Salina Turda and Cluj-Napoca Romania

If you’ve ever been on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the glowing, strange sci-fi-esque landscapes of the Salina Turda Salt Mine. Naturally, I did, so it became a mission of mine to experience Salina Turda in person. So, when I set up my Transylvanian road trip, I had it start in Cluj-Napoca (so I would be close to the famous salt time) and then move down into Sighisoara and Brasov from there.

Salina Turda

The Salt Mine in Turda was known to function from 1075 until the first half of the 20^th century. It was first mentioned in 1075, first explicitly documented in 1271, and continued to function throughout history as a mine for salt. It opened as a tourist attraction in 1992, was closed for a time for renovation, and officially opened as it is in 2010. The exterior of the property looks like a field in the countryside with a bubble-shaped building, but don’t let that fool you. As you enter, you begin to go underground, and immediately the rounded stairway down makes you feel as if you’re entering another world. While the access tunnel and chambers up along the first hallway with historical facts about the mine are interesting to say the least, the real reason one visits Salina Turda is to see the Terezia Mine and its underground lake and the amusement park activities found within Rudolf Hall. For those who are confused by the names and location of each of the various mines, have no fear! There’s a photograph of the infamous Salina Turda underground lake and UFO-shaped boat area construction with an arrow pointing the way to ensure you see the main attraction.

As you walk down the stairs to the main room of the mine, you come out in an open upper hallway that overlooks all the theme-park attractions. For a view of the underground lake, be sure to go to the walkway on the side farthest away from you at the entrance. There’s generally always a line of people waiting for the elevator down, so if you’re not opposed to stairs, it’s the much quicker way to go. So, passing the elevator and walking down that back side wall will give you a view of the lake on your way down to the stairs. As you descend down and down and down… you will feel the salt covering the stairs (and well, everything around you) and you will begin to feel a chill in the air. If it’s warm outside you should consider still bringing a sweatshirt or sweater, as the mine can get very cold, down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so.

As you enter the main large room of the mine, you’ll see a ping-pong court, an amphitheater, massage chairs, a large Ferris wheel, a mini golf course, and other attractions sprinkled around. While attending an underground theme park in an old salt mine is magical, the real thing that makes this spectacular is the futuristic and UFO-like designs given to everything here. It’s as if you have been transported to another world. It’s incredibly breathtaking. Each attraction costs a bit additional, but it’s not much, and it was worth it in my opinion to play mini golf underground (with very eroded clubs from all the salt- haha).

Of course, the most notably weird and unique thing at Salina Turda is the underground lake and strange glowing constructions put together on the lake. You can go down even further (down more stairs, yay!) to this gorgeous lake. You cross a bridge to enter the dock area which is eccentric and glowing. It really looks like something out of science fiction. Continue to the right to pay a small fee for your boat ride. The boat ride is definitely not to be missed.

Salina Turda can take several hours to a half a day depending on what you want to do, so try to give yourself a full day from Cluj-Napoca to drive there (it’s roughly 50 minutes away), experience it, and drive back. Make no mistake; it is not to be missed! In 2013, Business Insider ranked it among the ’25 hidden gems around the world that are worth the trek’, and I full-heartedly agree!

Other Things to Do in Cluj-Napoca

There are many other fun things to do in Cluj-Napoca (or as the locals say, Cluj) for those who like strange and also historical things. In fact, it’s a pretty great place to walk around. We strolled through the Central Park, through the eerie yet beautiful Cluj Central Cemetery, saw the Church of Saint Michael and the towering statue of Matthias Rex all on a nice refreshing walk in the sun.

There’s also an art museum, an old apothecary / pharmacy museum, and the National Museum of Transylvanian history that are worth a visit and more mainstream and friendly to people of all interests. And for those who like weird, there’s a whole mummy room in the National Museum of Transylvanian history that contains many mummified animals and people, as well as a mummified penis.

But the other major place I had to bring up here is Steampunk Transylvania. Part museum, part art exhibit, part guided tour, all experience… this is honestly one of the coolest places I’ve been to. The downstairs takes a more steampunk approach and showcases everything from demon-hunting weapons to the lab of a mad scientist to actual practical Victorian items like hats that folded down to fit in boxes. The tour guides will allow you to explore on your own but are excited to talk you through some of the items, and they encourage you to touch and try out most of what is on display. It’s incredibly interesting and interactive.

The upstairs section is more ‘fantasy’ themed, and it’s just beautifully artistic. From a big glowing moon to hand-crafted natural miniature scenes, it’s an art museum taken to the next level. My favorite part, personally, is that you can turn on a laser in the bookshelf. You can follow the laser across several mirrors and reflective surfaces until it lands on a book You can push in this book to open up a surprise room within the library. The surprise room has a steampunk time machine that is quite fun to play with. You do the same to close the secret room. It’s truly quite extraordinary. If you can pick one place within Cluj to see, Steampunk Transylvania would be my pick, without a doubt.

From the underground settings of Salina Turda to the streets of Cluj and Steampunk Transylvania, Cluj is a less-well-known yet equally vibrant and exciting city. I highly recommend the visit to Cluj-Napoca on your next trip to Eastern Europe.