24 Sep Tasting Romanian Wines and Goofing Around in a Salt Mine
The Transylvania region offers a whole host of activities, such as hiking, camping, historic city walking tours, Dracula-themed tours and more. Our focus, however, was on tasting Romanian wines and visiting a salt mine-turned-playground.
Tasting Romanian Wines in Turda
Winemaking has been a tradition in the Alba Iulia region since ancient Roman times. So as we planned our road trip route, we knew we had to locate a winery or two to try.
We first learned of the Crama La Salina winery/ISSA brand when enjoying their well-balanced Rosé on a hot summer afternoon in Bucharest. In researching wineries in the Transylvania region, we came across their website. It’s a pretty chic site and mentions private tastings, so we kinda dismissed it as likely being out of our budget.
However, while we were in Turda, we enjoyed lunch at Sarea-n-Bucate, a nice looking restaurant across from the salt mine. Here we discovered that the restaurant and attached guest house is related to the winery and they could book us a tour for a very reasonable rate, ~100 LEI per person which is approximately $25 USD per person.
On our tour, we learned that Crama La Salina is a relative newcomer, having only produced two vintage years so far, although the vines were planted and growing for several years leading up to the production. Their goal is to revive the viniculture of the Durgau Hills and promote wine tourism.
After tasting six of their wines, nibbling on cheese and dried fruits in a modern gazebo overlooking the vineyard and having an in-depth discussion with their wine expert, we can say we believe they will be successful in their mission. You can see the passion and strategic thoughtfulness they have for what they’re doing.
tasting at Crama La Salina winery in Turda
admiring the facilities at Crama La Salina winery
In addition to the existing winery, restaurant, and guest house, they mentioned the planning of a bed & breakfast/spa on the vineyard property. We’re rooting for them and will keep an eye out on their expansion, which might call for another visit!
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- Sarea-n-Bucate restaurant
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- duck confit at Sarea-n-Bucate
Tips for planning a visit to Crama La Salina:
We booked the wine tasting tour through the sister restaurant, Sarea-n-Bucate, but you can also arrange the tour through their site.
Sarea-n-Bucate which served as our pickup/drop-off for the wine tasting. It’s a great place to grab some food to sober up after the tasting before getting on the road. Alternatively, the salt mine is walking distance (across the street) so you could plan to go there afterward to burn off the buzz.
For information about additional wineries to visit, see the Romanian Tourism site.
Salina Turda Salt Mine
We were beyond curious about the old salt mine everyone was talking about.
It’s quite unfathomable that a playground exists in a large, defunct salt mine, in Romania. It’s like a mini underground adventure park. I have to admit, at one point, I kinda felt like Katniss finding herself in District 13, minus the combat training, etc.
And yet, here we were, inside this mine, walking the salt laden hallways, rowing a boat on a mini lake inside a giant enclosed cavern and playing table tennis, like it was normal.
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- chilling in the salt cubby hole
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- view from the stairs leading down
mesmerized by the contrast of natural salt walls and modern lighting
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- I want to do that!
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- this rowing thing is hard
Tips for planning a visit to Salina Turda:
The Salina Turda salt mine might be underground, but it’s not under the radar. After going on a Sunday and finding it too chaotic to continue to enjoy, we returned early on a Monday to find it much more manageable, yet still with a healthy attendance.
While you can see the entire mine in about 1 hour, you’ll want to allocate more time to enjoy the games and activities. Eat a hearty meal beforehand though, as there’s no food allowed inside.
The temperature in the mine is quite chilly, and it becomes more so in certain areas. Make sure to wear layers so you can add on as you get cold and strip off as you work up a sweat playing ping-pong.
preparing for the next table tennis Olympics
Both of these activities are in Turda. The heart of the quaint town is a few kilometers from the winery and salt mine. Another option for an overnight stay is Cluj-Napoca. It’s a larger city about 45-minutes away by car and was highly recommended to us, although after our plans were made to stay in Turda.
town of Turda
Another great activity in the Transylvania region is Brasov’s annual Oktoberfest (late August/early September). Check out our post about Brasov and this event.
Return to the Romania Road Trip post or read about the points of interest by clicking on the below categories:
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Have you visited any of Romania’s wineries? If so, which was your favorite? Or have you done an activity somewhere that seems as bizarre as a playground in an underground salt mine?
Leave a comment!
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