About Slănic Prahova Salt Mine
Salt has been mined at Slănic for more than three centuries: in 1685 the high steward Mihail Cantacuzino bought the estate precisely for its salt deposit, and in 1688 he opened the first pit, in the Valea Verde. The Sistematica, Carol I and Mihai mines followed in turn, and in 1938 the Belgian engineer Maurice Bodart began the Unirea mine beneath them, which yielded salt until 1970, when work moved to the Victoria mine.
Unirea was cut in trapezoidal chambers, on the model of the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland: 14 linked halls, 10 m wide at the ceiling and over 30 m at the base, about 54 m high. 2.9 million cubic metres of salt were taken out, and the void left behind covers almost 80,000 m². The mine has been open to visitors since 1970, and its air, at 12–13 °C all year round, with higher pressure than at the surface and free of allergens, is used to treat respiratory conditions.
What you can see
You go down 208 m in the mine's minibuses, along a spiral ramp; the old lift has been out of use since 2014. At the bottom you find yourself in a row of huge halls, their salt walls streaked with grey bands and swirls, lit by lamps hanging high under the ceiling, where you can see the wooden balconies used to inspect the vault. In the Genesis Hall, Decebalus and Trajan are carved in salt, and other halls hold busts of Burebista and Mihai Eminescu and a bas-relief of Michael the Brave. There is also a small salt lake with a waterfall, a museum of mining machinery and a part of the mine fitted out with sports courts, go-karts, minigolf and play areas.
Good to know
Underground it is 12–13 °C even in August: bring a warm coat and closed shoes. Outside the holidays the mine is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and in summer and at weekends there are queues for the minibuses; come in the morning. Less than 1 km away, in the town, the Salt Mountain is also worth a look, a mass of salt exposed at the surface, with a lake known as the Bride's Grotto.
- The first view down the row of trapezoidal halls, over 50 m high, with lamps hanging beneath the ceiling.
- The salt sculptures in the Genesis Hall, with Decebalus and Trajan, and the bust of Eminescu.
- The banded, swirling salt walls, where you can see the folds of the deposit.
- The salt lake with its waterfall and the museum of old extraction machinery.
- The Salt Mountain and the Bride's Grotto, a short walk from the mine, in the town.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Slănic is ~100 km north of Bucharest: take the A3 or the DN1 to Ploiești (~1 hour), then ~40 km on county roads via Plopeni or Vălenii de Munte to the town (~45 minutes); the mine is on Strada Salinei, in the north of the town, signposted "Salina Unirea".
Public transport: train or bus from Bucharest to Ploiești, then the minibuses to Slănic, which leave roughly every half hour from the Ploiești Nord bus station (~1 hour), then on foot or by taxi to the mine, along Strada Salinei.
- Where to park
The car park is right in front of the Unirea Mining Complex, where the minibuses leave from; there are a few more small car parks along Strada Salinei towards the centre.
- Fees & discounts
Official Salrom prices (September 2026), per person per day: adults 60 lei; children and pupils aged 3–18 40 lei; students up to 26 50 lei; seniors over 65 45 lei; adults with disabilities 50 lei, minors with disabilities 35 lei, carers 50 lei; children under 3 free. Groups of at least 20 people of the same category: 50/35/45/40 lei, with one carer free. Pass of 5 entries within 7 days: 50/35/45/40 lei a day. Inside the mine: play area 25 lei/30 min, go-karts 10–40 lei, air hockey 15 lei/15 min, table tennis 15 lei/30 min, billiards 20 lei/30 min, minigolf 15 lei/30 min. Professional photography (weddings, graduations) costs from 2,000 lei a day + VAT. Tickets also online, on Easy2visit and Eventim.
- Rules
The descent and ascent are only by the mine's minibuses; follow the staff's instructions and the signs in the mine. Children under 3 enter with a family doctor's recommendation or at the accompanying adult's responsibility. Pets are not allowed. Professional or commercial photography and filming carry a separate fee. Underground it is 12–13 °C: dress warmly, even in summer. Organised groups should announce their arrival in advance, by phone or at slanic@salrom.ro.
- Facilities
Café, food shop and souvenir shop in the mine · rest area with loungers and beds for those who come for treatment · sports courts, play area with inflatable slides, trampoline, go-karts, 12-hole minigolf, table tennis, billiards, air hockey · salt lake with a waterfall and a mining museum · restaurant at the surface, by the entrance · weak mobile signal underground
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