Cheile Turzii: Hiking Through the Impressive Turda Gorge
This destination guide shows what it’s like to hike through the impressive Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii) and provides information on how to visit it using public transport from Cluj-Napoca or Turda.
A hike through the Turda Gorge
One of the most impressive natural sights near Cluj-Napoca is the Turda Gorge, called Cheile Turzii in Romanian.
Whether you have a rental car or rely on public transport, the Turda Gorge makes for a great day trip from Cluj, especially when combined with a visit to the awe-inspiring Turda Salt Mine.
I started my day with a visit to the salt mine in the morning, then made my way to the entrance of the gorge in the early afternoon to begin my hike.
Hiking the Turda Gorge: The basics
Although hiking through the 3-kilometre-long Turda Gorge makes for a fantastic outing, it may not be suitable for everyone.
The hike through the Turda Gorge isn’t particularly strenuous, as the terrain is mostly flat, but the rocky and uneven ground at some sections makes it unsuitable for those with mobility issues.
Moreover, there are sections where the path narrows and runs right along the canyon edge, so those with a fear of heights should consider carefully whether they wish to hike the entire length of the Turda Gorge.
Below, I’ll first show what you can expect when hiking through the Turda Gorge, followed by details on how to best arrange your trip in terms of transport and logistics.
The Turda end of the Cheile Turzii
I’ve hiked through the Turda Gorge numerous times, and the pictures below showcase the scenery in the middle of autumn.
I started my hike at a viewing point near the south-eastern end of the gorge, the side closest to Turda, and planned to walk all the way to the north-western exit, the side closest to Cluj.
As you approach from the south-west, you can already see the imposing, almost vertical craggy rocks that form the side of the gorge.
The southern mountainside is beautifully covered in trees, while the opposite side appears somewhat more barren.
A paved road leads down to the entrance of the gorge, where you’ll find a parking lot, guest house, and campground, marking the official start of the hike.
Path through the gorge
Hiking through the Cheile Turzii is extremely straightforward, as you simply follow the path alongside the small river that flows through the Turda Gorge.
As huge cliffs form impassable barriers on both your left and right-hand sides, you can’t really go wrong, as you can only walk straight ahead.
At first, a sandy path takes you through a forest, but soon after, you’ll reach the small Hăşdate River, which the path follows into the gorge.
Inside the Turda Gorge
Almost immediately, the gorge narrows down, and at some points it’s not more than a few metres wide.
At this point, the path is still of good quality, and is even made of concrete or similar materials, providing a smooth walking surface.
During your hike through the Turda Gorge, you will cross the Hăşdate River four times over a small bridge.
Vertical drop
As you venture deeper into the Turda Gorge, the path becomes more uneven, and you’ll find yourself climbing steps hewn from the rocks to a higher point above the river.
At a certain point, you’ll reach a stretch where the path becomes quite narrow, no wider than three or four feet.
With the near-vertical rockface on your left and a sheer drop to the river canyon on your right, this stretch isn’t for the faint-hearted, although there are ropes fixed into the cliffside that you can hold for added security, if you wish.
Caves and waterfalls
In case you’re a decent climber and have an adventurous spirit, there are opportunities to climb a bit onto the cliffs of the Turda Gorge.
If you know where to look and where to go, you can explore some caves in the cliffsides of the Turda Gorge or visit even more scenic lookout spots than the already beautiful ones along the main path.
Of course, there are some risks involved, so watch your steps carefully and only attempt it when hiking with someone else, as you don’t want to encounter problems while climbing alone.
The north-western end of the Turda gorge
After a wonderful hike, I reached the north-western end of the Turda Gorge, where the views back across the canyon were perhaps even more breathtaking.
The north-western exit of the Turda Gorge is a fantastic spot for a picnic if you’ve brought some food and drinks along, whether you sit at one of the picnic tables or on the meadow next to the river.
Just make sure to clean up afterwards and dispose of your rubbish in bins rather than throwing it in the river or leaving it behind on the meadow, something that sadly many people fail to do in the Romanian nature, which suffers from quite a significant littering problem.
Petreștii de Jos
The north-western end of the Turda Gorge is just a short distance walking away to the village of Petreștii de Jos, which has a twice-daily bus service to Cluj-Napoca.
When I hiked the Cheile Turzii, this bus connection did not yet exist, so I had no choice but to hitchhike.
I therefore simply walked along the main road in the direction of Cluj until I managed to get a ride.
Fortunately, I had the company of a sweet stray dog who followed me for a few kilometres, making the walk along the road much more enjoyable.
As not many people live in these villages and few cars passed by, it took a while before I managed to get a ride, by which time I had already reached the next village, Crăești.
A friendly pick-up truck driver was happy to give me a lift to Cluj, and after a 40-minute ride, dropped me off at the large roundabout in the Mărăști neighbourhood, from where I had to take a city bus to reach the old town centre.
How to visit the Turda Gorge and arrange transport
If you have a rental car, you can visit the Turda Gorge by either driving to the north-western end of the gorge near Petreștii de Jos (which is closest to Cluj) or to the south-eastern end near Cheia (which is closest to Turda).
In this case, you simply leave your car at the parking lot and hike through the Cheile Turzii, although note that you will need to backtrack the entire length of the gorge to return to your car.
Using public transport, it’s entirely possible to hike the entire length of the gorge without backtracking, although a bit of advance planning is required.
When starting from Cluj-Napoca, you can take the M71 bus in the morning from the Strada Posada stop in Cluj to Petreștii de Jos.
On weekdays, the bus departs at the rather early hour of 5.30am, but on Saturdays and Sundays, it leaves at a much more reasonable time, namely 9am.
This is because the bus is scheduled on weekdays to cater to villagers heading into Cluj, rather than those wanting to reach the Turda Gorge.
If you want to hike on a weekday, you may therefore be better off taking a taxi, Uber, or Bolt to get to the starting point at Petreștii de Jos.
In any case, you’ll have plenty of time to hike through the Turda Gorge in the morning, and once you reach the other end of the gorge in Cheia, you can either take a bus or call a taxi from Turda to pick you up and drive you into town, where you’ll then have the entire afternoon to explore the town and the salt mine.
The Cheia-Turda buses are operated by Alis Grup Turda (their website often has issues and may not work) and are not particularly frequent.
I don’t have the latest bus schedule, but the one below from 2023 may give you a general idea (note: there are no buses on Sundays!).
There is a frequent bus service between Turda (a stop near Piața Republicii in the centre) and Cluj (the Pod Traian bus stop near Piața Mihai Viteazu) operated by Fany, with departures roughly three times an hour on weekdays and twice an hour on weekends for most of the day.
See my article about Turda and its Salt Mine for more details on the Cluj to Turda bus connection and ticket prices.
It’s of course also possible to visit Turda and its Salt Mine first, and hike through the Cheile Turzii in the afternoon.
However, if you want to do it in this order using public transport, it’s crucial to time everything right so you arrive at Petreștii de Jos in time for the bus back (6pm on weekends, 6.30pm on weekdays).
Given that Turda-Cluj buses are much more frequent, and there isn’t anything to do in the village of Petreștii de Jos while you wait, whereas there are plenty of bars and restaurants in Turda, I’d advise you to start your hike in Petreștii de Jos rather than the other way around when relying on public transport, as it just makes more sense logistically.
When planning your trip using public transport, you should note that the total walking distance will be longer than the 3 kilometres length of the Turda Gorge itself, as you’ll also need to add the approximately 2 kilometres from Petreștii de Jos to the north-western end and a further 3.5 kilometres from the south-eastern end to Cheia.
Of course, you can shorten this by taking a taxi at either end of the gorge instead of relying on the bus.
Conclusion
Hiking through the Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii) is not only great fun but also offers a fantastic glimpse into beautiful Transylvanian nature, with stunning views of impressive cliffs, rock formations, and forests.
When staying in the nearby city of Cluj-Napoca, a day trip to Turda makes for the perfect outing, allowing you to visit Turda’s impressive salt mine and still have plenty of time for hiking through the gorge.
Although visiting by car is the most convenient, with some careful planning it’s perfectly feasible to visit both the Turda Gorge and the Salt Mine in a single day from Cluj using public transport, especially if you’re open to taking a short taxi ride.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Back to Central Asia: Travels Through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. Review: TAROM Domestic Flight Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca
2. Cluj-Napoca: A Travel Guide to Transylvania’s Vibrant Capital
3. Turda Salt Mine and Gorge: An Easy Cluj-Napoca Day Trip
4. Cheile Turzii: Hiking Through the Impressive Turda Gorge (current chapter)
5. Review: Business Lounge Cluj-Napoca Airport
6. Review: Turkish Airlines Economy Class Cluj-Istanbul-Minsk
7. Minsk, Belarus: Chasing Soviet Ghosts in One of Europe’s Last Dictatorships
8. Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class Minsk-Istanbul-Almaty
9. A Visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s Vibrant Economic Capital
** rest of the chapters to follow soon **
