Salina Târgu Ocna

Troilus Salt Mine - Trotus Mine


Useful Information

Location: Salinei nr 12, Târgu Ocna 605600.
(46.287639, 26.603429)
Open: JUN to AUG daily 8-16.
Last entry 1h before closing.
[2021]
Fee: Mon-Fri: Adults RON 32, Children (3-) RON 18, Children (0-2) free, Students (-25) RON 18, Seniors RON 25.
Sat, Sun: Adults RON 35, Children (3-) RON 20, Children (0-2) free, Students (-25) RON 20, Seniors RON 30.
Groups (8+): Adults RON 28, Children (3-) RON 15, Children (0-2) free, Students (-25) RON 15.
[2021]
Classification: MineSalt Mine MineHalotherapy
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: T=12-13 °C, H=50 %.
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility:  
Bibliography: yes
Address: Salina Târgu Ocna, Societatea Națională a Sării S.A., Str: Salinei nr 12, Târgu Ocna 605600, Tel: +40-234-341-341. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1380 first written mention of the mining.
1870 Carol I mine opened.
28-SEP-1884 Adjud-Tg railway inaugurated.
1931 narrow-gauge railway lines installed.
1936 Moldova Noua mine opened.
1966 Trotus mine started.
1968 Carol II mine closed.
1985 opening of the "Unirea" gallery with conveyor belt.
1992 underground church built.
2005 Târgu Ocna Salt Mine opened to the public.
2016 Father Elisa Roncea was appointed priest of the church.

Geology


Description

Salina Târgu Ocna (Târgu Ocna Salt Mine) is an underground recreation centre in an abandoned salt mine. The mine contains a salt museum, a salt water lake and waterfall, gym, medical office, kiosk, terrace and souvenir shop, mini football fields, basketball, tennis, table tennis and billiards, mechanical games. There is a playground for children equipped with slides and swings. Older children will honour the wireless internet, TV, Orange and Vodafone coverage. The souvenir shops sell salt objects, personalized souvenirs and a multimedia show of Salina Târgu Ocna on CD-ROM. There is also a center for halotherapy in a separate section. There is no guided tour, the tickets are valid for the whole day. Visitors can enter the mine by coach, the center is more than 3 km underground drive from the entrance and 136 m below the entrance.

Above ground is a swimming pool with salt water or brine from the mine. There are showers, the doctor's office, a terrace and a shop.

The Trotus mine or Troilus Salt Mine is a working mine, currently the salt is mined on the levels X and XI. The tourism activity is concentrated on the ninth level. The salt is mined in the classical mining technique. Holes are drilled into the salt and filled with explosives. After the firing the broken salt is transported away and the cycle starts over again.

One of the highlights is definitely the underground muzeului sării (salt museum) which has exhibitions on the formation of the salt deposit, the development of salt mining and processing, and the halotherapy. There is an exhibition on local history and the development of the salt mining.

Another highlight is Biserica subterană Sfânta Varvara (Underground Church Saint Barbara). It is rather young, it was built in 1992 on the initiative of the employees of the mine. Nevertheless, it is the first underground Orthodox church in Europe. And as it is inside a mine it was dedicated to Saint Barbara, the patron saint of the miners. The iconostasis in front of the altar consists of 24 icons from 1924. On the left side is the icon of Saint Barbara and on the right side the icon of Sf. Cuv. Parascheva, the protector of Moldova. All icons and other items of the chapel were handcrafted by miners. Every year on the 04-DEC, the day of Saint Barbara, a service of honor and remembrance is celebrated by the employees of the unit, their families, the founders and inhabitants of the area. Since 2016 Father Elisa Roncea was appointed priest of the church. He established the church ordinances as in any other parish church, tourists and believers can attend to the Holy Mass every Saturday, Sunday, and Holiday. The Sacrament of the Holy Anointing and the service of Aghiezma are celebrated on Wednesday or Friday.