- Mureș
- Sovata
Sovata
The salt spa of eastern Mureș, with the heliothermal Lake Ursu, the salt mountain in its nature reserve and the old villas of Trandafirilor Street.
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What to see in Sovata
Things to see, picked to fill a whole day.
1Heliothermal salt lakeLacul Ursu
Salt lake formed after 1875 when the ground above the salt massif collapsed, with a layer of fresh water that keeps the salt water underneath warm.
Sovata-Băi
2Nature reserve trailMuntele de Sare și lacurile Roșu și Verde
Laid-out paths through the Lake Ursu reserve, leading from the lakeshore to the Roșu, Verde and Mierlei lakes and on to the Salt Mountain, a salt massif exposed at the surface.
Sovata-Băi, Valea Sărată- 3Lookout tower
Turnul Belvedere
Wooden observation tower, 28 m high, on the hill west of the lakes, with a spiral staircase and views in every direction.
Sovata-Băi, dealul de vest - 4Steam tourist train
Mocănița Sovata
Tourist train pulled by a 1949 steam locomotive, running 14 km from Gara Mică Sovata to Câmpu Cetății on the old Târgu Mureș–Praid narrow-gauge line.
Sovata, Gara Mică 
5Reformed churchBiserica reformată din Sovata
Reformed church built in 1937–1939 in the lower town in the Székely style, with a side tower and a coffered ceiling of 132 motifs and Bible verses.
Sovata, orașul de jos
Where to eat in Sovata
Meals worth the trip.
- 1Lakeside restaurant
Ciuperca Mică
Restaurant on the shore of Lake Ursu, with a panoramic terrace and familiar recipes cooked from local ingredients, open for 18 years.
Sovata-Băi, Lacul Ursu - 2Pizzeria and grill
Bello Pizza & Grill
Pizzeria and grill on Bradului Street in the centre of the resort, a few minutes from Lake Ursu, with table service and a bar.
Sovata-Băi, centru - 3Transylvanian restaurant
Restaurant Pacsirta
The restaurant of Hotel Pacsirta on Trandafirilor Street, with an à la carte menu of Transylvanian, Hungarian and international dishes.
Sovata-Băi - 4Forest cabin restaurant
Cabana-Restaurant Stâna de Vale
Cabin restaurant in the forest at Stâna de Vale, just outside the resort, with Romanian cooking, a grill and a garden terrace.
Stâna de Vale - 5Central European restaurant
Restaurant Paprika
Restaurant on Bradului Street, about 100 metres from the Lake Ursu bathing area, with Central European and Romanian cooking.
Sovata-Băi, Lacul Ursu
Where to stay in Sovata
Places to sleep well, picked for comfort and location.
- 1Spa hotel
Ensana Sovata
Four-star spa hotel next to Lake Ursu, with a two-floor spa and treatment centre where two pools are filled with water from the lake.
Sovata-Băi - 2Wellness hotel
Hotel Crystal Wellness & SPA
Four-star hotel with 104 rooms, opened in July 2023 on Trandafirilor Street, with indoor and outdoor pools, water slides and a treatment centre.
Sovata-Băi - 3Boutique spa hotel
Fabesca Boutique Hotel & SPA
Four-star boutique hotel opened in 2016, with Mediterranean-inspired architecture, a Mediterranean restaurant and a spa with indoor pools.
Sovata-Băi - 4Guesthouse with spa
Pensiunea Senin
Three-star guesthouse built from scratch by a family, with 19 rooms and apartments, breakfast included and a spa for guests.
Sovata-Băi - 5Historic villa
Turul Villa
Four-star villa in a 1906 building on Trandafirilor Street, renovated and reopened in August 2024, with 7 rooms and 7 apartments.
Sovata-Băi
Frequently asked questions
What to see in Sovata?
We recommend Lacul Ursu (heliothermal salt lake, Sovata-Băi): It is the reason the resort exists: in summer, under the fresh-water layer, the salt water reaches 30–40 °C one metre down, a phenomenon called heliothermy. Other picks: Muntele de Sare și lacurile Roșu și Verde, Turnul Belvedere, Mocănița Sovata and Biserica reformată din Sovata.
Where to eat in Sovata?
We recommend Ciuperca Mică (lakeside restaurant, Sovata-Băi, Lacul Ursu): It ranks first of 36 restaurants in Sovata on Restaurant Guru and holds 4.6 on Google from nearly 8,000 reviews. Other picks: Bello Pizza & Grill, Restaurant Pacsirta, Cabana-Restaurant Stâna de Vale and Restaurant Paprika.
Where to stay in Sovata?
We recommend Ensana Sovata (spa hotel, Sovata-Băi): It holds 9.1 on Booking from more than 1,050 reviews and is the hotel whose treatment centre is tied directly to Lake Ursu: pools of lake water and cabins for mud wraps. Other picks: Hotel Crystal Wellness & SPA, Fabesca Boutique Hotel & SPA, Pensiunea Senin and Turul Villa.
How far is Sovata from Târgu Mureș?
About 54 km by road from Târgu Mureș.
How do you choose the places?
For each category we pick at most five places and check them: they exist, they are open and they are worth the trip. We take no money to list a place.