Bear Lake – Transylvania’s natural spa resort

The lake is located in Sovata, Mures County and it was formed in 1875 once with the collapse of a salt mine and filled after that with water from the rain falls and from the streams that descend from the nearby versants. Bear Lake (Lacul Ursu) is the largest heliothermal (receives heat from the sun) salt lake in Europe and it is shaped as a bear’ skin, hence the name.

The lake covers an area of ??four hectares, and exceeds 18 meters depth and it is the only saltwater lake surrounded by rich vegetation. The heliothermal character of the lake has been discovered in 1901. This unique phenomenon makes the Bear Lake the most important not only in Sovata, but also across Europe and even in the world. There are few lakes presenting this aspect and the Bear Lake is the one with the most pronounced effect.

On the surface, salinity is lower, and the water temperature varies between 18 to 23 degrees. In depth, salt concentration increases and the water becomes increasingly warmer.

More precisely, in summer, the water temperature alters depending on the solar heat accumulation into the salt water; the hot water is protected by a layer of fresh water from the rivers, which do not mix with the salt water but remains on the surface, acting as an insulator.

In summer, the temperature of the lake, the largest heliothermal lake in South-Eastern Europe, fluctuates between 10-20 ° C at the surface, 30-40° C at 1 meter depth and 40-60 ° C at 1.5 meters depth. Around 1900 the lake temperature reached 71 ° C.

To keep heliothermal effect, bathing is restricted: you can’t take baths every day or at noon, for two hours, because the lake is resting and the freshwater layers resume their roles: get back to the surface to keep the salt water below, hot.

Since 1928 there is the treatment center in Sovata near Bear Lake, the first spa resort in this area.

Bear Lake welcomes thousands of tourists each year who come here not only for treatment (healing certain gynecological diseases, rheumatism, and endocrine, metabolic, neurological) but also for relaxation.