When you visit Cluj, it is important to know that the beauty of Transylvania is not limited to the inner city. Contrary, a trip from the capital of Transylvania to another interesting destination in the county is a must for anyone who wants a great tourist experience.

One of the interesting sights in the Cluj County is Turda Salt Mine. Located at 30.4 kilometers from Cluj, in Turda, you can get there by car in almost 30 minutes. On your way, you will cross Feleacu and Tureni villages, and find the Salt Mine in Durgau-Salt Valley area in Turda.

The Salt Mine is open to visitors from Monday to Sunday, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, but the last access hour is 3:00 pm. Entry ticket prices are 15 RON for adults and 8 RON for children. Also, you can rent boats for 20 minutes with 10 RON.

Once you are inside, you will certainly be overwhelmed by what nature, alongside with humans, managed to do there. The inside route begins in Franz Josef gallery, a corridor that’s several hundred meters long, ending in front of an elevator. Going down, 80 m deep, you will reach Rudolf Mine, which is the largest underground chamber in the country. People can play bowling, golf or basketball here.

In the Rudolf Mine, there is an amphitheater carved into the salt, with about 200 heated seating places, that have a temperature of 10-12 degrees Celsius. Going another 120 m down from Rudolf Mine, using a second elevator, you find yourselves inside Teresa Mine, which houses a salt lake over which you can pass on a footbridge or you can ride a boat over it.

Turda salt deposits have been discovered since Roman times, but the mine was open for public in 1992, after it gained landmark status. Before its opening, the first 526 meters of Franz Josef Gallery were used as a warehouse for cheese.

Over time, the Salt Mine hosted many events, such as concerts, video footage or film screenings.

At the 2012 edition of the national contest “Cele bune sa se-adune”, (roughly translated “The best to assemble”), the landscaping project of the Salt Mine and Salt Lakes from Durgau area won the prize of best tourism project in the country.

This historical museum of salt mining is one of the most beautiful attractions in Transylvania, being annually visited by millions of Romanian and foreign tourists. In this area, there also are other important attractions, such as Turda Gorges, Potaissa Roman Camp, or Turda Baths.