Turda is a Transylvanian city that used to be one of the richest in the region in the past. It was thanks to the local salt mine, which today functions as a tourist attraction and as an underground sanatorium.
The city was founded in the Middle Ages, but the Roman Potaissa camp existed here in the first centuries. Today, archaeological works are still carried out on its site, and tourists can see the foundations of buildings unearthed from the ground and the preserved street and building layout.
The foundation of Turda was related to the salt deposits discovered here, which in the Middle Ages guaranteed steady and high income. The Turda Salt Mine operated until 1932, and its greatest boom was during the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy. At that time, new chambers and pavements were dug, and the plant was one of the most efficient in the country. Today, the mine is Turda's biggest attraction. Underground, in a hall that is over 10 floors high, there are recreational devices, such as a ferris wheel, a football pitch and bowling alleys. The deepest chamber is filled with water and can be used for boat trips.
Turda's center is small, mainly built up with 18th and 19th century tenement houses. Here you can visit the Turda History Museum and the Orthodox Cathedral . An interesting monument is the Mihai Vodă Monastery with an orthodox church decorated with paintings.
At a distance of less than 10 km from Turda, there is an important landscape attraction. It is a deep and rocky Turda Gorge . It is a hiking destination, and the trail runs along both the bottom of the canyon and its upper edge. kick