Vărbilău

For the river in Prahova County, see Vărbilău (river).

Vărbilău is a commune in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Coțofenești, Livadea, Podu Ursului, Poiana Vărbilău, and Vărbilău.

Vărbilău
Commune
Ion Filipescu house in Vărbilău
Coat of arms
Location in Prahova County
Vărbilău Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°12′58″N 26°1′35″E
Country	Romania
County	Prahova
Government
• Mayor (2024–2028)	Mihail-Vasile Cărbunaru (PSD)
Area	42.06 km2 (16.24 sq mi)
Elevation	337 m (1,106 ft)
Population  (2021-12-01)[1]	5,896
• Density	140/km2 (360/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	107650
Area code	+(40) 244
Vehicle reg.	PH
Website	primaria-varbilau.ro

Geography

The commune is located in the central part of the county, 36 km (22 mi) north of the county seat, Ploiești. It lies on the banks of the Vărbilău River, in a hilly area at the foot of the Ciucaș Mountains.

History

The Helmet of Coțofenești – a full electrum (a natreal gold-silver-copper alloy) Geto-Dacian helmet dating from around 400 BC, part of the inventory of the National Museum of Romanian History, stolen in 2025

A gold ceremonial helmet (5th century BC) was discovered at Coțofenești in c. 1929. Additional research was done by archaeologist Ioan Andrieșescu [ro] short after the finding. The helmet was kept at the National History Museum of Romania since 1970 and was stolen in 2025 during a temporary exhibition in the Netherlands.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1992	7,277	—
2002	7,208	−0.9%
2011	6,644	−7.8%
2021	5,896	−11.3%
Source: Census data

People

• Gabi Luncă (1938–2021), Romanian-Romani lăutar musician
• Ely Culbertson (1891–1955), American contract bridge entrepreneur and personality