Wieliczka Salt Mine

Wieliczka Salt Mine
The Salt Mines of Wieliczka were on the first World Heritage List ever, which was publicized in 1978. The mines are an example of a well organized, large industrial establishment. The evolution of the mining processes since the Middle Ages is perfectly illustrated here, due to the conservation of the old galleries and the exhibition of tools used.

First references to the winning of salt in Wieliczka were made in 1044. Salt was the most important economic commodity in Poland during the Middle Ages. The mining of salt quickly became a government monopoly.

Technological progress turned the Wieliczka Salt Mine into a modern business enterprise in the 16th century. Machinery was being used to improve productivity, and the search for new salt deposits took the miners lower and lower underground.
The production of salt here ceased only in 1992 due to a heavy flooding.

Salt . Steam technology . WHS Hotspot .



Visit February 2005

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is an important attraction in the Krakow area. It has a long history of tourism: already in the 15th century visitors were taken underground. Prominent Europeans like Copernicus, Goethe and Chopin also visited. The site nowadays attracts thousands of visitors every day in summer, and group tours are conducted in several languages. Fortunately I was here in February, when it wasn't too busy. There are frequent minibuses from Krakow to bring you here.

The underground tour takes you on a walk of two km. It passes through 20 caves, many of them adorned with sculptures the miners made. It's quite clean and spacious here, unlike in a coal mine for example. The walls are dark grey everywhere; you can only see they are made of crystals when you hold a light to it. The gangways are held upright by complex wooden structures.

Highlight of the tour undoubtedly is the Underground Cathedral. Everything in it is made of salt: the wall decorations (The Last Supper and other biblical scenes), the altar, the religious statues, floor and ceiling. Even the chandeliers are made from salt crystals. This masterpiece was created by three miners in their spare time, taking 68 years of work.

More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery

Reviews

Jasmine (Ireland):
Visited the Salt Mine's on a short trip to krakow was brilliant, the tour guide was lovely very friendly it was really interesting and a great experience i'd well recommend it.
Date posted: April 2008
Andrew Karpinski (Australia):
I went in the 2007/2008 holidays and it was marvellous scene in the St Kinga chapel. If i had the chance i would go back again.
 
Alexander Osvald (USA):
I was in poland in 2005 and visited the salt mine and found it to be a very interesting. I spent the whole day there and was never bored.I hope everyone gets a chance to see it.
 
CT (England):
The Salt Mines were the best thing about our trip to Krakow. Get a mini bus from opposite the new Galleria Krakowski shopping centre for 2.5zl (about 70p in Ł sterling)and it only takes about 20 minutes.

Thought the mines were fascinating and our guide was very knowledgeable. The Kinga Chapel is breathtaking.

Be prepared that the lift back to the surface is somewhat primitive, small and very crowded. But it's over in a few seconds so don't let it put you off.

You'll kick yourself if you miss this one!
 
Brian Wortley (England):
Ann and Brian Wortley and Dorothy Hopkins - England
After we had negotiated the incredible number of steps to get down to the first level in the mine, we realised that what we saw was very much worth the effort. The total size of the mine was aweinspiring and the carvings absolutely remarkable. The icing on the cake had to be the very large concert hall, again with carvings and sheer size. I would certainly recommend this visit to anyone!!
Date posted: October 2006
Kenneth Buczkowski (United States of America):
To have not visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine would have left a large void in my trip to Poland. What is overlooked is the engineering feats performed to make this mine what it is. Let us also remember the torch bearers who in some cases took this job of seeking out methane gas by going forward with lit torches knowing that death was a high reality. Many, it is said, took this job in order to make amends for their past sins. The main Cathedral does nothing less than take your breath away. In my mind I could see religious services being conducted as well as people dancing on what appears to be tile but in reality is salt with etchings to make it look as though it is tile. A must visit sight on your trip to our beloved Motherland, Poland.
Date posted: February 2006
David Berlanda (Italy / Czech Republic):
In our trip to Poland we have visited the Wieliczka salt mine, the most ancient in Europe, exploited since the 13th century (it has never been closed) and constructed on nine levels with 300 km of galleries. It has a maximal depth of 327 m and it’s 5 km long and 1 km large. In the galleries are found wells, corridors, labyrinths, excavations, rooms and chapel cut out of the salt with altars, pulpits and statues. There is also a subterranean lake. If you visit the mines you enter from the Daniłowicz Shaft, a steam engine built in 1874, and visit these rooms: Daniłowicz Shaft Bottom, Nicholas Copernicus Chamber, Chapel of St. Anthony, Janowice Chamber, Burnt Out (Spalone) Chamber, Sielec Chamber, Casimir The Great Chamber, Kunegunda Gallery, Pieskowa Skała Chamber, Kunegunda Traverse, Kunegunda Shaft Bottom, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Chapel of St. Kinga (54 m long, 15-18 m wide and 10-12 m high), Erazm Barącz Chamber, Michałowice Chamber, Drozdowice Chamber, Weimar Chamber, Józef Piłsudski Chamber, Crossing of The Kazanów Longitudinal Gallery with The Poniatowski Traverse, Stanisław Staszic Chamber (36 m high), Warden, Witold Budryk Chamber, Warsaw Chamber (54 m long, 17 m wide and 9 m high), Vistula Chamber, Prinzinger Inclined Drift, Chapel of St. John and Jan Haluszka Chamber.
The mine is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen because of the beauty and the originality of the salt chambers and of the works of art. It's absolutely worth to be visited (if you want to visit it you must walk for 2,2 km with a guided tour) also because it's probably the most beautiful mine in the world and justifies the inscription also because there aren't many mines on the WHL.
Photo: Wieliczka: Janowice Chamber
Date posted: February 2006
Rob Wilson (UK):
The Blessed Kinga chapel is a masterpiece and well worthy of its place on the UNESCO list, but, and it is a big but, the whole site is being turned into tourist trap of the worst sort. Being greeted by recent carvings of what looked like the seven dwarfs (with added recordings of 'hello' in a variety of languages) is pathetic. As was the 'sound and light' show in the last cave.
A great shame.
Date posted: July 2005
Christina McCartney (Northern Ireland):
This trip is a total waste of money. You are stuck down a mine for over two hours in the cold with no escape. It was the most boring thing I have ever done in my life and was annoyed that I wasted virtually a full day of a short trip to Krakow underground and bored when I could have spent that time in the sunshine. Tacky to the point where I had to laugh or I would have cried!!
Date posted: July 2005
Ian Cade (England):
The Salt mines at Wieliczka are impressive, the initial climb down is a little harrowing it is a very long way! But the complex is fascinating. The initial parts seem nice there are some nice chapels carved out of the salt, but nothing real matches the Cathedral like complex in the middle. It is a church carved entirely out of salt, including the floor, sight of an altar of salt surrounded by the last supper again carved out of the same piece of salt is awe-inspiring.
I must admit the first time I took the tour in Polish and was a little under whelmed so defiantly aim for a tour in a language you fully understand!
The site is easy to get to as there is a regular train there from the centre of Krakow, a journey of about 40 minutes!
It is defiantly worth the effort to drag your-self away from Krakow’s bars for an afternoon.
(the camera I had when I visited was not so good, so alas the pictures I have are all of the surface but trust me the mines themselves are much more interesting!!)
 
Pawel Foryt (USA):
My family and I went to Wieliczka about six years ago. It was a great experience and was even funny when one man kissed the "sacred" dwarf. I believe that the entire world should come and see Wieliczka sometime in their lifetime.
 
Jeremy Tollpuddle (England):
It is definatly worth a visit here from Krakow. The first time i visited the tour was in Polish and i was left a little disapointed but i went back a few months later and had a tour in English, which i could understand much better!, an i was really impressed. The main Chapple?Cathedral is hugly impresive it looks similar to most cathedrals but the entire thing i carved out of one giant piece of salt! worth the entrance fee alone!.
 
Jim Humberd (USA):
Many caverns/galleries contain works of art, often altars and statues sculpted by miners/artists. We visited several levels by stairs or elevator, and saw many works of art, carved entirely out of salt.

Most spectacular was the Blessed Kinga Chapel, carved in one of the largest galleries. There were beautiful three dimensional “salt” statues, such as the “Last Supper.” The floor looked like a carefully laid tile design, but further examination shows it's salt carved to look like individual tiles. The huge chandeliers in this Cathedral are made of salt, each consisting of many dangling salt crystals.
 


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