Salt Mines in Soledar

Soledar town might seem a commonplace at first glance, but the most distinguishing sites are hidden underground. Industrial scenery of the city changes into a miraculous fairy-tale as you descend 300 metres beneath the ground surface. As the center of Donbass salt industry, the city runs dozens of salt mines, with those exhausted being places of special interest. The mines are opened for tourists year-round and have a huge appeal for travellers.

Over 280 million years ago the Perm Sea ran its waves here and now the visitors actually stroll over its bottom. Everything is made of salt here – the walls, the ceiling, the floor… Huge crystals of salt still keep the prints of ancient fishes and birds which inhabited the land millions of years ago, while the underground labyrinths feature carved panels and salt sculptures created by local craftsmen.

The underground gallery welcomes various music concerts regularly as the acoustics here is amazing. It also hosts a health improvement centre, as the air saturated with salt particles, low humidity and moderate temperatures favour health improvement and rejuvenation.

Location:
Soledar town, Artyomovskiy rayon, Donetsk oblast

Back