Disused salt mine in Turda offers cool retreat amid European heat wave

This photo taken on July 23, 2026 shows a view of a defunct salt mine in Turda, Romania. As a new heat wave sweeps across Europe, the defunct salt mine in Turda has become a popular retreat for visitors seeking to escape the summer heat.

Featuring recreational facilities such as rowboats, a Ferris wheel and billiard tables, the salt mine maintains a year-round temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Yao Yulin)

Visitors row boats in an underground lake at a defunct salt mine in Turda, Romania, on July 23, 2026. As a new heat wave sweeps across Europe, the defunct salt mine in Turda has become a popular retreat for visitors seeking to escape the summer heat.

Featuring recreational facilities such as rowboats, a Ferris wheel and billiard tables, the salt mine maintains a year-round temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Yao Yulin)

Visitors get a close-up view of a full-scale model of a defunct salt mine's facilities in Turda, Romania, on July 23, 2026. As a new heat wave sweeps across Europe, the defunct salt mine in Turda has become a popular retreat for visitors seeking to escape the summer heat.

Featuring recreational facilities such as rowboats, a Ferris wheel and billiard tables, the salt mine maintains a year-round temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Yao Yulin)

Visitors row boats in an underground lake at a defunct salt mine in Turda, Romania, on July 23, 2026. As a new heat wave sweeps across Europe, the defunct salt mine in Turda has become a popular retreat for visitors seeking to escape the summer heat.

Featuring recreational facilities such as rowboats, a Ferris wheel and billiard tables, the salt mine maintains a year-round temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Yao Yulin)

This photo taken on July 23, 2026 shows a view of a defunct salt mine in Turda, Romania. As a new heat wave sweeps across Europe, the defunct salt mine in Turda has become a popular retreat for visitors seeking to escape the summer heat.

Featuring recreational facilities such as rowboats, a Ferris wheel and billiard tables, the salt mine maintains a year-round temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Yao Yulin)

Visitors enjoy recreational facilities at a defunct salt mine in Turda, Romania, on July 23, 2026. As a new heat wave sweeps across Europe, the defunct salt mine in Turda has become a popular retreat for visitors seeking to escape the summer heat.

Featuring recreational facilities such as rowboats, a Ferris wheel and billiard tables, the salt mine maintains a year-round temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Yao Yulin)