- Bihor
- Ștei
Ștei
A town built in 1952–1956 to plans from Moscow, on the Crișul Negru, 16 km from the Bears' Cave.
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Where to stay in Ștei
Places to sleep well, picked for comfort and location.
- 1Guesthouse and restaurant
Pensiune Premier
Guesthouse with a restaurant at the Beiuș entrance to Ștei, with a garden, terrace, bar and free parking.
Petrileni, nordul orașului€€ - 2Guest house
Casa Aurelia
Guest house in Chișcău village near the Bears' Cave, with a shared kitchen, garden and barbecue.
sat Chișcău, com. Pietroasa, la 15 km (în afara orașului)€ - 3Guesthouse
Pensiunea Anișoara
Guesthouse in Chișcău village, 1.7 km from the Bears' Cave, with a garden, a bar and a 24-hour front desk.
sat Chișcău, com. Pietroasa, la 15 km (în afara orașului)€ - 4Serviced apartment
Terra Ștrand Residence
Air-conditioned apartment with a balcony in a block in central Ștei, across the street from the town's open-air pool.
Centru, lângă ștrand€ - 53-star hotel
JRB Hotel
Three-star hotel at the Deva entrance to Ștei, with a garden, lounge, terrace and free parking.
Lunca (com. Lunca), la intrarea în Ștei dinspre Deva, la 1 km (în afara orașului)€€
Where to eat in Ștei
Meals worth the trip.
- 1Restaurant
Old Town Restaurant
Restaurant in central Ștei serving traditional dishes cooked in a modern style, open from breakfast until late.
Centru€ - 2Bistro
The Ritual by the Micle's
Bistro in central Ștei, open from early morning until late for coffee, lunch and dinner.
Centru€ - 3Grill restaurant
Restaurant Sina
Restaurant with grilled dishes and a lunch menu, a heated terrace and a kids' corner.
Est€ - 4Café and cake shop
Little Dream Cafe
Café and cake shop in central Ștei with desserts, coffee and a children's play area, decorated in shabby-chic style.
Centru€ - 5Restaurant with set lunch
Restaurant Amicii
Restaurant with a daily set menu and low prices, open every day from 8 am to 10 pm.
Nord-est€
What to see in Ștei
Things to see, picked to fill a whole day.
1Show cavePeștera Urșilor
Cave with stalactites, stalagmites and many cave-bear fossils, found in 1975 at a marble quarry in Chișcău and opened to visitors in 1980.
sat Chișcău, com. Pietroasa, la 16 km (în afara orașului)€
2Karst complexCetățile Ponorului
One of Romania's largest karst complexes, on the Padiș plateau: three huge sinkholes and a 70 m high cave portal swallowing an underground river.
Padiș, com. Pietroasa, la circa 41 km (în afara orașului)Free
3Walk-through cavePeștera Cetatea Rădesei
A 260 m cave crossed by a stream, with a 15 m portal and a hall lit by four shafts, in the north of the Padiș plateau.
Padiș, com. Pietroasa, la circa 43 km (în afara orașului)Free
41950s town centreCentrul orașului Ștei
The centre of a town built in 1952–1956 to plans drawn up in Moscow, for uranium ore from the Bihor Mountains.
CentruFree
5Karst reserveValea Sighiștelului
A wild valley with gorges, canyons and more than 150 caves along 9 km, in the Apuseni Natural Park.
Sat Sighiștel, com. Câmpani, la 8 km de ȘteiFree
Frequently asked questions
Where to stay in Ștei?
We recommend Pensiune Premier (guesthouse and restaurant, Petrileni, nordul orașului): It scores 9.3 on Booking from 75 reviews, and its restaurant scores 4.6 on Google from 484 reviews. Other picks: Casa Aurelia, Pensiunea Anișoara, Terra Ștrand Residence and JRB Hotel.
Where to eat in Ștei?
We recommend Old Town Restaurant (restaurant, Centru): It scores 4.9 on Google from 362 reviews, the best rating among Ștei restaurants with over 100 reviews. Other picks: The Ritual by the Micle's, Restaurant Sina, Little Dream Cafe and Restaurant Amicii.
What to see in Ștei?
We recommend Peștera Urșilor (show cave, sat Chișcău, com. Pietroasa, la 16 km (în afara orașului)): It draws over 200,000 visitors a year, according to Wikipedia, and is 16 km from Ștei, with guided tours every day. Other picks: Cetățile Ponorului, Peștera Cetatea Rădesei, Centrul orașului Ștei and Valea Sighiștelului.
How far is Ștei from Oradea?
About 87 km by road from Oradea.
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.