# Cacica Salt Mine

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Bukovina](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/bucovina) › [Suceava County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/suceava) › [Cacica](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/cacica)

> A salt mine opened by the Austrians in 1791 with miners brought from Galicia: 192 fir steps lead down to a chapel carved in salt, a salt lake and a ballroom 42 m below ground.

**At a glance:** Salt mines in Cacica, Suceava County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 38 lei. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 26 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 09:00 – 17:00 — Opening hours are set month by month on the Salrom website: in summer (August–September 2026) daily 09:00–17:00; in October 2026 closed on Mondays; in winter usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Check the month of your visit before setting off. The saltwater pool is open in summer daily 10:00–19:00, in good weather only. Organised groups should book ahead by phone or e-mail.
- **Ticket:** 38 lei — children 25 lei; seniors 30 lei
- **Visit duration:** 1 – 1½ hours — 192 steps down and back up
- **With kids:** Yes — under 3 free; lots of steps
- **Best season:** All year round — saltwater pool in summer only
- **Address:** Strada Republicii 9, Cacica, Suceava County
- **Coordinates:** 47.635, 25.898
- **Phone:** +40 725 890 889
- **Website:** https://salrom.ro/salina-cacica-suceava/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacica_mine
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16256030
- **Categories:** [Salt mines](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saline)

## About Cacica Salt Mine

Salt was boiled out of the brine springs around Cacica as far back as the Neolithic, and excavations here found traces of one of the oldest brine salt works in Europe, from the 5th millennium BC. The mine itself is much younger: after Bukovina came under Austrian rule, Vienna looked for its own source of salt, and a shaft dug in 1790 struck the deposit. The mine went into production in 1791, with miners brought mainly from Galicia, from Wieliczka and Bochnia, Polish Roman Catholics whose descendants still live in the village.

Unlike the big salt mines turned into amusement parks, Cacica has stayed an old, small, hand-dug mine, with narrow galleries and halls carved without machinery. The visitor route, open to the public since the mid-19th century, runs through the upper levels of the mine; salt is still produced today, but by dissolving it from boreholes rather than with pickaxes.

### What you can see

You enter through the extraction shaft building, which houses a small mine museum, and go down a spiral staircase of 192 fir steps, over two centuries old and mineralised by the brine. At 29 m you reach the chapel of Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners, carved in the early 19th century by the Catholic miners, with an altar and pulpit cut from salt; on 4 December, Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic priests hold a service here together. Further down, the gallery walls bear reliefs and icons sculpted in salt.

Before the ballroom, at 39 m, you pass the salt lake, over 2 m deep, and at 42 m the ballroom opens up, framed by balconies cut into the salt, where parties were once held. The route also takes in the Dwarfs' Grotto, an echo chamber and an underground football pitch.

### Good to know

There is no lift for visitors: you walk down and back up the 192 damp, steep steps. Underground it is about 14 °C all year, so bring a jacket and shoes with good grip. In summer, a saltwater open-air pool operates next to the mine.

## Don't miss

- The chapel of Saint Barbara, 29 m down, with its altar and pulpit carved in salt by miners two centuries ago.
- The spiral staircase of 192 fir steps, mineralised by the brine, that takes you down into the mine.
- The underground salt lake, over 2 m deep, just before the ballroom.
- The ballroom at 42 m, with balconies cut straight into the salt massif.
- The reliefs and icons sculpted into the salt walls of the galleries.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Cacica is in Bukovina, 19 km north-east of Gura Humorului on the DN2E (Păltinoasa – Cacica – Solca, ~25 minutes). From Suceava it is ~35 km (~45 minutes), on the DN17 towards Gura Humorului and then on county roads, or ~50 km on the DN17 to Păltinoasa and then the DN2E; from Rădăuți ~30 km (~40 minutes), from Iași ~165 km (~3 hours). The mine is in the village centre, on Strada Republicii, near the Marian Sanctuary basilica; it combines easily with the Voroneț, Humor and Sucevița monasteries.

**Public transport:** the nearest railway station is in Gura Humorului (Suceava – Vatra Dornei line); from there, take a minibus towards Solca via Cacica or a taxi. There are also minibuses from Suceava to Cacica, but they are infrequent; check the timetable beforehand.

### Where to park

Maps show a car park next to the mine entrance and a few more in the village centre, by the basilica, 300–400 m away. The parking fee is not given on the official website.

### Fees & discounts

Official prices (September 2026), per person per day: adults 38 lei; children and pupils aged 3–18 25 lei; students up to 26 33 lei; seniors over 65 30 lei; adults with disabilities and their carer 31 lei, children with disabilities 17 lei; under 3 free. Groups: adults 33 lei, pupils 20 lei, students 28 lei, seniors 25 lei, with one free entry per 10 pupil tickets or per 20 other tickets. Passes of at least 5 days: 33/20/28/25 lei a day. Saltwater pool: adults 33 lei, children 15 lei a day. Professional photography costs from 2,000 lei a day + VAT. Tickets can also be bought online on Easy2visit and Eventim; they are valid for a single entry per day, and licensed tour guides go in free.

### Rules

Access is only by the 192-step wooden staircase, so the mine is not suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs or anyone who finds climbing difficult. Children under 3 need a note from their GP or enter at the accompanying adult's responsibility. No pets. Follow the staff's instructions and the signs; professional or commercial photography and filming are charged separately. Bringing or using mud at the saltwater pool is forbidden. Dress warmly: it is about 14 °C underground.

### Facilities

Small mine museum in the shaft building · souvenir shop, open on visiting days · the "Cafea la sare by Salrom" café, with shorter hours outside summer · saltwater pool with showers and toilets · underground football pitch and echo chamber · no lift, stairs only

## Details

- **Depth:** 42 m
- **Inside temperature:** 14 °C
- **Mining period:** since 1791
- **Lift access:** No

## Frequently asked questions about Cacica Salt Mine

**How much is a ticket to Cacica Salt Mine?**

A ticket to Cacica Salt Mine costs 38 lei (children 25 lei; seniors 30 lei). Official prices (September 2026), per person per day: adults 38 lei; children and pupils aged 3–18 25 lei; students up to 26 33 lei; seniors over 65 30 lei; adults with disabilities and their carer 31 lei, children with disabilities 17 lei; under 3 free. Groups: adults 33 lei, pupils 20 lei, students 28 lei, seniors 25 lei, with one free entry per 10 pupil tickets or per 20 other tickets. Passes of at least 5 days: 33/20/28/25 lei a day. Saltwater pool: adults 33 lei, children 15 lei a day. Professional photography costs from 2,000 lei a day + VAT. Tickets can also be bought online on Easy2visit and Eventim; they are valid for a single entry per day, and licensed tour guides go in free.

**What are the opening hours of Cacica Salt Mine?**

Opening hours at Cacica Salt Mine: daily 09:00 – 17:00. Opening hours are set month by month on the Salrom website: in summer (August–September 2026) daily 09:00–17:00; in October 2026 closed on Mondays; in winter usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Check the month of your visit before setting off. The saltwater pool is open in summer daily 10:00–19:00, in good weather only. Organised groups should book ahead by phone or e-mail.

**How long does a visit to Cacica Salt Mine take?**

A visit to Cacica Salt Mine takes about 1 – 1½ hours (192 steps down and back up).

**Can you visit Cacica Salt Mine with kids?**

Yes, Cacica Salt Mine is suitable for children (under 3 free; lots of steps).

**How do I get to Cacica Salt Mine?**

Cacica Salt Mine is located at Strada Republicii 9, Cacica, Suceava County. By car: Cacica is in Bukovina, 19 km north-east of Gura Humorului on the DN2E (Păltinoasa – Cacica – Solca, ~25 minutes). From Suceava it is ~35 km (~45 minutes), on the DN17 towards Gura Humorului and then on county roads, or ~50 km on the DN17 to Păltinoasa and then the DN2E; from Rădăuți ~30 km (~40 minutes), from Iași ~165 km (~3 hours). The mine is in the village centre, on Strada Republicii, near the Marian Sanctuary basilica; it combines easily with the Voroneț, Humor and Sucevița monasteries. Public transport: the nearest railway station is in Gura Humorului (Suceava – Vatra Dornei line); from there, take a minibus towards Solca via Cacica or a taxi. There are also minibuses from Suceava to Cacica, but they are infrequent; check the timetable beforehand.

**When is the best time to visit Cacica Salt Mine?**

The best season for Cacica Salt Mine: All year round (saltwater pool in summer only).

## Nearby attractions

- [Humor Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-humor) — Monasteries and churches · Mănăstirea Humorului, SV · ½ – 1 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 7 km
  The church built in 1530 by chancellor Toader Bubuiog under Petru Rareș, painted outside in shades of red, with an open porch and Vasile Lupu's tower; a UNESCO site.
- [Arbore Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-arbore) — Monasteries and churches · Arbore, SV · 45 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 15 km
  The church built in 1502 by Hetman Luca Arbore, with no tower and exterior frescoes from 1541 dominated by green; a UNESCO site, today the church of Arbore Monastery.
- [Voroneț Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-voronet) — Monasteries and churches · Voroneț, SV · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 · 17 km
  The church founded by Stephen the Great in 1488, painted on the outside with the Last Judgment on a background of "Voroneț blue"; a UNESCO site near Gura Humorului.
- [Sucevița Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-sucevita) — Monasteries and churches · Sucevița, SV · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 28 km
  The Movilă family's fortified monastery, built in the 1580s among the hills of Bukovina, with a church painted almost entirely inside and out and the famous "Ladder of Virtues"; a UNESCO site.
- [Ciumârna Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasul-ciumarna) — Scenic roads · Suceava County · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 31 km
  The ~1,100 m pass where the DN17A crosses the Obcina Mare ridge between Vatra Moldoviței and Sucevița, with hairpins through spruce forest, wide views over the Bukovina hills and the road builders' “Palm” monument.
- [Pătrăuți Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-patrauti) — Monasteries and churches · Pătrăuți, SV · UNESCO World Heritage · 32 km
  The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, built by Stephen the Great in 1487: his oldest surviving foundation, with the "Cavalcade of the Holy Cross" fresco; a UNESCO site near Suceava.

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Last updated: 26 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania