Not as bad as it sounds (Turda ~ Romania)

October 2019

The primary reason for visiting here was to check out another salt mine - Salina Turda and to do a walk in the nearby Turda Gorge.

Salina Turda is simply massive. The main chamber is 80m long, 50 wide and 40m tall - but that doesn't really explain why mini-golf, bowling alley, auditorium, pool tables and Ferris Wheel are installed here. Still makes for a cool place to visit.  Whilst waiting for the bus to take us into the mine decided to try a local favourite - Langos. It's a piece of deep fried dread dough smothered into garlic sauce, cheesecake bacon bits.

These are the original staircase leading to the lower levels and over time salt gas encrusted all of the woodwork.

The ferris wheel, amphitheatre and table tennis courts from above.

The adjacent chamber, Terezia, dates back to the 1800s when the mining technique was to lower a rope down from the top and excavate downwards rather than sideways. This gave rise to a very deep conical shaped mine which eventually was abandoned due to water infiltration.

What to do with a salt mine full of water? Simple - turn it into a boating attraction.

Above this chamber is the old horse powered windlass that was used to lower and raise a buffalo skin bag. For the horses that worked here it was a less than pleasant existence because when they exited the mine every day their dark adapted eyes were suddenly, exposed to sunlight meaning that they went blind in about two weeks and were "were put out to pasture" after 6 months in the mine.

About 15kms west of Turda is the Turda gorge (aka Cheile Turzii) which is has some dramatic scenery as the river cuts it's way though the limestone landscape. Great day walk out here but in the base of the gorge it was so cold ended up wearing multiple layers and gloves.

Within Rome there is a famous statue of a wolf suckling two human babies - Romulus and Remus. In Turda, and scattered throughout Romania, are many  replicas of this statue -  in recognition of the Romania's Latin origins.