Slanic Prahova is one of the most exciting travel destinations in Romania. The town is located 45 km NE of Ploiesti and it is famous for hosting the “Unirea Salt Mine”, which is the largest salt mine in Europe.

The name of the mine “Unirea” Means in Romanian “Unification”. The mine is a health spa formed of 14 rooms which host a sanatorium for the treatment of respiratory diseases. The entire area of the mine is 78000 square meters with an excavated space of 2.9 millions cubic meters of salt.

The mine was opened in 1938 and in 1970 it became touristic attraction, modified to host both visitors and patients. I certainly hope you will never have to visit the mine as a patient, but as a tourist. This is certainly a destination to remember.

To reach the “heart” of the mine you descend 208 meters. Wear clothes suitable for 12°C – a temperature constant all year round. In the mine you will be able to admire the works of sculptor Iustin Nastase – sculpture in salt – exhibited in “Genesis” one of the 14 rooms of the mine. The sculptures depict relevant elements of the Romanians’ Dacian and Roman ancestry.

Not far from the Unirea Salt Mine, there is Mihai – a second salt mine even older than Unirea. Mihai was named after Romanian ruler Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul) who was the first to unify the three Romanian provinces of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia in 1600.

The mine was opened first in 1912. Till 1942 when Unirea was officially opened more than 462000 cubic meters of salt had been excavated. The Mihai Salt Mine was also the first salt mine in Romania illuminated with electric lighting.

In 1994 both mines suffered severe damages because of salt dissolution under pluvial waters. From the two, Unirea was damaged the most. It took four years to evacuate the water and to completely drain the flooded mine. The site was reopened in the summer of 1998.

Slanic Prahova is not famous only for its salt mine, but also for the salt lakes and the picturesque landscapes surrounding it.

The 7 lakes: Baia Baciului, Baia Verde (3 lakes with the same name), Lacul Miresei (The Bride’s Lake), Baia Rosie and Baia Porcilor (Pig’s Lake) have a high level of salinity (80 ÷275 g / l). Bathing in the lakes is recommended for the treatment of degenerative and abarticular rheumatic diseases, post-traumatic conditions (after sprains, fractures of the limb bones), peripheral neurological (light paresis, condition after polyneuritis, old poliomyelitis sequels), gynecological disorders , respiratory disorders , dermathological diseases (psoriasis), vascular diseases and more.

Other tourist objectives are the Salt Mountain, the Bride’s Cave and the Colt’s Small Hill. The Bride’s Cave is now partially collapsed due to rain erosion, but its legend kept its beauty.

A beautiful maiden, in love with a poor shepherd, was forced by her parents to marry a rich boy. The legend says that in the day of the wedding the bride ran away and threw herself from the salt mountain into the lake that’s known today as the Bride’s Lake. The lake where she first met the shepherd is called Baia Baciului (The Shepherd’s Lake).

The health resort at Slanic Prahova is opened the whole year round and it certainly has something to offer to visitors of all ages.

This post is dedicated to one of Rounite’s faithful readers – Kathy Bousquet who suggested it and who also offered some of the images above that enhance the beauty of the entry. Thank you, Kathy.

Slanic Prahova – Legends in Salt is a post from: Rounite