After the Cluj-Napoca Marathon: Turda

The Route: Cluj-Napoca → Turda → Salina Turda → Cluj-Napoca Logistics: Bus out of Cluj, a short taxi or local bus to the mine entrance, the same route back. No airport leg. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Cluj-Napoca Railway Station Square ──(35-50 mins bus)──> Turda ──(taxi or line 17)──> Salina Turda
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Cluj-Napoca ◄────────────────────────(35-50 mins bus)────────────────────────────────────┘

The Cluj-Napoca Marathon finishes inside the stadium on a Sunday morning, and the Monday after is a day for sitting down in a place that does not ask much of the legs. Salina Turda fits that, with one reservation about stairs. The mine stays at 12°C whatever the weather is doing above ground.

April in Turda: the mine temperature does not change with the season, so a cold, grey Monday makes no difference to the visit. Cluj mornings in April can be cold enough to need gloves, and the mine is about as cool, so wear a jumper and bring a jacket.

Getting there

Buses leave Cluj-Napoca from Railway Station Square, from the Autogara Sens Vest bus station and from Piața Mihai Viteazu. Journey times run from about 35 minutes to just over an hour depending on the stop and the operator, and fares are a few lei. The operators include Trans Olteanu Tour, Edimond and several smaller companies. Departures are frequent but not on a fixed pattern, so check the day's times with the operator at the station before you buy.

The mine is about 3 km north of the centre of Turda. Local bus line 17 goes there roughly every 90 minutes. A taxi from the bus stop is the easier option on tired legs, and the walk of about 45 minutes is not one to take on a Monday.

Salina Turda

The mine opens daily from 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:20. Tickets cost approximately 75 lei (about £13) on weekdays and 90 lei on weekends. Check the current prices on the mine's website.

You enter through the Franz Josef Gallery and go down to the Rudolf Mine, a chamber about 120 metres underground, 80 metres long and 42 metres high. The way down is by lift or by stairs. The lift is not guaranteed to run, so be ready for the stairs, which are the one hard part of the visit.

Inside there is a Ferris wheel, a mini golf course and a few other rides, each with a small extra charge. The Theresa Mine, deeper in, has an underground lake where you can hire a rowing boat. Once down, the walking between chambers is short.

Allow two to three hours. Hotels in Cluj will usually hold luggage if you check out in the morning.

Getting back

Check the last bus back to Cluj when you arrive in Turda, because it is easier to plan the day around it than to find out at 17:00.