Overview
About this location
Slănic Prahova Salt Mine (Unirea Mine): open to visitors at 208 m depth, 14 chambers over some 80,000 sqm, a constant 12–13 °C, reached by minibus. Note that the last minibus down leaves at 15:30.
Weather – 3 day forecast
Details
General Information
Water temperature
A constant 12–13 °C underground all year round; relative air humidity 50–60%, atmospheric pressure 18 mmHg higher than at the surface, radioactivity at the detection limit
Water type
Underground saline environment with a high concentration of natural salt aerosols, no plant allergens and no pathogens; not thermal water. There is a landscaped salt-water lake and a waterfall underground, not intended for bathing
Entry price
60 lei adult (Salrom rates, confirmed for 2026); children and pupils 3–18 40 lei, students up to 26 50 lei, seniors 65+ 45 lei, adults with disabilities 50 lei, minors with disabilities 35 lei, under 3 free; reduced rates for groups of at least 20 people
Accessibility
Open all year, with a monthly schedule published by Salrom: closed Mondays and Tuesdays in the low season, open daily in July and August 2026; access underground is exclusively by minibus, with a 10–15 minute descent and ascent; pets are not allowed
Wellness
Therapeutic indications
The operator (Salrom) publishes no list of therapeutic indications; the official source only describes the microclimate and a dedicated area with sun loungers, beds, chairs and tables where visitors with respiratory conditions can spend a few quiet hours. Ask your doctor before a cure
About the Slănic Prahova Salt Mine
Salt has been worked at Slănic, in Prahova County, for more than three centuries. Around 1685 the boyar Mihail Cantacuzino bought the Slănic estate after realising the area held a salt deposit; the first workings opened on Valea Verde in 1688 and at Baia Baciului between 1689 and 1691, and in 1713 Cantacuzino donated the estate and the salt works to the Colțea Monastery in Bucharest. The Mihai and Carol workings ran until 1943, when mining moved to a new one beneath them, the Unirea Mine, which produced salt until 1970. Since the 1970s the Unirea Mine has been open to visitors.
What sets it apart is scale. The Unirea Mine is the result of excavating 2.9 million cubic metres of salt, which left behind 14 trapezoidal chambers totalling around 80,000 square metres.
Location & access
- Str. Salinei no. 1, Slănic, Prahova County, in wooded hill country.
- Roughly 100 km from Bucharest, by road off the DN1 Bucharest to Ploiești route.
- Minibuses run from Ploiești Nord every half hour; Slănic railway station is about 500 m south-west of the mine.
- There is a car park at the Unirea Mine.
Underground conditions
- A constant 12–13 °C all year round.
- Relative air humidity 50–60%, radioactivity at the detection limit.
- Atmospheric pressure 18 mmHg higher than at the surface.
- High concentration of natural salt aerosols, no plant allergens, rare opportunistic germs and no pathogens.
Who it suits
- Families: the leisure area underground is generous and cheap to use.
- Visitors who would rather avoid long staircases, since the descent is by minibus.
- A dedicated area with sun loungers and beds serves visitors with respiratory conditions.
Sculptures, museum, lake
- Salt sculptures: a bust of Burebista, the Genesis Hall with Decebalus and Trajan surrounded by Dacian and Roman motifs, a bas-relief of Michael the Brave and a bust of the poet Mihai Eminescu.
- A museum of the machinery once used to extract salt.
- A salt-water lake and a waterfall, laid out underground. Neither is meant for bathing.
- The mine also hosts sports competitions, contests and exhibitions.
What there is to do
- Sports courts and a 12-lane minigolf course.
- Play areas for children with an activity mat and inflatable slides, plus a trampoline.
- Go-karts, table tennis, billiards and Air Hockey tables.
- A souvenir shop, a grocery shop and a café. All leisure activities are charged separately.
Conditions, not promises
Salrom, the company that operates the mine, does not publish a list of therapeutic indications for Slănic Prahova. What it does publish is the measured microclimate: a constant 12–13 °C, relative air humidity of 50–60%, radioactivity at the detection limit, atmospheric pressure 18 mmHg higher than at the surface, a high concentration of natural salt aerosols, no plant allergens, rare opportunistic germs and no pathogens.
- The only health-related mention in the official source is a marked-off area fitted with sun loungers, beds, chairs and tables, where visitors with respiratory conditions can spend a few quiet hours.
- Anyone considering a course of treatment rather than a day visit should talk to their own doctor first, particularly with asthma, COPD or a cardiovascular condition.
- The mine sells passes of 5 entries valid over 7 consecutive days, but this is not presented as a supervised medical programme.
- Children under 3 enter free on the basis of a recommendation from their family doctor or paediatrician; without one, entry is on the accompanying adult's responsibility.
- Salrom publishes no list of contraindications either. The general rule for underground spaces still applies: claustrophobia makes the visit unpleasant.
Pages that list conditions treated at Slănic are borrowing them from elsewhere. We describe the conditions underground and leave the medical decision to your doctor. A visit does not cure anything and does not replace prescribed treatment.
These are transport times, not opening hours
- 09:15 is the first minibus down into the mine.
- 15:30 is the last minibus down. Arrive at 15:45 and you will not get underground, even though the mine is still open.
- 16:30 is the last minibus back up to the surface.
- In July and August 2026 the mine is open daily, Monday to Sunday. Outside the peak season the standard pattern is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday to Sunday.
- Salrom publishes the schedule month by month on salrom.ro, with occasional one-off closures. Check the current month before setting off.
Salrom rates, checked on 1 August 2026
- Adults 60 lei, children and pupils aged 3–18 40 lei, students up to 26 50 lei, seniors 65+ 45 lei.
- Adults with disabilities 50 lei, minors with disabilities 35 lei, companions 50 lei. Children under 3 free.
- Groups of at least 20 people in the same category, with one free group leader: adults 50 lei, children and pupils 35 lei, students 45 lei, seniors 40 lei.
- Pass of 5 entries used within a maximum of 7 consecutive days, per day: adults 50 lei, children and pupils 35 lei, students 45 lei, seniors 40 lei.
- Paid activities: Air Hockey 15 lei per 15 minutes, play area 25 lei per 30 minutes, small go-karts 10 or 20 lei, large go-karts 15 or 30 lei, two-seater go-karts 20 or 40 lei for 15 or 30 minutes, table tennis 15 lei per 30 minutes, billiards 20 lei per 30 minutes, backgammon 15 lei per hour, minigolf 15 lei per 30 minutes per person.
- Tickets are also sold online, through Easy2visit and Eventim.
How you get underground
- Access is exclusively by dedicated minibuses, down to 208 m. The ride takes about 10–15 minutes each way.
- The old mining lift cage is no longer used by the public, for safety reasons.
- Physically this is easier than a mine with long staircases, but it means your visit depends on the transport timetable.
- Organised groups should announce the date, approximate time and size of the group in advance, so extra minibuses can be scheduled and waiting times cut.
Good to know
- A jacket is essential, children included: it is 12–13 °C underground whatever the temperature at the surface.
- 2–3 hours cover the route plus one or two activities.
- Pets are not allowed. Tickets and passes are valid for a single entry per day.
- Reduced rates are granted only against supporting documents, and group discounts do not apply to mixed groups, for example 6 adults and 4 children on the same receipt.
- Reduced rates exist for adults and minors with disabilities and for their companions.
Map location
Context: the town of Slănic has a documented history of surface subsidence. In April 2024 a street in the town centre, about 500 m from the mine, collapsed into a crater roughly 2 m deep over more than 60 sqm, and two blocks of flats were evacuated. Salrom stated at the time that the latest boreholes found salt at over 38 m depth, which makes any interference between the mining works and those collapses impossible. In 2025 the press also reported cracks and water infiltration in the old workings. The Unirea Mine itself operates normally and publishes its schedule every month.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee at Slănic Prahova Salt Mine (Unirea Mine)?
60 lei adult (Salrom rates, confirmed for 2026); children and pupils 3–18 40 lei, students up to 26 50 lei, seniors 65+ 45 lei, adults with disabilities 50 lei, minors with disabilities 35 lei, under 3 free; reduced rates for groups of at least 20 people. Prices can change, so check the official information before visiting.
What are the opening hours at Slănic Prahova Salt Mine (Unirea Mine)?
Daily 09:15-16:30.
What is the temperature underground at Slănic Prahova Salt Mine (Unirea Mine)?
Underground it is A constant 12–13 °C underground all year round; relative air humidity 50–60%, atmospheric pressure 18 mmHg higher than at the surface, radioactivity at the detection limit.
Is Slănic Prahova Salt Mine (Unirea Mine) open in winter?
Open all year, with a monthly schedule published by Salrom: closed Mondays and Tuesdays in the low season, open daily in July and August 2026; access underground is exclusively by minibus, with a 10–15 minute descent and ascent; pets are not allowed.
What do official sources say about speleotherapy at Slănic Prahova Salt Mine (Unirea Mine)?
The operator (Salrom) publishes no list of therapeutic indications; the official source only describes the microclimate and a dedicated area with sun loungers, beds, chairs and tables where visitors with respiratory conditions can spend a few quiet hours. Ask your doctor before a cure. A visit is not a substitute for medical treatment.
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