Overview
About this location
Turda Salt Mine (Cluj County): an underground mine open to visitors at over 100 m depth, a constant 11–12 °C, the Rudolf Mine with its 20 m Ferris wheel, an underground lake in the Terezia Mine and a treatment base at the Ghizela stationary mine.
Weather – 3 day forecast
Details
General Information
Water temperature
A constant 11–12 °C underground all year round; relative humidity 73–82%, air movement practically nil
Water type
Underground saline environment: salt aerosols as solid particles, air free of allergens and pathogens; not thermal water. Underground salt lake in the Terezia Mine, up to 6 m deep
Entry price
75 lei adult Mon–Fri / 90 lei Sat–Sun (rates displayed by the operator on 1 August 2026); seniors over 65 50/60 lei, children 3–18 48/59 lei, under 3 free; parking 10 lei/hour, Ferris wheel 35 lei per ride
Accessibility
Open all year, every day; two entrances: Aleea Durgăului no. 7 (main, with car park) and Str. Salinelor no. 54B, the only one for visitors with reduced mobility, on a limited route; reaching the floor of the Rudolf Mine means 172 steps or the panoramic lift
Wellness
Therapeutic indications
Per the mine's own treatment centre: allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis, recurrent respiratory infections, mild to moderate asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD, eczema and atopic dermatitis; a visit does not replace medical treatment
About the Turda Salt Mine
The Turda Salt Mine sits in Cluj County, in the town the Romans called Potaissa, and is open to visitors on several levels at over 100 m depth. A Hungarian chancery document of 1075 already mentions the salt customs at Turda, and the first record that speaks explicitly of mining here dates from 1 May 1271. Salt was extracted until 1932, the mine served as an air raid shelter during the Second World War and, from 1950, as a cheese store in the first 500 metres of the Franz Josef gallery. It reopened to the public in 1992 and was extensively modernised between 2008 and 2010.
Location & entrances
- Turda, Cluj County, roughly 30 km south of Cluj-Napoca (approximate road distance).
- Entrance A, Aleea Durgăului no. 7, is the modern one, with a car park.
- Entrance B, Str. Salinelor no. 54B, in the Turda Nouă district, is the old entrance.
- Local transport: bus line 17.
Underground conditions
- A constant 11–12 °C, whatever the season above ground.
- Relative humidity 78–82% at the entrance and 73–80% inside the visiting chambers.
- Air movement is practically nil, 0.02 m/s in the Rudolf chamber.
- Salt aerosols in the form of solid particles. This is a salt mine, not a thermal bath.
Who it suits
- Families: the leisure area is laid out on the floor of the Rudolf Mine.
- A tourist visit of 2–3 hours, or a course of treatment at the Ghizela stationary mine.
- Children under 3 and people over 65 need medical clearance before entering.
The chambers you walk through
- The descent follows the Franz Josef transport gallery.
- Then the Registry Chamber, with the Altar and the Rich Men's Staircase, the Crivac Chamber and the Extraction Shaft Chamber.
- The Iosif Mine, also called the Echo Chamber, and the Ghizela stationary mine, which houses the treatment base.
- Salt stalactites have formed on the half-ceiling of the Rudolf Mine, growing about 2 cm a year and reaching up to 3 m.
The two big mines
- The Rudolf Mine is a trapezoidal dome 42 m deep, 50 m wide and 80 m long, the last place where salt was extracted at Turda.
- Reaching its floor means 172 steps, the equivalent of 13 storeys, or a ride in the panoramic lift.
- At around 120 m below ground: an amphitheatre, a sports court, bowling, minigolf, billiards, table tennis, a playground and a 20 m Ferris wheel, probably the only underground one in the world.
- The Terezia Mine, worked between 1690 and 1880, is a bell 90 m high and 75 m across, 112 m from the mouth of the shafts down to the floor, with a salt waterfall.
- Its underground lake is up to 6 m deep, covers about 80% of the floor and has an island of residual salt at its centre. Rowing boats take a maximum of 3 people.
What the operator declares
The mine runs its own treatment base, the Ghizela stationary mine, and publishes the measured microclimate: a constant 11–12 °C, relative humidity of 73–82%, negligible air movement, salt aerosols as solid particles, allergens practically absent, fewer than 2,000 germs per cubic metre in all measurements and radioactivity below the minimum detectable limit.
Indications
- Allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis.
- Enlarged tonsils and adenoids; recurrent respiratory infections.
- Allergic and non-allergic asthma, in mild and moderate forms.
- Chronic allergic and obstructive bronchitis, COPD.
- Skin conditions such as eczema and atopic dermatitis.
Contraindications
- Claustrophobia and anxious-depressive syndrome.
- Severe persistent asthma, complications of COPD, tuberculosis, lung tumours, acute ENT conditions.
- Severe cardiovascular disease (stage III hypertension, recent heart attack, angina with frequent episodes), grade II–III heart failure.
- Acute digestive and urinary conditions, uncontrolled diabetes, collagen and rheumatic diseases in flare-up, central and peripheral neurological conditions.
- Third trimester of pregnancy and the first 1–2 months after surgery.
Recommendations from the mine
- Sessions are best taken between 9:00 and 14:00, over 14–18 days (7–10 days for children), with effects lasting roughly 2–3 months and two courses a year recommended.
- Not recommended under the age of 1. Between 1 and 2 years, medical clearance is required and a maximum of 1–1.5 hours a day for 7 days; over 2 years, 2–3 hours a day for 7–10 days.
- People over 65 with associated cardiovascular conditions need medical clearance at the start and periodic monitoring, without exceeding 2–3 hours a day for 7 days.
These indications and contraindications are the ones declared by the operator. A visit or a course of speleotherapy does not cure anything and does not replace treatment prescribed by a doctor. The mine states explicitly that visitors who ignore the guidance of its medical staff assume any negative effects themselves.
Opening hours
The current schedule, daily 09:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00, is the extended summer one, in force since Wednesday 29 July 2026. Outside the summer season the mine reverts to a shorter timetable, and it announces separate schedules for Christmas, New Year and Easter. Check the official page before setting off.
Rates posted on 1 August 2026
- Adults 75 lei Monday to Friday, 90 lei on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
- Seniors over 65: 50 lei on weekdays, 60 lei at the weekend. Children aged 3–18: 48 lei on weekdays, 59 lei at the weekend.
- Children under 3 enter free. Adults with severe or accentuated disabilities and their personal assistants enter free, as do children with disabilities and their companions.
- Pass of at least 7 days, per day and per person: 65 lei adults, 37 lei seniors, 37 lei children, valid 30 days from purchase.
- Extras: parking 10 lei per hour, Ferris wheel 35 lei for an 8-minute ride, boats 56 lei per boat for 20 minutes, minigolf 35 lei per 20 minutes, table tennis 35 lei per 30 minutes, billiards 2.5 lei per minute, Ghizela mine 32 lei per person, guide on request 205 lei.
- Organised groups of at least 20 people get a free guide, by prior appointment.
These are the rates posted by the mine on 1 August 2026, VAT included. The official site does not date its price list, so we do not present them as the rates of a calendar year. Many aggregator sites still list 50 lei per adult, the value from before March 2025.
Getting there
- The main entrance (A) is on Aleea Durgăului no. 7, with a paid car park, access by ticket.
- The old entrance (B), on Str. Salinelor no. 54B, is the only one for visitors with reduced mobility.
- For them the route is limited to the Franz Josef gallery, the Ghizela stationary mine, the Iosif Mine (balcony view only), the Crivac Chamber, the Extraction Shaft Chamber and the Registry Chamber.
- The Durgău area, where the main entrance sits, is part of a nature reserve. Local transport: bus line 17.
Good to know
- A jacket or hoodie is essential, children included: in summer the difference from the surface can exceed 25 degrees. Comfortable shoes with good grip.
- Reaching the floor of the Rudolf Mine means 172 steps, 13 storeys. A panoramic lift is available.
- For a tourist visit, 2–3 hours cover the route plus one leisure activity. For a course of treatment the mine recommends the 9:00 to 14:00 window.
- Pets are not allowed and eating is prohibited underground.
- Visitors with heart conditions enter only with a medical recommendation. A ticket allows one entry per person per day.
Map location
Context: the investment programme approved for 2026 (16.92 million lei excluding VAT) includes making the mine safe and controlling water infiltration, worth 6.68 million lei. As of 1 August 2026 no access restriction had been announced for visitors.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee at Turda Salt Mine?
75 lei adult Mon–Fri / 90 lei Sat–Sun (rates displayed by the operator on 1 August 2026); seniors over 65 50/60 lei, children 3–18 48/59 lei, under 3 free; parking 10 lei/hour, Ferris wheel 35 lei per ride. Prices can change, so check the official information before visiting.
What are the opening hours at Turda Salt Mine?
Daily 09:00-18:00.
What is the temperature underground at Turda Salt Mine?
Underground it is A constant 11–12 °C underground all year round; relative humidity 73–82%, air movement practically nil.
Is Turda Salt Mine open in winter?
Open all year, every day; two entrances: Aleea Durgăului no. 7 (main, with car park) and Str. Salinelor no. 54B, the only one for visitors with reduced mobility, on a limited route; reaching the floor of the Rudolf Mine means 172 steps or the panoramic lift.
What do official sources say about speleotherapy at Turda Salt Mine?
Per the mine's own treatment centre: allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis, recurrent respiratory infections, mild to moderate asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD, eczema and atopic dermatitis; a visit does not replace medical treatment. A visit is not a substitute for medical treatment.