Borsec: Mineral Springs, Karst and Historic Spa Architecture

Borsec’s most important mineral springs include Izvorul nr. 3 Boldizsár, Izvorul nr. 5 László, Izvorul nr. 6 Lázár, Izvorul nr. 10 Kossuth, Izvorul nr. 11 Petőfi and Izvorul Pierre Curie.

The mofetta in Borsec was rebuilt in 2010; the building can accommodate treatments and therapies for up to ten people at the same time. The path from the Round Chair to the mofetta was equipped with benches, tables, waste bins, fire pits and toilets.

Poiana Zânelor is a complex of mineral springs arranged as outdoor pools with changing rooms and rest areas, primarily for external applications. The site also has viewpoints as well as areas for picnicking or sunbathing.

Getting Around Borsec

Borsec is crossed by the DN15, a road that connects Transylvania with Moldavia. Route 19MN33 is a short semi-circular route on Borsec’s bypass road and is suitable for cycling tourism.

Access to Baia de Soare is free; a path from the road leads there in about two minutes.

Other places: Vlăhița, Niklasmarkt, Valea Rece, Lazarea, Miercurea-Ciuc, Sâncrăieni, Cristuru Secuiesc, Păuleni-Ciuc

Nature

The Hărmasliget botanical reserve is a wet meadow covering approximately 2 hectares in the Borsec spa town area and is home to rare species, including the dwarf birch (Betula humilis), a glacial relict.

Peștera de Gheață is located in the karst area of Dealul Scaunul Rotund, which is considered Romania’s most significant travertine deposit. A short marked forest path begins on the edge of the Borsec spa town and leads via the Mofeta, also known as Izvorul Străvechi, to Peștera de Gheață.

Grota Urșilor is a karst formation with deep, narrow passages created by the natural erosion of limestone by seepage water. It belongs to the Scaunul Rotund karst complex, a geological and botanical nature reserve covering 40 hectares.

A geotouristic walk in Borsec leads to Kerekszék, where the ice cave and the bear cave can be seen.

Culture and History

Villa 53 Doru is one of Borsec’s villas that have been included in the list of historic monuments. Emil Villa is a historic building in Borsec that is characteristic of the town’s spa architecture and was built in 1938.

The Borsec Mineral Water Museum presents the history of the region in connection with the extraction and use of mineral water. Visitors can see more than 100 objects and photographs there, including historic labels from mineral water bottles and containers in which water was transported 200 years ago.

The oldest exhibit in the Borsec Mineral Water Museum is a bottle that was used to store mineral water at the end of the 19th century.

The Borsec Cultural Centre is housed in the former Vaitsuk Villa, which was built in 1902–1903. Its architecture features wrought-iron and wood-carved elements characteristic of historic mountain spa resorts of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The wooden church of Schimbarea la Față in Borsec was built between 1844 and 1847 on the site of a church dating from 1718. The former Ó-Sáros bath building dates from the 19th century.

Activities

The Borsec summer toboggan run is just under 1,500 metres long and uses the existing ski lift to transport passengers to the top of the track. It operates between spring and autumn.

To the main travel overview: Harghita.