We found out about the Libearty Bear sanctuary the day before we went. So we booked it (online) and went the next morning, not really knowing what to expect. After a quick introduction, we headed down to watch an introductory video that explained how the sanctuary first started. It was so humbling to see there are still such good people in the world that dedicate their lives to looking after and saving these beautiful animals! Once we started our tour in the sanctuary, we got to see the bears up close (on the outside of the fence) and see how some of the effect their previous stolen life had on them. While some of the bears still have not recovered, many of them have and are living their best life at this beautiful home (they would be unable to survive in the wild by themselves). The sanctuary also has many other animals, including wolves, dogs, cats, horses, turtles, and sometimes birds! This place was heartwarming and a big eye opener for us! We loved every moment here and highly recommend visiting! All profits from tickets also go back into funding a home and food for all these beautiful animals. It's a great way to be a part of the bigger picture. A bear-y good experience! 🐻

It's an amazing job what they are doing there. I really appreciate that they are concerned and taking care of the bears, and giving them a chance to be closer to freedom. The tour is beautiful, you can see them in the wild, and totally different from a zoo. The only bad thing is the people doing the tour, that are usually really noisy. The tour guide should enforce the silence they request, out of respect for the animals.

The English tour guide is wonderful. This was the highlight of our visit to Romania, and is a must see. You will learn the stories of the many bears that are at this sanctuary, and many of these stories are very tragic. Although these stories are heartbreaking, you get to see the bears thriving and healing in their new home. I seriously implore you to donate to their cause as they receive no funding from the government. All in all an incredible experience. (In terms of travel, it’s hard to reach the location but I recommend a taxi or a tour bus. It is not possible to reach the location by public transport-this is not a knock on the organization, just a necessity to keep the bears away from the public)

Very very disappointed by the service provided to us, as clients. Website never available. Price is very high (70 lei or 14 euros) for what they offer. Employees at the entrance are very rude and not customer orientated. I admire the idea of the sanctuary but I would NEVER recommend the visit!

Amazing place dedicated to help the bears. Some very impactful stories are told about what humans do to animals. :-(. This place gives another live to the bears. Advisable to reserve the entrance tickets beforehand. Entrance is on certain hours with groups maximum up to 40 people. We reserved the tickets online the day before for three people and only 7 tickets were left. The park is in Zarnesti. We took a taxi from Zarnesti center to the place (we paid 35 RON for the taxi). Walking to the park might be a bit more tricky to get there although obviously doable if you are up for it. Walking inside the park, the tour, is a little bit up and then back down :-) (circular route). The guide was amazing. For student entrance, proof of student is asked i.e. student card... Bears you will see a lot. We initially thought we would see a couple and maybe most when they would feed then at a certain hour. But not needed, we saw bears everywhere...15 to 20 at least. Not sure this was due to luck or the season (we were there at the end of August and with good weather/sun/28 degrees...). Nice job done Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti!!! Amazing!!!

What a fantastic place! I really recommend everybody to come here if you are around, a clear must to see. The sanctuary is the biggest in the world with 69 ha, and currently hosts 80 bears, 7 wolves, sheep, deers, donkeys and dogs. These people would die for their bears, they care for them in a way it was simply breathtaking to me and moved me to tears. They saved a lot of bears from prison, circuses and bears who were hit by a car. Their work is so impressing and most important: I had the impression the bears are happy bears. Please come there and support them, the tours are really informative and funny, also suited for kids. A clear must to see!

Amazing! The bear sanctuary was one of our highlights of our Romania holiday. Beautiful surroundings, really informative talks about the past and present situation of bears in Romania. It was great to see the bears in their natural environment. We also saw some wolfs! It is a non-profit project, all the money goes to the sanctuary. Perfect for any animal lovers!

Interesting experience. Visiting this sanctuary is not only about watching bears, is about watching survivors. Every bear has a story - a sad story, sometimes with a happy end, sometimes not. All of them suffered a lot in the past, just to please the vanity of some humans. Due to their old traumas, some of the bears are not so happy to expose themselves to the visitors, so you may not see all the animals during your tour. During our visit, one tourist was very disappointed because the bears were not lined up for the visitors, like in a regular zoo. Obviously, he didn't understand much about the place. The guides are focused on the safety of the visitors. For a better experience, bring a binocular with you.

Wonderful facility established and managed by a brave and enthusiastic NGO, that saved a tremendous number of mistreated and abused bears and other animals and has given a chance to live in nearly natural environment to live creatures that wouldn't be able to survive on their own if returned to their wild habitat. Very detailed and emotionally charged explanations and stories provided by a friendly, but professional guide who obviously loves the job she is doing and struggles to share her passion to visitors of all ages. Be sure to plan a morning visit, as there are only two or three guided tours in Romanian or English, during the short visiting hours justified by the fact that visitors can only actually see the bears during their feeding hours, before noon, after which they hide in the forrest of the compound spread over more than 60 hectars.

Nice and sad place at the same time. I'd like it and recommend to visit. Bears are awesome. We even saw how he climb on the tree. Now I understand why you can't hide from him on trees.

You would need your private transport to get here but this is a must do to support wildlife causes. Unfortunately caged bears is such an issue in some of the Eastern European places and this is a rescue place for caged bears. It’s so sad that you can see how they get scared in front of humans and get triggered by that. It’s a guided tour place and we took the first one and it was such an eye opener and to stay humble.

The tour was very interesting and the stories really touched me. What these people are doing is truly amazing. I highly recommend to visit this place, you really get to see the beautiful animals up close and you can tell that they are happy there and in good conditions. The price to visit is really good and is also a donation for the bears.

Excellent educational opportunity. Very sad stories as each of the bears comes to the sanctuary with a lot of emotional baggage. These are bears and other animals that are living their lives in peace after they have experienced human cruelty. If you want to go there to take a look at animals and expect that they are there for your amusement, don't go. It's that kind of thinking that got these bears there in the first place. The staff is amazing! They really care about these animals and it shows. I was brought to a verge of tears several times during the 2 km hike around the sanctuary. I left there depressed and ashamed to be a human being but also lifted up that there are endeavors like these that create hope and people that care that much. Definitely thumbs up and 5 🌟 across the board.

An absolutely incredible experience, this place should be the blueprint for every animal sanctuary around the world. While some of the stories are very sad, seeing so many bears with so much natural space clearly living such happy lives is utterly heartwarming. It’s great to see that the bears’ well-being is the first priority so tours are limited and guided. The staff were great too. Hugely recommend this fantastic experience.

One of the most wonderful places in Romania (and maybe in the whole Europe) for rehabilitating wildlife. It’s nothing like a zoo - it’s a place where animals are treated with respect and allowed to enjoy peace and freedom after years of abuse at the hands of humans. Libearty takes you on this emotional rollercoaster, but you leave this place feeling that there’s still some good left in the world.

I visited Libearty Bear Sanctury, and it was a truly enchanting experience. The serene beauty of the sanctuary combined with the majestic presence of the bears created a memorable and heartwarming. The touching history behind this place, coupled with the exceptional staff, truly showcases their passion for what they do. The idyllic setting only adds to the overall charm. Thank you for providing a truly wonderful experience. Highly recommend this unique and worthwhile destination!

Visiting the sanctuary is a great way to spend time outdoors and also helping the rescued bears. If you're lucky and visit during the 11:15 tour you might see a few of the bears and watch them eat fruit, vegetables and meat - some of it donated by local grocery stores. During the 1hr long tour the guide shares stories about the bears, wolfes and other rescued animals.

A sacred place dedicated to rescuing bears. It is a must to take a guide and hear the stories of the bears that are in the place and the story of the place

Got attached to this place. The stories of the bears are so painful you should have some tissues. The sanctuary is so nice, well maintained. Bears are truly living their lives there. Please visit this sanctuary and make a donation.

Tremendous work done by the NGO that is managing this unique bear Sanctuary in Romania and in the world. Many thanks to Vali for all the (sad) stories (with hopefully a happier end) he shared with our group and for his patience! Romania is often displaying the brown bear as its national symbol, however so many bears have been living for years in extremely unbearable conditions. The 118 bears living in the Sanctuary are among the lucky ones, those that have been rescued to enjoy a healthier/ more normal life in liberty. The tour takes about 1h15. Tickets can be bought on the spot or online. Same price. The Sanctuary is open for tourists only in the morning, when bears are fed and can be seen by tourists. Donations, bear adoptions (rewarded with a beautiful certificate) and the purchase of souvenirs are all possible at the end of the tour. Enjoy, this is truly unique!

The stories moved me to tears, the bears - running around carefree and safe - made my day. They are such wonderful creatures! Thank you to all involved. Hope donations abound and it can thrive further.

Been here with foreign friends who saw live bears for the 1st time - they were really excited about this. We were all impressed by the good conditions in which the bears get to live, the care that they benefit from the personnel, the connection with nature. The sad stories of most of the bears here are hard to take for a faint heart, but they made us realize two important issues: (1) the animals in the sanctuary are safe as long as there are good souls to contribute with funding, and (2) there still are many unfortunate animals in this corner of the world who deserve to be saved and offered a regular life. Keep up the good work!

The sanctuary was amazing. The stories said by guides were very insightful. Nice tour, definitely recommend to everyone and support this sanctuary because the money for the tickets goes to the foods and the needs of the sanctuary. You can also make a donation or buy something from the gift shop. It is for a good cause!

An absolute highlight of our trip to Transylvania. The tour was informative and fun and Maria’s ability to remember every single bear and their story was so impressive. They’re doing such great work at Libearty in giving these majestic animals a chance of a happy and peaceful life. Highly recommend.

An amazing place! There really do a wonderful job helping animals in need and educating people about it. We were on an English speaking tour with a wonderful guide. The kids ended up donating some of their own money to the place ! Notice that you need to reserve a place in the tour, and tours only happen in the morning when there is a chance to see the bears

Eine wunderbare Einrichtung, vielen Dank an das Team für die tolle Arbeit. Bitte Unterstützt dieses Projekt um es weiterhin am Leben zu erhalten. Ich habe Bären in Kanada und Alaska in freier Wildbahn erleben dürfen und wenn ich so etwas sehe und höre stimmt es mich sehr traurig 😞. So haben diese armen Tiere noch ein schönen Lebensabschnitt der nicht die Freiheit ist, aber immer noch besser wie jede Gefangenschaft der Tiere.

Sehr interessantes aber auch bedrückendes Erlebnis! Wir hatten die englische Tour. Die Dame war sehr result (bloß nicht den Weg verlassen!) aber konnte mit vielen Informationen aufwarten und war sehr gut zu verstehen. Vorrangig hat sie die individuellen Geschichten einzelner Tiere berichtet, die sehr betroffen machen.

It was nice to see the bears up close. We thought is going to be feeding time but it wasnt. We went there early right after opening. I did not like the sad stories and videos they shared about the bears that suffered violence. I dont understand the purpose of doing that. They are quite shocking for me as adult and I imagine they are shocking for kids.

I recommend buying tickets online on the website in advance because of limited visitors and slots. The bears and supporting them, it's cool.

A very beautiful place with a great mission to help captive bears. Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The stories they tell about some of the bears are eye opening and cutting to the heart. We would definitely recommend this place for a day trip. And if you ever stumble upon a mistreated brown bear plase get in contact with this sanctuary as they will take care of it.

Definitely a highlight of our trip. Hard to reach via public transport, so best to book a tour. This place is full of emotions. The bears all have tragic and traumatic back stories but have happy endings. We had a wonderful guide. Bring a hat!!

A great experience! Hearing the stories of the rescued bears, the people that started the project, the ones that are keeping it alive - inspiring and moving. The visit should be viewed as a lesson, an opportunity to learn and educate ourselves. This is definitely not a visit to the bear zoo. I was very impressed with this tour and i strongly recommended it. Be aware about the visiting hours (last tour starts at 11:15 AM). The best option is to book your ticket online because the tours are usually full and you might not get in. Don't miss out on the gift shop and the chance to adopt a bear. Card payment is available.

Highly recommended. The guide was very passionate. As suggestion I would recommend to build some kind of platform to make pictures of the bears without the wire fence in between, because making a good picture is really a challenge.

Lovely place with 112 bears and very informative tours, both in English and in Romanian. This charity rescues bears and provides a safe shelter for them there. There are scores of bears of all ages, you'll see cubs and adults in a peaceful forest setting. It was totally worth the long drive from Brașov!

This place is a must visit when around Brașov. It's eye-opening to how much harm can humans do to animals. The people there are doing an amazing job in taking care of the bears.

Very impressive. The Tour is during the feeding so you will see a lot of bears. *Be prepared you are walking on foodpath with stones, and you are walking up and down hills, so wear closed shoes and take sunscreen and a hat with you!* Our Guide explained a lot it was really interesting

Nice place and it’s worth your time. This is not a zoo, you will come from here with a different view about 🐻. The guide is excellent and tells you the story of the bears and lots of jokes. The road is not that nice, if it snows of it’s very wet on the ground probably is a difficult 2km hill journey with the car.

A truly amazing experience, the bears are happy, saved from circus or zoos where they've stayed in bad conditions. Great effort being done by all people involved in this amazing project in Romania.

Wonderful place, although predominantly Bears, the sanctuary also rescues wolves, deer, domestic animals, and the occasional Owl. Set in beautiful woodland well away from the main. A big thank you to Marie, our guide. She is very knowledgeable, and you can see and hear the love she has for the bears. I'm now the proud Mama Bear to Samy Bear, who I have adopted. FYI, you need to pay an extra 50 leu if you want to use your camera. Mobile phones are free to use

Went here on a whim after a locals recommendation and I can't recommend it enough to others. Not only do you get to see these incredible animals in a natural habitat, you get to help make a difference. There are so many bears around the world that are still kept in horrible conditions and liberty bear sanctuary are making a huge difference in the lives of not only the bears, but many other animals as well. Go there! See the bears! Help them!

Absolutely wonderful to see the bears happy and living a good life. Well informed tour guide, great cause 🐻💚

It was a beautiful visit. Hearing the stories of all the different bears was very moving and of course they're very cute to look at too. All the best to the animals and the staff! Remember to book a tour on the website in advance, as there's only a small number of available slots, even in off-season.

What a wonderful experience. Some very sad stories but this organization is doing amazing work. They are only open for two hours a day for tours to give the bears their peace but feed them during the tours to make sure you see lots of bears. Beautiful clean grounds but it’s a 2km walk on gravel and some pretty steep inclines at times as an FYI for those with mobility issues and the drive into the sanctuary is narrow gravel roads. Also saw deer and a wolf!

At the outset, it is important to review expectations. If you are expecting a very wild life experience, it is definitely not going to happen. It's more or less a zoo with just bears in a nice environment. They sell special photo passes at the entrance for 50 LEI. As a photographer, I bought one. But I soon realised that I could only take photos through the bars, so I didn't take any photos. Be sure to avoid weekends, there are huge crowds. There were over 50 people in our group and lots of unruly kids. It's a bad experience. The tour guide tried to manage it somehow, but you could tell she was glad to get this event over with herself. I understand their efforts, it's a worthy activity, they have to make some money to run it, but as I said at the beginning, you have to reevaluate your expectations because you're only going to a bear zoo with a guide.

A great sanctuary, for a fair price, with all contributions going towards a good cause. Can be difficult to get there without driving. We managed to get a Taxi after a few attempts. The guided tour is about 1h 15. You will see a lot of bears at feeding time.

Beautiful place on which wild bears are released in their narural environment.

It’s a 2km walk wear comfortable shoes, it’s a beautiful forest where the bears have plenty of space and are well taken care of their stories are just heartbreaking and they deserve every bit of love they’re now receiving, there’s also wolves turtles and rescue Birds that later on are freed the deers are stunning 😍, the tour in English is at 9:45am it’s best to buy the tickets online before hand because it does get fully booked, it’s an absolutely beautiful experience and great work out as well. They have a souvenir shop that has they cutest teddy bears that everything you buy there goes to the care of the bears 🐻❤️ don’t go to the zoo go to liberty bear sanctuary

Make sure to buy the tickets online so that you don’t get there and discover that there aren’t any places left in the tours. I bought the tickets online for 10:45 so everything went smoothly. The tour started at 10:50 and it lasted aproximately an hour, we had a lovely guide, I think his name was Silvestru. We had the chance to see some of the bears during feeding time so that was great. The animals are well taken care of and the tour was really nice! Getting there was a little rough as the road is narrow in some places and two cars cannot pass at the same time. There is a souvenir shop where you can get some nice trinkets, drinks and coffee. Also, the toilets there were really clean and stocked with all the essentials.

We were privileged to see first hand the incredible, life changing work undertaken for the European Brown Bears. Thank you to the knowledgeable staff . Our visit during early December, with the minimum foliage of winter allowed Us incredible close sight of the Bears. We Really recommend the VIP tour, All the ticket costs, ensure the Bears continuing CARE.

An absolutely wonderful experience at the bear sanctuary during the weekend. We were lucky enough to visit during the snow in a very small group and it was a complete joy to watch the bears playing in the snow and living their best lives. I was so impressed by the dedication, knowledge and passion of all the staff, and the ethos of the sanctuary which truly centers itself around the rehabilitation and wellbeing of the animals. Well worth a visit!