# Ocna Dej Salt Mine

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Cluj County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/cluj) › [Dej](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/dej)

> A working salt mine near Dej, where salt has been dug since Roman times, with an Orthodox church carved into the salt about 80 m down. Not currently open to visitors.

**At a glance:** Salt mines in Dej, Cluj County. Opening hours: closed. Information verified on 29 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** closed — Not open to visitors: the last schedule Salrom published for Ocna Dej (May–July 2024) says the mine "is not open for visits", and since 2025 the mine's page shows no schedule at all (checked September 2026). No opening date has been announced; check the official website or call the branch before travelling.
- **Address:** Strada Salinei 6, Dej, Cluj County
- **Coordinates:** 47.1142, 23.8611
- **Phone:** +40 264 213 206
- **Website:** https://salrom.ro/salina-ocna-dej-cluj/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salina_Ocna_Dej
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12740345
- **Categories:** [Salt mines](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saline)

## About Ocna Dej Salt Mine

At Ocna Dejului, south of the town of Dej and close to where the Little Someș meets the Great Someș, salt has been mined for nearly two thousand years. The Romans took it from surface pits, later abandoned and turned into salt lakes, and charters of the Hungarian kings from the 13th century already mention the salt works here: in 1248 Béla IV granted one of them to the bishopric of Eger. The salt left on rafts down the Someș and along a "salt road" to the west, and in 1478 the settlement was exempted from taxes and military duties.

After 1700 the salt was cut in bell-shaped mines, abandoned one after another because of water seeping in. The Ferdinand mine, opened in 1836, brought the large trapezoidal chambers, the railway arrived in 1882 and the mine was electrified in 1910. The 1 Mai mine followed, worked until 1979, and then the Transilvania mine, opened in the late 1970s and still worked by Salrom today. Where the old mines collapsed, subsidence cones and salt lakes have formed.

### What could be visited

The visitor area lies in the Transilvania mine, next to the galleries where salt is still being cut. It holds the Orthodox church dedicated to St Barbara, patron saint of miners, consecrated in 2000 and seating about 300 people. Its salt walls are carved with Brâncuși motifs, the belt and the Endless Column, the iconostasis is limewood in the Byzantine style, and four illuminated stained-glass windows give the impression of looking out to the surface. The underground leisure area has a football pitch, table-tennis tables, slides and swings.

### Good to know

The mine is not open to visitors: Salrom publishes no opening hours or prices for Ocna Dej, and its last schedule notice says the mine cannot be visited. No opening date has been announced; ask the branch before travelling.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Ocna Dejului is ~4 km south of the centre of Dej (~6 minutes); from Cluj-Napoca it is ~55 km on the DN1C via Apahida and Gherla (~1 hour). The entrance to the mine site is on Strada Salinei.

**Public transport:** Dej has a railway station (Dej Călători), with trains from Cluj-Napoca, Baia Mare, Bistrița and Suceava, and buses from Cluj-Napoca; the mine is ~5 km from the station.

### Fees & discounts

The mine is not open to visitors and no tickets are sold; Salrom lists no prices for Ocna Dej.

### Rules

The Transilvania mine is a working salt mine and the site has controlled access: you cannot enter without the consent of the Salrom Ocna Dej branch. For any question about a possible visit, contact the branch by phone or at ocnadej@salrom.ro.

## Details

- **Depth:** 80 m
- **Mining period:** Roman times – present

## Frequently asked questions about Ocna Dej Salt Mine

**What are the opening hours of Ocna Dej Salt Mine?**

Opening hours at Ocna Dej Salt Mine: closed. Not open to visitors: the last schedule Salrom published for Ocna Dej (May–July 2024) says the mine "is not open for visits", and since 2025 the mine's page shows no schedule at all (checked September 2026). No opening date has been announced; check the official website or call the branch before travelling.

**How do I get to Ocna Dej Salt Mine?**

Ocna Dej Salt Mine is located at Strada Salinei 6, Dej, Cluj County. By car: Ocna Dejului is ~4 km south of the centre of Dej (~6 minutes); from Cluj-Napoca it is ~55 km on the DN1C via Apahida and Gherla (~1 hour). The entrance to the mine site is on Strada Salinei. Public transport: Dej has a railway station (Dej Călători), with trains from Cluj-Napoca, Baia Mare, Bistrița and Suceava, and buses from Cluj-Napoca; the mine is ~5 km from the station.

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Last updated: 29 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania