"Ocnele Mari" Salt Mine (Ocnele Mari)

 mine, interesting place, salt mine, entertainment complex

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCtdJ2_8RsY

"Ocnele Mari" Mine is a salt mine operated and owned by the state-owned Romanian National Salt Company "Salrom" in Ocnele Mari commune, near Râmnicu Vâlcea Municipality, Vâlcea County.

It is located at 225 meters above sea level and has a total area of 10,000 square meters. Wile some of the mine is still in use for salt mining operations, part of it was transformed into a tourist attraction.

Access:
> from the National Road no. 67 (DN 67 - "Copăcelu" Street in Râmnicu Vâlcea) which connects Râmnicu Vâlcea with Târgu Jiu yo then take...
> a right on County Road no. 650 (DJ 650) leading to Ocnele Mari commune;

Facilities:
> a church, dedicated to Saint Varvara, the saint patron of the miners;
> a museum;
> a restaurant;
> a souvenir shop;
> a bar;
> a soccer fiels;
> a basketball field;
> pool tables;
> a playground area for small children;

Admission fee:
> 10 Lei = ~ 2,4 Euros = 3,3 US Dolars (for adults);* No source for information
> 5 Lei = ~ 1,2 Euros = 3,3 US Dolars (for pupils/students);* No sourse for information
> free (children aged 0-7);

Website:
> www.salinaocnelemari.ro

If you want to read more on the hystory of the mines:

The large scale operation of the salt mine began in ancient times. We know this from the discovery of a significant number of mining axes in this area, dating to the Neolithic Age, Bronze and First Iron Age.

Exploitation of the salt in Ocnele Mari has developed a strong community, starting as early as ancient times and continuing through today, when an important part of the county's economy depends on the "Ocnele Mari" Salt Mine.

Liberated Dacians created an entire system of settlements and fortifications in and around this aea whose focal point seems have been the important settlement of the Cosota Hill at the mines, whose inhabitants, probably dealt with the exploitation and sale of the salt. According to archaeological discoveries here, the famous tribal settlement "Buridava" was located here.

By the early 1960s, a local teacher, George Moșteanu, discovered by accident, in a garden to the Cosota Hill, some pots of clay, different from those in the Bradului Valley, located further up the hill.

He notified the special department of the Valcea County Museum and noted that there is a large archaeological deposit. With revenue from the History College, University of Bucharest, professor Dumitru Berciu decided to open an archaeological dig site and was surprised to discover an ancient Dacian fortress over 2000 years old, called the Buridava, Greek historian Ptolemy mentioned in his writings.

In Buridava's discovered necropolis there have been found objects such as: jugs, cups and dressers made of burnt clay and a large underground grain storage, built in the limestone of the hill.

Near these remains is a fountain, which is said in a local legend, it was built in times long removed and that the pipes of burnt clay would feed downstream settlements. The legend was largely confirmed as there have been found a series of sewers made outof tile clay and even above 200 m there is an outflowing water fountain.

The fountain itself has a special construction, introduce the fact that a river Collector underground, large enough, which has a narrow opening for water to be taken with a ciutura with its sweep. But the most important discovery is a ceramic with an inscription "BUR", which could now name Buridava or even Burebista. Also on the ground a bit of pot were found scratched inscriptions "REB" and " MARK "They thought ducindu us with the Geto-Dacians. But it seems important inscription on a clay vase, Basileo Thamarcos Epoiei, which proved to be a local king contemporary with the Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus. Salt exploitation in the area, continued during the Roman conquest, the Roman camp from evidence Stolniceni, which was built to control this area. After winning Romanian, salt was extracted and sold benefit of community. In the Middle Ages salt exploitation has great importance, becoming the royal monopoly. A special avint gain operation of the Greater Ocnele during the reign of Constantin Brancoveanu, The mines salt from Greater become an important source, brings in income. Since the eighteenth century, is mentioned in all its important time in the Romanian lands. Operation of salt from Ocnele Mary is unique and the most important in south-western Romania (hence the name The mines of Great). In the early eighteenth century to dig the first big mouth SALINA OCNELE MARI on the left side instead of Piriului Sarat called "Carpinis", but that collapse after a short period of operation. Immediately open another mouth to mine, the same scale at 1 km away from the first, but the collapse and it remains in its place a salty lake called "The Firs. On property Eforiei Civil Hospitals in the early nineteenth century, the mine to dig two holes 400 m away from the above. From these openings reassigned and separated with a wattle extract salt to 15 years, after which, land because it is salty lake surface collapse leaving that exists today called "Red Pond, Name the first duty of bacteria and worms iodofagi crowd. There were open and above other exploitation, to Ocnita, on the left bank and right Piriului Sarat, but in time have collapsed. Systematic exploitation of deposits began in mid-nineteenth century Ocnita area (old salt mines). The first salt Systematized (Mina "St. John Old"), opened in 1836, operation was done in rooms with profile ogival (mines bell shaped), having between two pillars of support rooms and two wells with crivace. Wells is called St. John the Old "and" Saint Nicholas, the salt being exploited open until 1895. Mine had five rooms, embankments, beginning with the year 1950. Digging up the shaft "at New Sf.Ion, two mines were opened, nesistematizate, who collapsed at surface forming the lakes. In 1891 work began on shaft "Sf.Ion the New" and in 1894 began operating the mine "Sf.Ion the New". Mine had 4 rooms ogival central, being located "at New Putul Sf.Ion" which was equipped with a steam extraction machine, the first installed in the country. Operation continued until 1957 when a mine was closed due to subsidence. After digging the shaft "Sf.Petru" (1926 - 1936), in 1937 the mine OPENING "Paul" (Later it was called Mine "May 1"), where the operation was done with corrugated 8 rooms (chambers I, II, III and IV open in 1936 and chambers V, VI, VII and VIII, opened in 1944). For the first time in the country, in mine "Sf.Petru" is shown that the method of operating performance is use of coal-cutting machine for cutting, drilling and blasting with explosives. To ensure aerajului was digging a well. Operation of the mine was made until 1963 when it was finally stopped, the mine was flooded and Surpata. From this salt was extracted about 3.8 million tonnes of salt Gema. From 1959 until present Ocnele Large deposits is operated by two methods of operation, the wet dissolution kinetics - in the hole and about dry - underground in Salina Ocnele Mari. In 1993 work began on the new salt mine in Ocnele Maria in Cocenesti point. Mine is taking place at the two horizons - the horizon 210 horizon 226 and method of operation the rooms are small and square landing, the current method of operating the most modern in the world. Complete exploitation of the horizon in the west wing 226 has allowed underground planning a landmark. This includes recreational areas, playgrounds, a museum with exhibits that show the ancient history of the area times till today, not least, the largest underground church in Romania. Specific investments that landmark will continue, so that they become in later years, one of the biggest targets in Europe.