In Cracow's proximate vicinity, 14 km southeast from the city center near Route 4 (E22), lies a well known country wide and abroad, city of Wieliczka with population of 20 thousand. The city is famous for having the oldest operational salt mine in Europe which has been working for over 700 years.
This mine, a centuries old tourist attraction, cannot be compared to anything else in the world. The mine has been visited from its beginning by the famous and the mightly of this world. Kopernik, Goethe, Humbolt, Paderewski, Mendelejew, Baden Powell, Kar ol Wojtyla - who later became Pope John Paul II, ordinary people and crowned heads of state, all have visited this remarkable site.
Since 1978, the mine is on UNESCO's list of World Class Landmarks of Cultural and Natural Heritage - where it was listed among the top twelve attractions in the world.
The tourist route open to sightseers is only a small fraction of the entire mine. The mine includes 7.5 million square meters of post-excavator space on nine levels, each between 64 and 327 meters. The tourist route extends to level three only - to the de pth of 135 meters. During the two and half hour tour, visitors travel underground approximately 3.5 km., along passages totaling more then 320 km. During this time they will visit 30 of the more than 2148 chambers.
The most popular attractions are the enormous excavation chambers, the tallest being 36 meters high, and two others reaching 30 meters each. The tourincludes a visit to three chapels, the oldest more than 300 years old and youngest a mere 100 years old. T hey are richly decorated with salt and wooden sculptures. The oldest salt sculptures date from the end of the 18th century.
The largest of the chapels - Blessed Kinga - is located 101 meters below the surface, it is over 50 meters long, 15 meters wide, 12 meters high, and has the volume of 10,000 square meters. It is entitely made out of salt, richly furnished with sculptures, bas-reliefs, and large chandeliers made from salt crystals.
The three underground salt lakes are a real attraction, the deepest reaching seven meters. Sings of ancient mine works, wooden structures, machines and equipment hundreds of years old, may old be noticed throughout the tour. All this is located within the underground the tour. All this is located within the underground scenery, remarkably rich in geological specimens which illustrate the complicated structure of this deposit. In many places, this beauty is most tangible.
An hour and a half into the tour, it is time to take a break in the "Warszawa" chamber which often severs as a sport, ball, theater and even an opera hall!
The second part of the tour covers 10 chambers representing an underground exhibition of Cracow's Salt Mine Museum . The collection includes antique tools, machinery and equipment, lighting equ ipment, as well as an exposition of surface archeological axcavations and interesting geological specimens. The exhibition also includes painting portraying the work of miners in the old days, old models of buildings and mining structures, and a miniature model of Wieliczka 350 years ago as well as the cross section of the old mine. No description, no matter how detailed, will convey the charm of this mine and its underground attractions. An additional adantage of the mine is its underground microclimate which is especially beneficial for asthma sufferers. Sanatorium stays have even been organized here periodically.
For all those interested in the mine the visiting hours are:
- from 16 April to 15 October - 8am- 6pm
- from 16 October to 15 April - 8am - 4pm
An English, French, Spanish, German, Russian or Italian speaking quide may be hired.
For more detailed information and guide reservations, please contact the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine, Department of Tourist Services, Park Kingi 1, ph (0-12) 78-26-53, fax: (0-12) 78-62-32.
The "Wieliczka" salt mine is also operating production complex which offers many varities of salt for sale. You may purchase here measured iodic salt, "Salvita" salt, dietic salt for people with high blood pressure, salt tablets, "Kinga" bath salt, "Regis " foot salt, and feed supplements for animals - "Wisole'.
More detailed price and terms of sale information is available through the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine, Marketing Department, 32-020 Wieliczka, Park Kingi 1, phone (0-12) 78-68-00, fax (0-120 78-42-46.
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