A real hidden gem, sitting on top of a labyrinth of salt mines, Slanic Prahova is a beautiful resort which worth to visit it, if you have a deep appreciation for unique and out of the way places.
Located between Prahova Valley and Teleajen Valley, at almost 100km of Bucharest, Slanic Prahova has a lot of accommodation facilities: hotels, pensions, health complex, bed and breakfast lodgings and villas. It deserves to be visited due to its pleiad of natural
attractions underground or at the surface, surrounded by picturesque landscapes existing there:
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Unirea Salt Mine , Access Hall with trapezoidal-shaped walls, Slanic Prahova, Romania |
* Mineral waters with a high concentration of salt, sulfur, sodium and calcium and mineral rich mud used for treating rheumatic and post-traumatic conditions, gynecologic and respiratory problems:
1.Shepherd's Lake / Baia Baciului,
2.Pigs's Lake / Baia Porcilor,
3.The Green Lake / Baia Verde
4.The Red Lake / Baia Rosie.
* Unique attractions
5.The Salt Mountain / Muntele de Sare - unique in the world, unfortunately partially collapsed due to weather erosion.
6. The Bride's Cave / Grota Miresei with The Bride's Lake / Lacul Miresei
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Unirea Salt Mine Entrance, Salina Veche, Mina Unirea, Slanic Prahova, Romania |
* 7. The most impressive touristic site, the "Unirea (The Union) Salt Mine / Mina Unirea", stands for the largest salt mine in Europe. Known also as The Old Mine / Salina Veche, it is an amazing natural SPA-mine formed out at 208 m deep, transformed in 1970 in touristic attraction and Sanatorium for lung cancer and pulmonary diseases. A complete description of the mine characteristics and some historic references may be read on an informative map-plaque situated at the entrance:
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Unirea Salt Mine map and description - Slanic Prahova |
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Unirea Salt Mine, The Heroes Cross, Slanic Prahova, |
The mine comprises 14 chambers with trapezoidal profiles, having a 10 m opening to the ceiling and 32 m to the ground, a height of 54 m. The shore difference between the surface and the base of the mine is of 208 m and it is covered by the elevator in 90 seconds. The excavated space occupies a volume of 2.9 millions m³ and it is extended on a surface of 7,8HA (78,000 m²).
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Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova, ceilings are bordered with wooden balconies |
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Unirea Salt Mine, fenced area where access is forbidden, Slanic Prahova |
There are also some other exploitation salt mines in area: The Green Valley/ Valea Verde, The Sheperd's Lake/ Baia Baciului, Carol, Mihai and The Victory/ Victoria. The Mihai Mine was the first electrical illuminated mine from Romania. It is located above the Unirea Mine and separated by a 40m thick salt floor. It had just 6 rooms but due to its larger dimensions(66m high, 37m at base and 12m at ceiling) was used between 1970 and 1994 to host of several aero-modelling contests (I had the chance to visit it during one of these events and it is less impressive than Unirea Mine).
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Water infiltrations on Unirea Salt Mine's walls |
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Lake at 208 m underground, Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
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Decebal Statue carved in salt, Unirea Salt Mine |
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Traian Statue carved in salt, Unirea Salt Mine |
nor the Mihai Viteazul base-relief and Eminescu's bust - carved in salt rough out by Oana Brezeanu, another local artist. It is amazing also to see that various paintings on salt have no damages
by humidity (around 50%) and saline microclimate with air-composition
rich in sodium-ions.
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Mihai Eminescu bust carved in salt, Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
As improvements, I found last year an interesting display with natural gems discovered in mines during exploitation phase: Amber (fosilized resin produced by ancient plants with various inclusions) / Chihlimbar (ambra galbena, rasina fosila produsa din plante conservate milioane de ani cu diferite incluziuni)
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Amber / Ambra galbena display, Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
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Amber / Chihlimbar display, Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
and Gem Salt (natural sodic chloride crystallizes in cubical system diversely coloured because of the inclusions) / Sare Gema (clorura de sodiu naturala care cristalizeaza in sistem cubic si este divers colorata datorita incluziunilor).
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Gem Salt / Sare Gema display, Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
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Gem Salt display, Unirea Salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
One of the rooms is hosting an Ultra-low Background Radiation µBq Laboratory /

I will be more than happy if one day I'll see, underground and in the surrounding area of the Old Salt Mine, eventually online (unfortunately I did not find any official website of it), more improvements, into a similar process with the restoration of Turda Salt Mine, based on local funds, funds according with The Romanian's Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism campaigns / Ministerul Dezvoltării Regionale şi Turismului and EU funding non-reimbursable grants for tourism.
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Mihai Viteazul - sculpture in salt, Unirea salt Mine, Slanic Prahova |
Unirea Salt Mine/ Mina Unirea deserves to improve its image and to stand for the most impressive and the largest Natural SPA PARK in Europe.
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