Romania off the beaten path: the salt mines

I am not a geologist, but I can tell you for sure: a few ten thousands of years ago on the today territory proudly called Romania nowadays it was nothing but water. Endless sea, and very salty. I can prove this affirmation through the huge salt reserves of Romania.

Nearer to our days, these  salt reserves have been exploited for thousand of years, starting with the antique times and even before. In the antique time the salt was a favorite changing item with the Greeks which came and build the colony of Tomis (today Constanta). The Dacians,  forefathers of the today Romanians, used also to export grains and wines, taking in change from the Greeks olives and olives oil. The salt as also the gold and  other richness of Dacia draw unfortunately the attention of the almighty neighboring Roman Empire.

The amazing salt church from the Cacica mine

After the Roman conquer and colonization, as documented on the Traian's Column from center of Rome, the salt kept and even increased its important role in the local economy. On those times, and during all the Medium Age, the salt mines and their  administrating settlements received lots of privileges and other advantages. The salt in that period of mankind was simply vital, as it could be used for conserving the food, and Romania as former sea bottom had unending reserves.

Winning the salt kept its importance up today, but a few of the former renowned salt mines have been closed due to unsatisfactory economic results. But the huge galleries showing the hard labour and toil are still there. In many of these mines the salt has been collected by the convicted prisoners and the Romanian language is full of references on those times, the hard labour and the prisoners.

The former salt mine from Turda is today the most important attraction of the town

Nowadays you can visit a few of these mines, which have been prepared for tourist like you. Don't fear anymore please the hard labour, but in some areas you must be very careful if you are claustrophobic. Broadly and generally speaking the air from a salt mine is perfect for curing any lungs diseases. You can visit the salt mines from Turda, Cacica, Praid , Slanic Prahova, Slanic Moldova and  a few more (these are the most important).

Spending an excellent time in a former salt mine (here Slanic Prahova)http://romania-tours.blogspot.ro/2014/01/romania-off-beaten-path.htmlhttp://romania-tours.blogspot.ro/2014/01/romania-off-beaten-path.html

There are a few reasons for doing that. Some of the visitors might be simply curious; other can try to cure their lungs diseases through week long treatments. In Cacica and Slanic Moldova you can find amazing salt churches. In all these former salt mines you have good entertainment possibilities, and you can stay for hours brething the purest air possible while playing ping pong, tennis etc. In Praid is possible to organize unique and totally exotic wine tastings, while in Turda you can find maybe the most romantic thing in a former salt mine: hire a boat on the dark lake, is simply breathtaking! Maybe the most romantic way to make a declaration or even a proposal.

In all these former salt mines you must pay to enter, and in some of then the interesting places are very remote to the entrance, the ticket contains even this kilometer long journey by bus (at the moment 20 RON, equivalent to almost 5 Euros).

I am sure you won't be disappointed in none of these former salt mines open for visits today. You will get some knowledge about the technology of salt winning and exploitation, or buy something, but you are going to spend anyway a wonderful time there. There is no chance to get boring in these salt mines, they are interesting and exciting in the same time.

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The Salt Mountain from Slanic

Leaving Ploiesti towards Slanic and Valeni de Munte means to drive in a certain way out the beaten path. So, don't leave the city of Ploiesti to Campina-Brasov, or Campulung-Brasov, and neither towards Buzau-Focsani. Please take care a lot to the indicators, maps, GPS, as otherwise you'll be in serious troubles!

Only 40 km away from Ploiesti, in a majestic landscape, the resort Slanic welcomes its visitors with rowing white firs, but also with one of the oldest salt mines of Wallachia, opened already from the XVIIth century. When the exploitation begun, there were actually two salt mines, but along the years one of them collapsed inside forming Baia Baciului/ The sheepherd bath. The precipice filled with water , resulting in the swimming pool you can see nowadays!

Typical house from Slanic

But in Baia Baciului another surprise is obvious: due to collapse of the first salt mine, the soil above the other mine has been removed and an entirely salt mountain emerged to the surface. It is an amazing view, looks like a giant crystal with cutting edges, changing color in the sunlight.

Inside this mountain, the mine filled it with water, building The Bride Lake. The legend says that a local girl comited suicide here, after her parents forced her to marry a boy she didn't love. The salt water pushed her to the surface and kept her there, but she died nevertheless due to the strong impact (he falled from a high rock).

The old salt mine from Slanic is excellent for fighting lungs diseases, due to the constant temperature

Unfortunately, only a few years ago, another part of the salt mountain collapsed, and the Bride Lake lost its fame. But the place deserves nevertheless a visit due to the strange bizarre aspect. You can take an excellent bath in the lake, don't forget your suits.

Visit further in Slanic the Salt Museum, as also the old mine, and continue your trip to Valeni de Munte, a small but interesting town, having many to reveal to any visitor. Nicolae Iorga, one of the most distinguished Romanian scientists ever, has lived here for 40 years, and his house is nowadays a Memorial, where you can admire fine paintings, and unique pieces of furniture, with a popular inspiration. Next to the Memorial house, a collection of church works of art, with a focus on icons and books from the XVIIth century.

Please notice the lake from Slanic with its amazing neighborhood, and finally take a good bath 

If you are rather interested on natural phenomena, direct to Cheia, and meet a very special thing: The Green Mountain. It consists on rare soft volcanic rocks, and the locals use pieces of it to obtain a special ornamental mortar, which you can observe to the most of the fences and houses.

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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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