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Visiting a salt mine for the first time: temperature, clothing, how long, lift or bus, dogs

The chapel of Saint Barbara in the mine: the altar with its red carpet, the chandelier and the vaulted ceiling cut in salt
The chapel of Saint Barbara in the mine: the altar with its red carpet, the chandelier and the vaulted ceiling cut in salt · Tomasz Kuran aka Meteor2017 · CC BY 2.5

In a salt mine it is between 11 and 15 °C all year round, the same in winter as in August: 11–12 °C at Turda Salt Mine, with humidity above 75%, 12 °C at Târgu Ocna, 12–13 °C at Slănic Prahova, around 14 °C at Cacica, 13–15 °C at Ocnele Mari. You go down by lift only at Turda; at Slănic, Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna a minibus or bus run by the mine takes you down, and at Cacica you walk down and back up 192 wooden steps. A visit takes between an hour and a half and two and a half hours, and pets are not allowed into any salt mine.

Below, each question you have before your first descent is taken in turn, salt mine by salt mine: how to dress, what to pack, how long you stay, where you go in and how you get down, what to do with the dog, where to get a ticket and what winter is like. Current opening hours and prices are on the page of each salt mine; the rules for small children and pushchairs are in the guide to salt mines with children.

In short

  • In the open salt mines it is 11–15 °C all year round: 11–12 °C at Turda, 12 °C at Târgu Ocna, 12–13 °C at Slănic Prahova, around 14 °C at Cacica, 13–15 °C at Ocnele Mari.
  • You go down by lift only at Turda Salt Mine, where you can also take the stairs; at Slănic Prahova the minibus takes you down, at Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna the mine's bus, and at Cacica there are 192 steps and no lift.
  • The visit takes about an hour and a half at Cacica, two hours at Târgu Ocna and two and a half hours at Turda, Slănic Prahova and Ocnele Mari, plus the wait for the lift or bus.
  • Pets are not allowed into any salt mine; at Turda only guide dogs are admitted, with a certificate, a muzzle and a harness.
  • Tickets can also be bought online: for Turda at bilete.salinaturda.eu, for the Salrom salt mines on Easy2visit and Eventim; a ticket is valid for a single entry per day.
  • In November 2026 Turda and Târgu Ocna are open daily, Slănic Prahova and Cacica from Wednesday to Sunday, and Ocnele Mari only from Friday to Sunday; Praid Salt Mine has been closed since May 2025.

Temperature, the way down and how long a visit takes in each salt mine

The table answers the questions you have before your first visit all at once, for the five salt mines open to visitors in 2026. The figures come from the salt mines' official pages and from their pages on this site; where the operator does not publish something, it says ‘not published’. Each column has its own section below, with the details.

Salt mineTemperatureHumidityHow you go downLift or stepsDurationPets
Turda Salt Mine11–12 °Cabove 75%lift or stairs, from the Durgău entrancein the Rudolf mine, panoramic lift or 172 steps~2 h 30no; guide dogs only
Slănic Prahova Salt Mine12–13 °C50–60%the mine's minibus, down to 208 mno lift (out of use since 2014)~2 h 30, plus the queue for the minibusno
Ocnele Mari Salt Mine13–15 °C~50%the mine's bus, ~10 minutes through a tunnelno lift, no steps to go down~2 h 30, plus the busno
Târgu Ocna Salt Mine12 °C~50%the mine's bus, a tunnel more than 3 km long, down to 240 mno lift, no steps to go down~2 h, with the busno
Cacica Salt Mine~14 °Cnot publishedon foot, down the wooden staircase192 steps, down and back up, no lift~1 h 30no

Temperature, humidity and the rule on pets from the Salrom and salinaturda.eu websites, checked in October 2026; the temperature and humidity at Turda from the salt mine's page. The duration is the approximate one given on the salt mines' pages. Praid Salt Mine has been closed since May 2025, and Ocna Dej does not admit visitors.

What the temperature is in a salt mine: Turda, Slănic, Ocnele Mari, Târgu Ocna, Cacica

Underground, the temperature does not follow the seasons. Salrom writes of each of its salt mines that it has a constant microclimate: 12 °C at Târgu Ocna, 12–13 °C at Slănic Prahova, around 13–15 °C at Ocnele Mari, around 14 °C at Cacica. At Turda Salt Mine it is 11–12 °C, the coldest of them, with humidity above 75%; for Slănic, Salrom gives 50–60%, for Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna around 50%, and for Cacica it does not publish the humidity.

The difference between the salt mines is small, the one with the outside is large: in summer you go down from the heat outside to 11–15 °C, in winter you come up from a place warmer than the street. Since you spend two hours in the same cold, your clothing matters more than the salt mine you choose. At Praid Salt Mine, which is closed, the temperature no longer matters for visitors: the mine has been flooded since May 2025.

What to take to a salt mine: clothes, shoes, documents

  • Clothes in layers, for 11–15 °C: a jacket or a thick jumper over what you wear outside, long trousers.
  • Closed shoes with grippy soles: the floors are damp, and at Cacica the wooden steps are damp and steep.
  • Your identity document or pupil or student card, if you ask for a reduced ticket: discounts are given only with documents.
  • A doctor's note, at Turda, for people over 65 and for children under 3 (the rule on the official website). At the Salrom salt mines, children under 3 go in with a doctor's recommendation or on the adult's responsibility.
  • Cash: down below, the leisure activities are often paid for in cash only, and the mobile signal is weak.
  • Food, depending on the place: at Turda eating is not allowed in the salt mine; at Slănic, Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna there are cafés, kiosks or a restaurant underground.

With a small child, the full list is in the guide to salt mines with children.

How long a salt mine visit takes and the route at Turda

The approximate duration given on the salt mines' pages: an hour and a half at Cacica; two hours at Târgu Ocna, including the bus ride; two and a half hours at Slănic Prahova, Ocnele Mari and Turda. At Slănic add the queue for the minibuses, at Ocnele Mari the bus, which leaves every 30 minutes, and at Turda the waiting at the Ferris wheel, the boats and the lift.

The route at Turda, from the Durgău entrance: you go down into the Franz Josef Gallery, pass the Crivac Hall and go through the Iosif mine, the ‘hall of echoes’, reach the balcony of the Rudolf mine, go down to the floor of the hall, then lower still, into the Terezia mine, to the lake with boats.

Count your time from the last descent, not from closing time: at Turda the last entry is 40 minutes before, at the Salrom salt mines the last transport leaves one to one and a half hours before (the October 2026 opening hours).

Salt mine with a lift, by bus or by the stairs

Turda Salt Mine is the only one with a lift. From the Durgău entrance you go down by lift or by stairs to the Franz Josef Gallery, and in the Rudolf mine, where the official website says you go down 13 storeys, you choose between the panoramic lift and 172 steps. The mine's rules, however, state that access ‘is by the stairs’, that the lifts are optional and that the mine can stop them at any time, if safety requires it; the ticket is not refunded for this.

Slănic Prahova used to have a lift, out of use since 2014; today you go down to 208 m only in the mine's minibuses, along a spiral ramp. At Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna the mine's bus takes you down, included in the ticket, so there are no steps to go down. At Cacica there is no lift: access is only by the wooden staircase with 192 steps, which you also climb on the way back.

For pushchairs and wheelchairs, see the guide to salt mines with children.

Getting into Turda Salt Mine, Slănic and the others: where you go in

  • Turda has two entrances. The new entrance, on Aleea Durgăului 7, has a car park and lifts; on your GPS search for ‘Salina Turda Durgău’. The old entrance, on Strada Salinelor 54B, is about 20 minutes' walk from the centre, through the Franz Josef Gallery; according to the official website, people with neuromotor disabilities go in this way, with access to only some of the levels.
  • Slănic Prahova: you go in at the Unirea Mining Complex, on Strada Salinei 1, where the minibuses leave from.
  • Ocnele Mari: the visit starts at the leisure base on Strada Pinilor 65; on your GPS search for ‘Salina Ocnele Mari’, not ‘Salina veche’.
  • Târgu Ocna: you board the bus at the entrance of the Trotuș mine, on Strada Salinei 12.
  • Cacica: you go in through the extraction shaft building, on Strada Republicii 9.
  • Praid: access to the mining area and to the Salt Canyon is prohibited; only the lido next to the salt mine operates, in summer.

The way there from each city: the guide to the nearest salt mine.

Salt mines and pets: can you bring your dog?

No. The Salrom pages of the Slănic Prahova, Ocnele Mari, Târgu Ocna and Cacica salt mines all say the same: access with pets is prohibited. At Turda Salt Mine, the access page of the official website says the same.

The only exception is at Turda, in the visitor rules: the guide dog of a person with a disability. There are several conditions: proof of the dog's training (a certificate or identity card), a muzzle, a harness or vest, a short lead, materials for picking up after it, and the dog cannot be of a breed banned by law. Salrom publishes no exception for guide dogs; if you have one, phone the salt mine beforehand.

With a dog in the car, in summer, do not leave it there for the length of the visit: plan with someone who stays outside with it.

Salt mine tickets online: Turda and the Salrom salt mines

You can buy the ticket at the ticket desk too, but online you skip a queue:

  • Turda Salt Mine: at bilete.salinaturda.eu, linked from the official website. At weekends and in the holidays it is the option that shortens the wait.
  • The Salrom salt mines (Slănic Prahova, Ocnele Mari, Târgu Ocna, Cacica): on Easy2visit and Eventim, with links from the page of each salt mine on salrom.ro.

The ticket is per person and valid for a single entry per day: if you leave, you cannot go back in with it. Discounts (children, pupils, students, seniors) are given only with the document that proves them, so take it with you even when your ticket is on your phone. Current prices are on the page of each salt mine, and they are compared in the guide to Romania's salt mines.

Salt mines in winter: Turda, Slănic and Praid in the cold season

In winter it is as cold underground as in summer, so warmer than outside: 11–15 °C. The warm clothes you arrive in are enough; only your shoes need to be non-slip, especially on the snow at the entrance.

What changes is the opening hours. According to Salrom's announcements for November 2026, Târgu Ocna stays open daily, Slănic Prahova and Cacica are open from Wednesday to Sunday, and Ocnele Mari only from Friday to Sunday, with extra open days on 30 November and 1 December. Turda is open daily all year round. Slănic also closes on some public holidays, such as 1 January and Christmas. Salrom publishes its opening hours month by month, so check the month of your visit on the salt mine's page.

Praid in winter is not an option: the salt mine has been closed since May 2025, with no reopening date at the end of October 2026. The details are in the Praid section of the salt mines guide.

Salt mines you cannot go into and places that are not salt mines

Two names come up often in searches but do not admit visitors: Praid Salt Mine, closed after the flood, and Ocna Dej Salt Mine, an active mine that Salrom does not open to visitors.

The salt baths at Ocna Sibiului, Lake Ursu in Sovata or the Durgău Salt Lakes next to Turda Salt Mine are not salt mines: you swim outdoors, in summer, so the questions about temperature and clothes have a different answer. They are in the guide to salt baths and salt lakes. The salt rooms in towns, sometimes called ‘artificial salt mines’, are rooms lined with salt, with no going underground. The difference is explained in the salt mines guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the temperature in Turda Salt Mine?
Turda Salt Mine is 11–12 °C all year round, with humidity above 75%. It is the coldest of the open salt mines: take a jacket and shoes with grippy soles even in August.
What is the temperature in Slănic Prahova Salt Mine?
A constant 12–13 °C, with humidity of 50–60%, according to the Salrom website (October 2026). Târgu Ocna is 12 °C, Cacica around 14 °C, Ocnele Mari 13–15 °C.
How long does a visit to Turda Salt Mine take?
About two and a half hours, longer if you stop at the Ferris wheel and the boats or queue for the lift at weekends. The last entry is at 16:20 (October 2026 opening hours).
Which salt mine has a lift?
Only Turda Salt Mine, where the lift is optional and can be stopped; you can also take the stairs. At Slănic Prahova the lift has been out of use since 2014 and you go down by minibus, at Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna by the mine's bus, at Cacica down 192 steps.
Can I take my dog into a salt mine?
No. Pets are not allowed into Turda Salt Mine or into the Salrom salt mines (Slănic Prahova, Ocnele Mari, Târgu Ocna, Cacica). At Turda only guide dogs are admitted, with a certificate, a muzzle and a harness.
What should I take to a salt mine?
Clothes for 11–15 °C, in layers, closed shoes with grippy soles, your document for the reduced ticket and cash for the activities underground. At Turda, people over 65 and children under 3 need a doctor's note.
Where can I buy Turda Salt Mine tickets online?
At bilete.salinaturda.eu, linked from the official website. For the Salrom salt mines, online tickets are sold on Easy2visit and Eventim. A ticket is valid for a single entry per day.
Is Turda Salt Mine open in winter?
Yes, Turda Salt Mine is open daily all year round, and down below it is still 11–12 °C. Of the Salrom salt mines, in November 2026 Târgu Ocna is open daily, Slănic Prahova and Cacica Wednesday–Sunday, Ocnele Mari Friday–Sunday.

Sources

All guides