Epic trips inside the Romanian salt mines

A few thousand years ago, if you are still able to remember, the Mediterranean Sea exceeded  very much its today surface and covered the South Eastern Europe, including Romania, to be more precisely.

A former salt mine, transformed in leisure area, at Turda

May be it is not correct to name that specific sea the Mediterranean one, as the overall configuration of the continents and water surfaces was totally different comparing with what we can see nowadays (thus, it was practically impossible to taste wine in Romania!). We can proof this statement through some of the local names, like Salina, Ocna, or sarat=salt. THERE ARE TO FIND SALT LAKES AND CREEKS, PROOFING AGAIN MY ALLEGATION.
Already known in the antiques  for its properties of conserving the food, the salt was very good appreciated (more than gold) in the good old times!

The salt mine from Cacica with a combination of wood and salt sculpture

The Romans first exploited this great richness, followed by other incoming people.

Very well known are mines from Cacica and Slanic Moldova, where 180 years ago, specially for exploiting salt, came here Polish, Ukraineans or Slovaks, resulting in a multicultural society. A few decades ago, the salt lost its importance and the mines have been closed. many of them are opened today only for health and leisure.

Another salt mine of the past, in Praid

In Praid, Slanic, Ocna Sibiului etc you can breath the salt air, which is so good for your lungs, or have a bath in a very salt lake (you don't need to swim at all, the salt water pushes you strongly and amazingly for the newbies to the surface!). You can appreciate in those underground galleries how difficult was to work in these mines (stop thinking to do a career in the area). During the XIXth century by this work took part mainly the jailed criminals (Ocna is simply another word for salt mine exploited with criminals!).

Also to admire, where the visiting is possible: the sculptures. There are churches, statues, golf fields etc and all are made with an extraordinary skill! This industry still has in Romania a huge potential, and it is highly probably to reopen those mines, you should hurry up to visit these extraordinary places.

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Golfing in Romania with style

As the world is shrinking and globalizing, which really scares me, whatever obsolete it may sound, playing golf is not so strange in Romania anymore. Similar with Halloween, Thanksgiving etc they are not mysterious anymore, you can even celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving in Romania!

Lac de verde Golf ground in Breaza is an excellent golf place, close to Bucharest

Playing golf is very popular between Romanian expats, but also between native Romanian who have such friends as golfers. The prices are more and more affordable, nevertheless golf is not the most popular sport in Romania (which is football btw, I would compare Bucharest with Madrid or Buenos Aires). 30 years ago it was still possible for addicted golfers to play their favorite sport only on small minigolf fields.

Nowadays it is much better, but there is still a huge distance to go comparing to the States. There are many plans for building more and more grass fields, but I wil put them away, I am not interested in plans at this moment! I will stay to the topic and tell the right places for playing golf in Romania.

The golf place in Pianu de Jos was developed around the personality of Paul Tomita, Romanian golfer

Please, don't you think that the choice is huge and I could give you some recommendations, by selecting the right courses! Not at all, on the contrary: there are only two golf places in Romania, one of them is in Breaza, its name is Lac de Verde, 100 km away from Bucharest, and the other one is in Pianu Mare, district Alba. 500 km away from Bucharest.

So, it seems to be an easy choice! If you land in Bucharest and neighborhood, you must go to Lac de Verde/Breaza, on the way to Brasov (Prahova Valley). You need only to be very carefully
 about reservations, as the place is overcrowded,  specially on week ends! Once arrived here, if you are a pro, you will observe the prices, much lower comparing to other places worldwide, and also the special care of the owners granted to their guests. They have everything you need, and even more, and do everything possible for an unforgettable golf experience.

The Diplomatic Club in the Herastrau Park from Bucharest is very exclusive

The ground of Pianu Mare has a much more interesting legend: an important Romanian golfer was born in Pianu Mare around 1920. he moved out in Bucharest to follow his dream, which he really did, taking part in the 70's at some important contests abroad. After his retirement he came back home at Pianu Mare, fascinating all the village with his real, but extraordinary stories. And this led a group of locals to have the dea and initiative to build a golf place in the area. Which they successfully did, in the middle 90's to the delight and joy of Paul Tomita, who supervised this development, until in his last days of life.

The wonderful combination of relaxing, networking, nature and sport which is after all golf could be played also in Bucharest to the exquisite Diplomate Club, in the Herastrau Park, but it only counts 6 holes, after works to the park. But this is a club, is members only, and you must be whether a diplomate in Bucharest, or  having such a friend!

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