When you think of Transylvania, you imagine an idyllic, picturesque place, hidden behind the Carpathians with villages and old towns spread between valleys and woody hills. But Transylvania was always in the way of the enemies, an entrance gate in Europe. Transylvania is famous due to its wonderful medieval castles and old towns.
This tour includes two of the most fascinating sights in Transylvania: the salt mine in Turda and the beautiful city of Cluj.
Turda Salt Mine was dug during Middle Ages for salt exploitation, the first document mentioning the salt mine goes back into the 13th century even though there are opinions saying that Romans were actually the first ones to extract salt in this area. Lots of extractions took place also during the Habsbourg and Austro-Hungarian period.
Today, Turda Salt Mine is one of the most visited sights in Romania. There are several galleries we can visit, an underground lake and a recreation area as the Turda Salt Mine micro-climate has a proper behaviour that provides conditions for rehabilitation therapies.
Turda_Salt_Mine
Cluj Napoca is one of the biggest and most important cities in Romania. It has a rich and diversified history and it became through the centuries a mosaic of ethnic groups and religions, a symbol of architecture.
Cluj is one of the most important university centres in Romania, in 2015 being European Capital of Youth. Today it is a cultural hub with countless landmark monuments to be discovered!
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The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
The tour includes:
A visit at the salt mine in Turda
A walking tour in the old town of Cluj Napoca
Cluj Napoca
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What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
The tour doesn’t include, but at your request we may add other visits:
A walking tour in Alba Iulia
A visit in the village of Rimetea (Europa Nostra Award for restauration)
One of the coolest underground places in the world | Business Insider
It is said that the story of the Turda salt mine started about 2000 years ago during the Roman times. Yes, the first official documents mentioning about the salt mine go back into the 13th century. In the following centuries, during the Hungarian and Austro-Hungarian times it became one of the most important salt mines in Transylvania.
Unfortunately, after World War 1, because of little productivity, the mine was closed but it started to serve for various other purposes: cheese storage place and even bomb shelter during World War 2.
In 2008, after a long process of modernisation, the salt mine in Turda became one of the most famous tourist attractions in Romania, an amazing combination of history, entertainment and innovative medical procedures.
The salt mine has 13 underground floors with a sort of an amusement park, a large amphitheatre, a bowling alley, a mini-golf course and… even an underground lake you can explore on a paddle boat. That’s quite an experience!
Cluj Napoca is one of the biggest and most important cities in Romania. What is quite interesting is that, geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (324 km/ 201 miles), Budapest (351 km/ 218 miles) and Belgrade (322 km/ 200 miles). The city is considered the unofficial capital to the historical province of Transylvania as from 1790 to 1848 and from 1861 to 1867, it was the official capital of the Grand Principality of Transylvania.
Like all the other towns in Transylvania, Cluj has quite a rich and complicated history; due to its various influences, Cluj became, in time, an important cultural, political and religious centre. Today, the city is one of the most important academic, cultural, industrial and business centres in Romania. Among other institutions, it hosts the country’s largest university; nationally renowned cultural institutions; as well as the largest Romanian-owned commercial bank. Cluj-Napoca held the titles of European Youth Capital in 2015 and European City of Sport in 2018.
Adela is fun, knowledgeable, easy to work with and calm under pressure. We toured with her on a day with unusually heavy rainfall and ran into flooding as we returned to Sibiu. She rerouted, got us back safely, and never lost her cool. Our group has traveled with several drivers, and she was by far the safest ( by American standards) that we have ever had. She also taught us more about Romania than anyone we’ve ever toured with. You will not be disappointed if you book a trip with her!
Adela is fun, knowledgeable, easy to work with and calm under pressure. We toured with her on a day with unusually heavy rainfall and ran into flooding as we returned to Sibiu. She rerouted, got us back safely, and never lost her cool. Our group has traveled with several drivers, and she was by far the safest ( by American standards) that we have ever had. She also taught us more about Romania than anyone we’ve ever toured with. You will not be disappointed if you book a trip with her!