# Târgu Ocna Salt Mine

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Moldavia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/moldova) › [Bacău County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bacau) › [Târgu Ocna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/targu-ocna)

> One of Moldavia's oldest salt mines, still being worked: a bus takes you through a tunnel over 3 km long to 240 m below ground, to a salt church, a lake with a waterfall and sports courts.

**At a glance:** Salt mines in Târgu Ocna, Bacău County. Opening hours: daily 08:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 60 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 28 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 08:00 – 17:00 — Summer hours (August 2026): daily 08:00–17:00, last transport into the mine at 16:00. From 7 September, in October and in November 2026: daily 08:00–16:00, last transport at 15:00. Salrom publishes the hours month by month on its website; check before you go. The saltwater pool is open daily in the warm season, 10:00–20:00 (in September 2026, 09:00–19:00, until 15 September), in good weather only. Organised groups should announce their arrival in advance.
- **Ticket:** 60 lei — children and pupils 40 lei
- **Visit duration:** 1½ – 2 hours — including the bus ride
- **With kids:** Yes — playgrounds, go-karts
- **Best season:** All year round — 12 °C all year, bring a coat
- **Address:** Strada Salinei 12, Târgu Ocna, Bacău County
- **Coordinates:** 46.2876, 26.6034
- **Phone:** +40 234 341 341
- **Website:** https://salrom.ro/salina-tg-ocna-bacau/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A2rgu_Ocna_mine
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28726305
- **Categories:** [Salt mines](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salt-mines)

## About Târgu Ocna Salt Mine

Salt has been cut in the Trotuș valley for a very long time: the town's seal in the early 15th century already showed a salt cutter with a hammer in his hand, and under Stephen the Great the salt mines became a princely monopoly. For centuries the convicts known as "ocnași" also worked here, sent to cut salt and kept underground for days on end; for them Prince Grigore Ghica built a walled prison next to the mine in 1855, known as the "Convicts' Castle". Between 1870 and 1968 salt was extracted from huge trapezoidal chambers in the Carol I and Carol II mines, and in the 1980s the Unirea gallery was dug, fitted with a conveyor belt.

Unlike Turda or Slănic, the Târgu Ocna salt mine is still an active Salrom mine: salt is cut on the lower levels, while since 2005 visitors have had level IX of the Trotuș mine, fitted out for leisure and treatment. The air here, at a constant 12 °C, without draughts and rich in salt aerosols, is used for respiratory conditions. Between November 2024 and April 2025 the mine was closed after a few blocks of salt came away from the ceiling of a gallery, and it reopened after safety works.

### What you can see

The visit starts at the entrance of the Trotuș mine, where you board one of the mine's buses, which goes down a lit, spiralling tunnel over 3 km long to a depth of 240 m. Below open up tall, vaulted galleries with grey, banded salt walls, covering almost 10,000 square metres. The best known sight is **St Barbara's church**, made by the miners in 1992, with a wooden iconostasis of 24 icons and screens, pews and chandeliers carved from salt; its feast day is 4 December.

Further on are a salt lake with a waterfall, lit in colour, a small salt museum with tools and exhibits on mining, salt sculptures, five-a-side football, basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, go-karts and a performance hall. In summer, at the surface, in the mine's yard, there is also a saltwater swimming pool.

### Good to know

Underground it is 12 °C all year: bring a warm coat even in summer. Buses go down about every half hour, and the last one into the mine leaves an hour before closing.

## Don't miss

- The ride down in the mine's bus through the spiralling tunnel over 3 km long, to 240 m below ground.
- St Barbara's church, made by the miners in 1992, with an iconostasis, pews and chandeliers carved from salt.
- The salt lake with a waterfall, lit in colour, reflecting the salt walls.
- The vaulted galleries of level IX, their walls banded by the layers of salt.
- The salt museum, with tools and exhibits on mining at Târgu Ocna.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Târgu Ocna is on the DN12A, 14 km west of Onești; from Bacău it is ~60 km (DN11 to Onești, then the DN12A), from Brașov ~126 km (DN11 via Târgu Secuiesc and Oituz, then the DN12A). The mine is on Strada Salinei, north-west of the town centre towards the Vâlcele district.

**Public transport:** Târgu Ocna is on the Adjud – Siculeni railway. The nearest stop is the Saline halt, ~700 m from the mine entrance; from Târgu Ocna station it is ~2 km, on foot or by taxi.

### Where to park

There are a few car parks next to the mine entrance on Strada Salinei, and more spaces a little further down the same street, a few minutes' walk away. The parking fee is not given on the official website.

### Fees & discounts

Official Salrom prices (September 2026), per person per day: adults 60 lei, children and pupils 40 lei, students up to 26 50 lei, seniors over 65 45 lei, adults with disabilities 50 lei, children with disabilities 35 lei, their carer 50 lei; children under 3 go in free. Groups of at least 10 people of the same category: 50/35/45/40 lei, with one companion free. Pass of 5 entries within 7 days: 50/35/45/40 lei a day. The bus ride underground is included. Inside the mine: billiards 20 lei/30 min, table tennis 15 lei/30 min, minigolf 15 lei/hour, inflatable slides 15 lei/15 min, go-karts 10–30 lei, VR chair 20 lei. Saltwater pool: adults 60 lei, children and pupils 35 lei, students up to 26 and seniors over 65 45 lei; after 16:00, seniors pay 30 lei. Tickets also online, on Easy2visit and Eventim.

### Rules

Underground it is 12 °C all year: dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes. Pets are not allowed. Children under 3 go in with a recommendation from their family doctor or on the accompanying adult's responsibility. Follow the staff's instructions and the signs in the mine, which is still being worked. Professional photography and filming (weddings, albums, advertising) are charged separately, from 2,000 lei a day. Mud is not allowed at the pool. Organised groups should announce the date and time of arrival in advance, by phone or email, so that the mine can lay on extra buses.

### Facilities

Bus transport underground, included in the ticket · underground church · salt museum · food kiosk, terrace and souvenir shop underground · playgrounds, inflatable slides, go-karts, minigolf, billiards, table tennis · five-a-side football, basketball and tennis courts · gym space and first-aid point · at the surface, in summer: saltwater pool, showers, medical room, terrace

## Details

- **Depth:** 240 m
- **Inside temperature:** 12 °C
- **Mining period:** Middle Ages – present
- **Therapeutic uses:** respiratory conditions
- **Lift access:** No

## Frequently asked questions about Târgu Ocna Salt Mine

**How much is a ticket to Târgu Ocna Salt Mine?**

A ticket to Târgu Ocna Salt Mine costs 60 lei (children and pupils 40 lei). More under “Fees & discounts”.

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

Opening hours at Târgu Ocna Salt Mine: daily 08:00 – 17:00. More under “Opening hours”.

**How long does a visit to Târgu Ocna Salt Mine take?**

A visit to Târgu Ocna Salt Mine takes about 1½ – 2 hours (including the bus ride).

**Can you visit Târgu Ocna Salt Mine with kids?**

Yes, Târgu Ocna Salt Mine is suitable for children (playgrounds, go-karts).

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

Târgu Ocna Salt Mine is located at Strada Salinei 12, Târgu Ocna, Bacău County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Târgu Ocna Salt Mine?**

The best season for Târgu Ocna Salt Mine: All year round (12 °C all year, bring a coat).

## Nearby attractions

- [Cuvioasa Paraschiva Wooden Church in Târgu Ocna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cuvioasa-paraschiva-wooden-church-in-targu-ocna) — Churches · Târgu Ocna, BC · 20 min · 1 km
  A 17th-century wooden church, rebuilt in 1725 for the salt-mine workers and convicts of Târgu Ocna, with an iconostasis painted in 1833 and a bell tower with a bulb-shaped spire.
- [Slănic-Moldova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/slanic-moldova) — Resorts and thermal baths · Slănic-Moldova, BC · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 100 · 21 km
  A spa resort more than two centuries old in a narrow valley of the Nemira Mountains: numbered mineral springs you drink from for free, a park with shaded paths and the 1894 Art Nouveau Casino.
- [Cașin Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/casin-monastery) — Monasteries · Mănăstirea Cașin, BC · 45 min · 21 km
  A foundation of Prince Gheorghe Ștefan from 1655–1657: a dressed-stone church inside a walled enclosure with towers, near Onești; today a parish church.
- [Angustia Roman Fort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/angustia-roman-fort) — Monuments and historic sites · Brețcu, CV · 45 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 45 km
  The Roman fort at Brețcu, which guarded the entrance from the Oituz Pass into Roman Dacia, with the earth banks of its enclosure still clearly visible in the fields; part of the UNESCO site of the Dacian limes.
- [Precista Church (Dormition of the Mother of God)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/precista-church) — Churches · Bacău, BC · 30 min · 51 km
  The church built in 1489–1491 by Alexandru, son of Stephen the Great, on 9 Mai Street in Bacău: a trefoil plan, an octagonal tower and rows of brick niches, next to the ruins of the princely court.
- [Putna Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/putna-waterfall) — Waterfalls · Lepșa, VN · 2 lei · 45 min · 52 km
  A series of steps and potholes where the Putna river drops 14 m over about 80 m between sandstone walls, near Lepșa; a nature reserve since 1973, minutes from the DN2D.

## Featured in the guides

- [Salt mines in Romania: the complete guide to the salt mines you can visit](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/salt-mines-in-romania) — How many salt mines Romania has, which are open in 2026 and which is closed, ticket prices, depth and temperature: Turda, Slănic Prahova, Praid and more.
- [The largest, the deepest and the oldest salt mine in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/largest-salt-mine-in-romania) — Deepest: Târgu Ocna, 240 m. Largest halls: Slănic Prahova, 80,000 m². Tallest hall: Terezia (Turda), 90 m. Plus the oldest salt mine.
- [The nearest salt mine to Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Sibiu, Iași, Timișoara, Oradea, Constanța and other cities](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/nearest-salt-mine) — Slănic Prahova is 100 km from Bucharest, Turda 30 km from Cluj, Ocnele Mari 110 km from Sibiu, Cacica 165 km from Iași. Distances for 22 cities.
- [Salt mines with children and babies: from what age, which one suits, what to bring](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/salt-mine-with-children) — Under-3s go free into Romania's salt mines, with a doctor's note or on your responsibility. Where a pushchair fits, what kids do and what a family pays.
- [Turda or Slănic Prahova? Which salt mine to choose](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/turda-or-slanic-salt-mine) — Turda: underground park at 120 m, with a lift, 75 lei. Slănic: 14 halls 54 m high, at 208 m, 60 lei, 100 km from Bucharest. Praid closed in 2025.
- [Visiting a salt mine for the first time: temperature, clothing, how long, lift or bus, dogs](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/visiting-a-salt-mine) — It is 11–15 °C in a salt mine all year, 11–12 °C at Turda. Lift only at Turda, bus at Ocnele Mari and Târgu Ocna, 192 steps at Cacica. No dogs allowed.
- [Salt lakes and salt baths in Romania: where to swim, season and prices](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/salt-lakes-in-romania) — Ocna Sibiului, Lake Ursu, Durgău, Cojocna, Ocna Mureș, Ocna Șugatag, Telega, Techirghiol: the type, 2026 season and ticket at every salt bath.
- [Salt mine therapy in Romania: what the operators say, how long to stay, which mines have a treatment base](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/salt-mine-therapy) — Only Turda Salt Mine publishes the indications and contraindications of the cure and has a treatment base, in the Ghizela mine. Passes from 20–65 lei a day.

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Last updated: 28 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania