It is said that the history of the Turda Salt Mine starts about two thousand years ago during the Roman occupation on these territories when various forms of mining were introduced in Transylvania. 

But, as there aren’t enough documents or archeological proofs, we can say that salt mining in its real sense started somewhere in the 11th-13th century.

In its early beginnings, the salt mine in Turda was one of the most important on the territory of Transylvania. Starting 1840, the activity at the mine starts to decline and in 1932, the mine is totally closed. In the ’50s it was transformed intro a warehouse for cheese storage and in 1992 it was open for the first time for public visits. Fortunately, the mine entered a process of restoration in 2008 and it was reopened for tourists in 2010. It has been used ever since as a treatment base for various diseases but also for general visits. 

At about 13 km from the salt mine, there lies some of the most beautiful and impressive gorges in Romania – Turda Gorges, a Natural Reserve formed in about 150 million years due to the erosion of a water stream through the Jurassic limestones of the Trascau mountains. The gorges cover an area of 170 ha and have a length of about 2 km, an amazing habitat for more than 1000 species of plants, animals and insects.

We invite you, thus, to have a great Sibiu – Turda Salt Mine – Gorges (Turda) tour! We’ll discover together some of the most interesting natural wonders in Transylvania!

We’ll drive first to the salt mine in Turda. We’ll have to climb down around 13 floors but it will be quite spectacular (of course, you can choose to climb down the stairs of take the elevator). We’ll walk through some of the former mines and galleries and learn more about mining in the old times.

Down, in the main hall, there’s an entertainment area and a salt lake where you can even have a boat ride. The mine might be pretty busy as it also has a treatment base – the qualities of salt and its micro-climate offer perfect conditions for therapies in various diseases. 

After the visit at the salt mine, we’ll shortly drive till the Turda Gorges. We’ll have an enjoyable hike through the gorges along the river with amazing views and beautiful flora. 
Note: we’ll set together the length of the hike which can vary from 2-4 hours (easy/ medium level)

On our way back to Sibiu, we’ll drive through Rimetea village – a traditional Transylvanian-Hungarian village awarded Europa Nostra prize for restoration.