.00, then available after 15.00 until 18.00. They argue that this pause is necessary for the lake regeneration but it is clearly a commercial strategy since when it is very hot outside in the summer you will need to get out (i.e. most of the people does not have places under umbrellas since these are limited and not so many. Therefore about half 40-50% of the people get out at 13.00 and if you want to come back you will need to pay again the entrance fee. Therefore a lot of people get out for lunch and other will come starting with 15.00 resulting in more money for attraction administrators. Also, you need to get out to have a decent food since inside there are fast food/pizzas restaurant overpriced and below average food quality. You can bring your own food/drinks as they allows it. You need to have your own beach stuff: towels, swimming curl.
The water temperature did not seems to be that hot as they argued (i.e. 28 degrees Celsius) since my wife appreciated that is quite cold. I appreciate the temperature to be around 23-24 degrees Celsius which is OK in 5-10 minutes after you enter the water.
I recommend the visit if you stay in Sovata or Praid but you need to come earlier to get umbrellas spots and sunbed (or bring your own sub umbrellas/sunbeds).
Written August 20, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriella A
Cluj-Napoca, Romania229 contributions
A great lake in Sovata. It's located in a wonderful surroundings. Many people enjoy bathing there. A must see for all those who visit the area.
Written December 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola quiero visitarlo a mediados de julio, ¿sabes los horarios para bañarme con mis hijos?. ¿Y para comer? Gracias por tu ayuda
Written January 25, 2018
Hi,
I can't find information about the temperature of water. We want to arrive in the end of June. Some help?
Written May 2, 2017
מה הטמפרטורה של המים בתחילת אוקטובר? האם ניתן להיכנס ולהתרחץ?
Written September 9, 2016
Hello, I cannot find a website for Bear Lake or Sovata that tells me when the season opens this year. We will be in that area on May 21, 2016 and would like to swim in Bear Lake as that's where my family used to bathe years ago. Someone told me it is not open yet but there is a smaller lake that is open, but I have no name for it. Can someone clarify this for me? Also, we need to look for an ancestral villa there, so even if we can't swim in Bear Lake, can we walk on the grounds to look for this villa?? I would appreciate help as we are leaving in a week (and so many things have been going the wrong way, eek). Thanks.
Written May 4, 2016
As far as I know and see, usually the season is opening around mid June every year.
Written January 22, 2017
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