Slănic Prahova

Slănic Prahova is a town of Prahova County, Romania, historically and currently known as a salt extraction center, as well as a spa town, with salt lakes. As its name (salt in Slavonic) suggests, most of Slănic's history and economy are directly related to the presence of relatively large quantities of salt underground, and even in open air. Slănic is also the name of the creek flowing through the town.


Slănic Prahova is an all season resort of national importance, with the sedative-indifferent climate of forested hills, characterized by pleasant summers (July average temperature 19.5°C) and relatively mild winters (January average 3.5°C below). The average annual temperature is of 9°C and the precipitation averages 750 mm annually.


The town is famous for its springs of chlorided, sodic, sulphated, calcic mineral waters (used since 1885, when the resort began developing), and salt lakes (Romanian: lacuri sau băi): Baia Baciului (Shepherd’s Lake), Baia Verde (Green Lake), Baia Roşie (Red Lake), Lacul Miresei (The Bride’s Lake), Baia Porcilor (Pigs' Lake), who have a high level of salinity (80 ÷275 g / l). Bathing in the lakes is recommended for the treatment of degenerative and articular rheumatic diseases, post-traumatic conditions, peripheral neurological (light paresis, condition after poly-neuritis, old poliomyelitis sequels), gynecological disorders, respiratory disorders, dermatological diseases (psoriasis), vascular diseases and more. Other tourist objectives are the Salt Mountain (uncovered, unique in the world) and the Bride’s Cave, now partially collapsed due to rain erosion.



Among the natural treatment factors, we have to mention here The Old Salt Mine (Salina Unirea). The mine was opened in February 1938, but actual works started in 1943 and continued in 1970. Mining in a descending direction, both horizontal and vertical cutting out with specific cutting equipment, the rocks were dislocated by explosions and then transported by mining car to the shaft and up to the preparation and shipping line.


The mine consists of 14 trapezoid-shaped rooms with a ten-meter ceiling and thirty and thirty-two-meter floor width. The height of the rooms is of fifty-four meters and the wall inclination angle is of 60. The level difference between the surface and the mine hearth is of 208 m. 2,6 million cubic meters of rock salt were excavated during the working of the mine. After 1970 the mine became a tourist attraction. It was adequately modified to accommodate both visitors and patients treated for various respiratory diseases in the fully equipped sanatorium housed inside the mine. Qualified medical personnel attended and assisted asthma patients treated in the salt mine sanatorium.




Other rooms house football and handball grounds, a running track and even museum. The works of the sculptor Iustin Năstase, among which the busts of the Roman emperor Traian and the Dacian king Decebal and several other pieces presenting relevant elements of the existence of the Dacian and Roman peoples are exhibited in the "Genesis" room.

Bottomless Lake

The Bottomless Lake (a.k.a. Francisc Lake or Wooden Lake) is one of the 52 salt lakes, which are located in the famous spa Ocna Sibiu. Situated in an area of hills, the lake was formed when the ceiling of the Francisc Grube (Francisc salt mine), closed in 1775, collapsed.


Currently, it has an oval shape, with diameters of 40 m and 50 m, and with an area ranging from 1384 sqm and 1655 sqm, a volume of 11,114 cubic meters and a truncated cone shape, with a maximum depth of 34,5 m. The salinity of the lake is 9 g/l at the surface, and grows very quickly with depth: 38 g/l at 1 m, 122 g/l at 1.5 m, 203 g/l at 2 m, 320 g/l at 5.5 m.

The importance of this lake is related to the chemical-thermal regime. Water temperature is depending on the vertical distribution of salt concentration, which increases in depth. Lake water accumulates solar heat during summer and retains a partially and in winter. This phenomenon is called "heliothermia" and manifests the strongest, reason for which the Bottomless Lake was declared protected area, Class IV, according to IUCN classification, "nature reserve", a natural monument with geological value.

To maintain heliothermia phenomenon is necessary that the surface water layer will not be shaken. Flora and fauna of the lake are directly influenced by climate characteristics and water chemistry, as the bacterium Beggiatoa.

Ocnele Mari

Between Govora and the municipality of Râmnicu-Vâlcea (seat of Vâlcea county), one can visit Ocnele Mari. Ocnele Mari is a town from the south-central part of Romania, built in a depression at an altitude of about 320m. The principal activity for this small town is extraction of salt and fossil mud for treatment. Ocna means salt mine and this vast resource (a salt layer that's 600m thick) has made Ocnele Mari famous, as have its spa and ancient ruins.


This area had inhabitants since the Stone Age and archaeologists have discovered evidence that 2000 years ago a Dacian fortress, Buridava, was found here and it was even mentioned in the writings of the famous Greek historian Ptolemy. Near the ruins of Buridava experts uncovered a necropolis, where many archaeological artifacts were found, mostly pottery and an important storage room for cereals. In the same spot a fountain was also discovered and local legends say that it was built in very remote times and that is was used to power up some sort of old sewage system that brought the water to the local settlements. The most important discovery at Ocnele Mari is a couple of ceramic artifacts with "BUR" etched on them, either related to the name Buridava or even to the great Dacian ruler Burebista. Also, on some other pottery items archaeologists found the inscriptions "REB" and "MARK", which seemed to have been made by geto-dacians.


The name Ocnele Mari was first mentioned officially in a document signed by the ruler Mircea cel Bătrân and written between 1402 and 1418. In fact the area where Ocnele Mari is today was exploited by the Cozia Monastery, that sold the salt for profit, with the approval of Mircea cel Bătrân. Salt was extremely important in the Middle Ages, bringing an important profit to any state, in this case Wallachia. The exploitation of this then very useful resource was carried out with the aid of enslaved gypsies, which were at that time the only slaves from the country. The criminal residents of the jails were used also as forced labor in the salt mines. In more recent history, Ocnele Mari was mostly known for the penitentiary with the same name, where many political prisoners were sent during the communist regime. The penitentiary is now gone, due to the crumbling of the salt mine. Soon after the communist regime was officially installed, the Ocnele Mari penitentiary became one of the most important concentration camps for the prisoners taken from the members of the national movement of anticommunist resistance.


A particular aspect of post-mining activities in Romania is related to the frequent occurrence of salt mines, wherein numerous lake pits occur as a result of ancient salt exploitation. Filled with meteoric water or due to groundwater rising, they are now extensively used for balneology. It is to be mentioned that Romania contains the largest salt resources/reserves throughout Europe. Starting from 1812, Ocnele Mari became renowned for its clorosodic and iodinated waters, plus the fossil mud baths, used for many treatments in the local spa. This establishment uses the old salt mine entrance Balta Roşie, which is 120m deep. The curative water and mud are used to treat rheumatic diseases or gynecological illnesses. The water of the lake is so salted, that there is no need to know to swim, the water supports you at surface! (from Unseen Romania)