Looking for something completely different? Then pay a visit to the salt mine of Turda! If you are interested in the history of this mine, have a look at their official website.
There are two entrances to the mine; Lars and I somehow ended up at the old one. After paying a small fee, you start your visit in a rather long access tunnel.
You pass several rooms, where you can look at the equipment used during the exploitation of the mine. To be honest, we found that some of the tools used in the 20th century looked rather primitive.
One of the highlights is the crivac room. According to Wikipedia,
The octagonal room hosts a winch called “crivac” or “gepel”, rudimentary installation used for lifting salt rocks on the surface. It dates from 1881. This machine replaced another, smaller in size, that was installed in 1864. It is the only machine of this kind in all salt mines in Romania and probably in Europe that keeps in its original location.
This installation was – to say the least – very spectacular.
But everybody comes here to see the famous Rudolf mine. The dimensions themselves are breathtaking: 42 meters deep, 50 meters wide and 80 meters long. A glass elevator takes you to the bottom of the mine, which functions as a playground. Unfortunately, our fear of heights kept us from going there…
A word of advice: come early! The mine attracts a lot of local tourists. During our visit, Lars and I met at least 2 school groups. Turda salt mine is an attraction that is suitable for all ages.
