Day 01
Salina Turda Salt Mine Tour from Oradea
- We shall pick you up from your hotel or residence early in the morning and travel to Turda.
- The trip lasts around 3 hours. There, we will buy the tickets and hire a local guide who will explain the history of the mine and salt extraction technology. The tour guide will translate the discussion.
- Turda Salt Mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. It was dug during medieval times for salt exploitation, with the first documented reference to the mine dating back to 1271. Excavations continued until 1932. After that, the salt mine served multiple purposes. It was used as a cheese storage unit and a bomb shelter during World War 2.
- Despite the passage of time, the mining equipment and machinery used to transport salt have been kept in an excellent state of preservation. In 1992, the salt mine was opened to tourists, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the past.
- The mine entered a broad process of modernization and improvement in 2008. It consists of an assembly of beautiful operating rooms and mine galleries, including the Iosif mine, famous for its powerful sound echo. It can be visited through balconies carved in salt.
- In the Crivac room, visitors can see a rudimentary installation used for lifting salt rocks to the surface, originally installed here in 1864. The Terezia mine features halls of impressive dimensions: 90 m in height and 87 m in diameter. The Rudolph mine marks the last place where salt was exploited in Turda. The Gizela mine currently serves solely for health treatment. The underground gallery of the mine is a geological reserve, and tourists have no access to this area. There, 400 feet underground, you'll find a theme park that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. This unique attraction includes a large amphitheatre, a Ferris wheel, a bowling alley, a mini-golf course, pool tables, a sports field, ping-pong courts, and an underground lake you can explore on a paddle boat.
- In the evening, we shall return to Oradea.
