Respublikanskaja bol'nitsa Speleolechenija

The salt mines are the main reason to come, and they really do feel different and healing. I'd come back. You have to put up with a Soviet-era flashback to get there, though, and the clinic is full of everyday details from the USSR's final years. The rooms are comfortable and, in my case, private, since I had a superior room. The decor isn't tasteful, and the renovation was sloppy, but the bed was surprisingly comfortable and the room had everything I needed. Most staff were friendly, open, and pleasant, especially the doctors, the cafeteria workers, and the women in the off-budget department. That warmth makes up for quite a few shortcomings. The nurses were more like a picture of the old Soviet school: commanding, stern, and seemingly condescending, with a bit of arrogance and superiority. Getting services and procedures done is usually a quest. You might need a referral in one place, pay in another, pick something up somewhere else, and receive the service in a fourth place. They may be on different floors or even in different buildings. The cafeteria's food is its own issue. It seems modeled on school and factory canteens from the late 1980s, and many people prefer eating in town. As for the medical care, my routine tests, an EKG, spirogram, and blood test, were done on Soviet-era equipment. It's practical, but also has historical value. During the spirogram, I was given an inhaler that was carefully wiped down with a cloth for the next patient. I was surprised they used disposable finger-pricking blades for blood tests, since I expected sterilizable ones. On the fourth day, when I had an acute respiratory infection, they treated me with rimantodine and, naturally, gargling with calendula tincture.

For anyone looking for quiet and a chance to relax and calm their nerves, this is a great place. The forest is clean and lovely, not too dense, with walking paths, and there's a pleasant roller-skating trail nearby. There aren't many mosquitoes, so opening the windows is fine. The food in the dining room was delicious to me, even though there wasn't a piece of meat in the soup. Breakfast wasn't a buffet as advertised, just a set breakfast with everything already laid out. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the room was cleaned daily. You can pay for all services in cash or by card. There's no shop or cafe on site. My only real downside is that I couldn't get the treatments I wanted, even with a paid package. Massages and underwater showers are booked up like crazy, so I'd deduct a star for that.

We'd be happy to return. In June 2025, I brought my 11-year-old son for treatment in the mines on a budget voucher. Check-in was quick, and we got a double room with its own bathroom, two beds, two nightstands, two chairs, a table, and a balcony. There was one shared refrigerator per wing. The food was standard full-service fare, nutritious but not especially tasty. They served fruit and kefir every day, and the kitchen gave us boiling water for a thermos before the descent. Linens were changed once a week, both above and below ground. There was an incident with the descent during our stay, so we spent half the course in the hospital's salt rooms. People who come with health problems seem satisfied with the treatment.

The staff are friendly, and the food is very good. There are various treatments at the treatment center, and going down into the mines is optional, either during the day or at night. The rooms are arranged in blocks with two people to a room, though suites are available too. It's set in a pine forest, and the conditions are quite good. I had a positive experience.