The town of Targu-Ocna is located on the banks of the Trotuș River, in a depressional bay, a real "horseshoe of hills", surrounded on three sides by the extensions of the Trotuș Mountains: the "Nemirei" Massif in the south and south-west, the Berzunț Peak in the west and the subcarpathian hills in the north. It is 51 km from Adjud, 60 km from Bacău, 13 km from Onești and 18 km from the resort town of Slănic-Moldova.
Considered a veritable Romanian Salzburg, the city of Targu-Ocna has earned its fame through several national records: the first and only salt mining center in Moldova (since the 15th century), which for several centuries exported the "white gold" to three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa).
,,Salina", located in the salt mine ,,Trotuș", about 800 meters from the city center, in the valley of Vâlcicai. The beginning of salt in this area dates back to the sec. XV, from the time of Stephen the Great. It was the only center of salt in Moldova, with salt exported to three continents. The first tourist base was set up in the Pilot mine in 1974, at a depth of 130 m, focusing on the treatment of upper respiratory tract disorders.
The recreational tourist base (about 13,000 square meters), established in 2005, is located in the Trotuș Mine, at horizon IX, at 240 m depth, 3.1 km from the starting point of minibuses.
The recognition and therapeutic use of the saline environment, especially in the last decades, has been based on a series of observations since the 19th century. The saline offers optimal conditions for: relaxation, exercise, treatment of respiratory ailments, recreation in the holy place of the Orthodox Church "St. Varvara" and knowledge in the Salt Museum.
It is the constancy of the physical, chemical and microbiological parameters (no daily or seasonal variations), unlike outdoor air. The climatic parameters for Romanian salt pans are: temperature, about 12o – 13o C, relative humidity approx. 60 - 80%, air currents with velocities, low, practically insesizabile, air pressure is similar to that outside the site.
All this results in a bioclimate characterized by a weak cooling thermal discomfort, with a moderate hypotonic skin stress index and a balanced lung stress index. In conclusion, the saline bioclimate has a sedative cleansing character, with very low stress index values, slightly cool in temperature and balanced in humidity.
The characteristics of the underground environment in Târgu-Ocna Salina are as follows: temperature between 12 - 13 degrees C; distance from the starting point is 3, 1 km; vertical depth is 240 m; difference in level from the entry point is 136 m; altitude from sea level is 138 m; useful surface is 8. 900 sq.m; chamber height is 8 m.
"St. Varvara" Church (dug in salt during 1992, the church has the apses, the large chandelier, the chandeliers, the chinas and other cult objects cut in salt, being one of the few churches in our country built in salt pans, and the only Orthodox church in Europe, made almost entirely of salt and located at a depth of over 200 m).
There is also the Salt Museum, the "Florin Piersic" Show Hall, the waterfall and the salt lake, a gym, a doctor's surgery, a sports center (sports fields, roller skating, table tennis, chess, etc.), children's playgrounds (swings, slides, toy cars), mechanical games, a food kiosk, a souvenir shop and terrace, wireless internet, a locomotive from the interwar period. On the surface there is a salt-water swimming pool, open in the warm season, indicated for rheumatic diseases
In the "Magura" Park in Targu-Ocna there are still seven mineral springs discovered in 1846, in the "Nastasache's garden" (the current Park). The first chemical analyses of these springs were made at the same time.
The existence of these springs has made the city of Targu-Ocna to be included in the category of spa resorts since 1894, a status reconfirmed in 2002, when Targu-Ocna became a tourist resort of national interest. On June 11, 2009, the Spa Center "Parc Măgura" was inaugurated in Târgu-Ocna, which includes: Spa Treatment Center, Tourist Information Center, Park and Mineral Springs Center. The new spa center will make the most of the therapeutic properties of the mineral springs in its vicinity. For the time being, only the two swimming pools for adults and children are open in summer.
They spring at the foot of the Magura hill, in the Magura Spa Park and are modernly arranged near the Spa Center. Analyses carried out by the National Institute of Recovery, Physical Medicine and Balneoclimatology - INRMFB have shown that the mineral springs have mineralogical contents ranging from 4,139 -12,793 g/I and are of therapeutic interest for internal and external cure. According to these analyses which are displayed at each spring, mineral waters are recommended in various ailments as follows:
Spring No. 7 (internal cure): chronic non-specific enterocolitis, biliary dyskinesias, postoperative sequelae of the biliary tract, atonic constipation; Springs No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (external cure): degenerative rheumatic diseases, rheumatic abarticular diseases, post-traumatic musculo-articular diseases, chronic gynecological diseases, ENT respiratory tract diseases (in the form of aerosols).
The mineral springs are inventoried in the public domain of the locality and are administered by the Town Hall of Targu-Ocna.
Text and photos: Romulus-Dan Busnea
Photo Salina: https://salina.ro/
County Public Service for the Promotion of Tourism and Coordination of Mountain Rescue Activity Bacău