Best Mines Repurposed as Thermal Spas and Sanatoria
Warm mine water, constant temperature, low-allergen air: a remarkable number of former mines have been repurposed as health-treatment centres.
Salina Praid, Romania
Underground asthma sanatorium 120 m below ground.
Wieliczka Health Resort, Poland
Respiratory sanatorium at 135 m depth in salt galleries.
Bochnia Salt Mine Sanatorium, Poland
Older than Wieliczka, with overnight stays and treatment rooms.
Khewra Salt Mine, Pakistan
An asthma-treatment clinic in pink halite chambers.
Sulphur Springs at Tabernas, Spain
Mine-related warm-spring therapy in Andalucía.
Bad Schlema, Germany
A radon-spa town on the Wismut uranium fields — radon was once seen as therapeutic.
Jachymov, Czech Republic
The original radium-spa town, drawing on uranium-mine water.
Wieliczka 'Health Resort Kinga'
The major Polish underground sanatorium.
Khewra Mosque chambers
Asthma treatment combined with religious tourism in Pakistan.
Wettenberg Healing Mine, Germany
Smaller German radon-therapy mining site.
Plan your visit
Every site mentioned is plotted, with opening hours and accessibility notes, on our interactive map.
Explore on the map
Use the interactive map to filter by country, mineral and accessibility — or to find the closest mining heritage site to wherever you happen to be.