Inside the theme park hidden 400ft below the surface (Picture: Caters)

Tourists are going deep underground to visit one of the hidden wonders of the world – a giant theme park built inside Romania’s ancient salt mines.

We don’t really know what we’d expect to find if we ventured 400 feet underground, but an amusement park with a giant Ferris wheel and a boating lake probably isn’t it.

However, you’ll find all that and more at Salina Turda in Turda, Romania, a surprise tourist attraction that now attracts around 600,000 visitors a year.

The site, which can be accessed via a labyrinth of lifts and stairs, also has a bowling alley, mini-golf, a playground, a sports field and a large amphitheatre.


It also gives visitors a chance to see inside one of the world’s oldest salt mines.



The first reference to a salt mine in the Turda area dates back to May 1, 1271, when it was mentioned in a document issued by the Hungarian chancellery.

Salt extraction in and around Turda dates back to Roman times and it’s estimated that over three billion tons of salt have been mined since extraction began.

The mines have also been used as a cheese storage centre and a bomb shelter during World War 2, before a two-year project to turn the site into a theme park began in 2008.

Tudor Bodea, head of tourism services for Salina Turda, said: ‘Most people have never seen a place like this, and it’s difficult to find a similar term of reference.

‘Its interesting history and the fact that in just two years a common salt mine was totally converted into an underground world brings joy and fascination to many visitors every year.’

It’s certainly unique – we just wouldn’t want to get lost down there.

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