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Wieliczka Salt Mine

Krakow a major city in Poland, is a very popular city for its many tourist attractions. It has become easily accessible for Europeans to visit with the flood of the many cheaper no-frills airlines, which fly from numerous European cities direct to Krakow.  The town of Wieliczka lies just off the metropolitan area of Krakow and it is here that the great Salt Mines of Wieliczka are situated.  Tourists can reach the Salt Mines quite easily via a regular bus route from the city centre for a few zloty, the Polish currency or arrangements can be made by the Krakow tourist board or hoteliers for a fully inclusive tour of the mines with transport included.

The mine has been in working operation since the 13th century and continues up until 2007; however parts of the mine were temporarily closed due to flooding in 1996.  There are so many carvings and cultural symbols within the mine, that it has been affectionately called the Underground Salt Cathedral of Krakow, Poland. The Wieliczka Salt Mine has been named an official World Heritage Site and was placed on the UNESCO roster in 1978.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways stretching approximately 300 kilometres in length.  However, the depth of the mine is quite astounding at approximately 328 meters, with the visitor’s tour descending to only a fraction of that depth of just over 150 meters.  The descent to the visitor’s tour starting point is accessed by a wooden spiralling staircase with over 400 steps and tourists can feel quite giddy and unsteady, upon reaching the main tour level, however steadiness is quickly regained.  The tour takes visitors about 3 kilometres into the mine, where they can see mythical figures and statues which have been sculptured into the salt rock by mine workers and artists over the centuries.  Great chambers have been carved out and used as churches and elaborate dining areas or for classical concerts and operas.  There is also an underground lake.  An area for snacks and souvenir shopping has also been created for the many visitors.  The mine attracts over 1.2 million visitors a year and has had famous visitors such as, former US president Bill Clinton, Robert Baden-Powell, the historian Boleslaw Prus to name but a few.