When this Coronavirus crisis is over, we will all be able to go plan to our travel plans – and that day WILL come! In my last blog post, Top 10 Things to See in Kraków, I briefly mentioned the wonderful ancient Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is located just outside the main city, and makes for an excellent half day trip. Salt mining began here in 1280, was a big part of establishing Kraków as an economic hub, and the mine was still was fully functioning until 1996, and now open (when the virus scare is over, of course) for visitors like us. The mine is impressive in itself but what puts the tour over the top are the sculptures that were created by the miners out of rock salt in their spare time! During the eight centuries producing salt, miners began to carve into the walls of the mine. They first started carving figures into the salt, and when they wanted a place to pray, they began to carve chapels. In 1978, the mine was recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The mine is huge – over 2,000 chambers and would add up to be 190 miles if they were all connected. You can only see parts of three levels (about 1 ½ miles) so don’t worry about the weeks you would need to see all! I didn’t do the math, but our guide said the mine is so huge that visitors only see about 2% of the mine on the tours! The tour starts above ground, but you quickly go down a mine shaft via elevator to the underground levels. The mine reaches a depth of 442 feet and has a stable temperature of 55 degrees – it will be chilly so definitely bring a jacket.
The miners relied heavily on horsepower (yes, live, real horses not like a truck) – the last one only left 17 years ago. There are displays throughout the mine that illustrate how things were done, which was really fascinating to observe.
But even before mining began, it is important to know that the native people here began extracting salt from this region 6,000 years ago. In fact, some Roman soldiers were actually paid in salt, way back then, as it was actually very valuable because salt at that time was one of the only ways to preserve food. Fun fact: salt was so valuable; it was often referred to as “white gold”.
The first chamber you enter when you go in to the mine is a chamber from the 18th century – the Kopernik (Copernicus) Chamber – remember from a previous blog that he was born in Torun, Poland and the people are so proud of that? Well, so proud that the chamber was named after him and a sculpture was created in his likeness – completely out of salt. Another impressive sculpture here is called the Great Legend of the Sad Queen – the detail, of which, is absolutely remarkable!
From there, we entered another area, the Spalone Chamber, from the 17th century. Here the guide showed us how they manually ventilated the air with an apparatus that resembled a broom. It was very interesting because at one point, they completely turned out the lights and we got to experience what it must’ve been like down there in complete darkness. It was rather unsettling to be in that environment.
After that, we made our way down stairs to level 2 which was opened to the public in 1864. This is still about 270 feet below ground. This area gives a great illustration of how the power of water was used to mine the salt. I couldn’t help thinking how this must have been like watching a scientific marvel at that time. This area was eerie and beautiful at the same time. There was an area where several salt-sculptured gnomes were pitching in to help – they reminded me of Snow White’s Seven dwarfs – I actually think that was the intention.
There are 26 chapels total for prayer in the mine – remember that we are in Poland and the people here are very religious, so prayer has always been very important in their culture. These chapels are primarily for prayer, but many elements are also here for aesthetics – of course, all of them were created from salt. The chandeliers for instance are made of crystal salt rocks. It was spectacular to behold.
The Chapel of Saint Kinga is the largest and most beautiful (and still active) chapel here. It was founded in 1896 but took 67 years to build. The giant room is beautifully stunning. I just couldn’t believe the walls and sculptures inside are carved all out of salt! Even the stairs are made from salt. We toured this incredible place and were amazed at its splendor. The chandeliers and carvings in the walls were absolutely exquisite
The Wisla Chamber is another lovely chapel that was used for prayer, and is called St. John the Baptist Chapel. It is simple with an understated elegance!
Want to hold a function for 400 people in an ancient salt mine? No problem! You can do that here, as well. Today, the mine host hundreds of guests at weddings, business meetings, concerts, fashion shows, and galas in its lovely “reception room”.
Another fun fact, the air in the mine has been known for its purifying properties for centuries but in 1965, a spa was opened to take advantage of the allergen- and pollution-free air available hundreds of feet underground. The spa offers rehabilitation programs for people suffering from respiratory problems and visitors who just would like to experience pure clean air. We didn’t stay to take advantage of this but sounds intriguing for sure!
So, when this world crisis is all settled and you are once again making travel plans, the salt mine just outside of Kraków is a must visit if you are traveling to the area. The carvings and underground lakes are spectacular.
On another note, I will be taking an indefinite break from my travel blog. We had to cancel our trip to the UK and Ireland planned for next month, but we have our fingers crossed to be able to continue our planned visit to Bavaria and Switzerland in September. In the meantime, I hope everyone stays safe and let’s all keep our spirits high – we will get through this! I have mentioned this before but please follow me on Instagram or Facebook under Late Bloomer Traveler as I hope to be able to do some local travel in the near future. Thanks for following me on this fun ride called TRAVEL.