[dropcap type=”circle” color=”#ffffff” background=”#ef7f2c”]N[/dropcap]estled in a protected area in Turda, Romania is the only place where you can go see a concert, play soccer (football) ride a carousel underground, and take a nice relaxing swim in therapeutic mineral waters.
Prior to 1840, the Turda Salt Mine was one of the most important in Transylvania and was then eclipsed by the Ocna Mures mine. Salt was still being extracted at depth until 1862. Electricity was installed in the mine/shaft in 1910 and the extraction shaft was used as a cheese storage room from 1948-1992. Following this, it was opened to tourists and development began. The surrounding area is considered “protected” land and includes the mine, 140ha of developed land and spa (which was created in 1840 as salt baths).
Current recreation here includes:
- A ferris-wheel
- Mini-golf
- Bowling
- Boating in an underground lake
- An amphitheatre
- Playing Fields for multiple sports, etc.
- Pool and Table Tennis areas
Outside activities include:
- Salt Lakes
- Sunbathing/Swimming
To be clear, this article is not an ad for Salina Turda, it is simply here to take notice of how a company can take something as simple as a salt mine and turn it into a full tourist attraction. If you doubt the theming, examine the images below. They have taken what looked like an old, run down series of rooms and corridors and turned them into art pieces and themed locations within the tunnels.
There are many places like Salina Turda around the world that have not only “make the best of the situation” but used the history of a location to further push the boundaries of what we see as themed entertainment and installations.
Have you seen or know of a location like this? Let us know.
