Reading my articles has showed you, without a doubt, that I am very fond of unique experiences. I’ve had quite a few already, and I plan to have even more in the coming years. Next year – if I can find the time and the energy – I plan to spend a few days in a picturesque part of Europe, which is unfortunately off the tourist maps most of the time, exploring some of its less known wonders hidden underground.
The salt mines of Turda
Turda is a small town near Cluj Napoca, one of the most important university centers of Romania. While it was for a long time overshadowed by another salt mine of the country, it has quickly gained notoriety as one of the most spectacular underground attractions in Romania. The mine itself, which has been turned into a tourist attraction and a place of relief for respiratory issues, was producing table salt as early as a millennium ago.
“Spectacular” is the word I’d use to describe the wonders of this tourist attraction. People could spend days underground, wandering around in the vast man-made caverns, breathing in the healthy air. The resort offers a series of activities to explore, from rowing on an underground lake to simply sitting on a bench, using its free WiFi to read the news or play casino games while letting the air do its job. And it could be worth it even beyond the experience – a friend of mine who has spent a week there told me he didn’t even catch a cold in the next year and a half.
The ice cave of Scarisoara
An unsung wonder of the Romanian countryside, hidden between the mountains of Alba county, is the ice cave of Scarisoara. To reach the cave, you’ll have to drive – there’s no train, no bus to take you close to it. By car it can be reached at the end of a scenic drive, followed by a 10 minute walk in the woods. But once you get there, the wonder begins. First you’ll have to walk down over 200 steps into something that resembles a giant sinkhole. Once you get to the bottom, you’ll feel the change in the air: it’s cold. And when you enter the cave, you’ll find out why – it is filled with ice, even during the hottest days of the summer. And it’s amazing.
Once you’re in, you’ll be amazed of the dimensions of the Big Hall, from where you can visit the Church (with over 100 stalagmites made of ice) and the Little Reserve. There are other areas inside, but these are reserved for researchers and scientists. But the part you can see is amazing in itself.
