33 Wieliczka Salt Mine Facts That Every Tourist Needs To Know

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is in Kraków metropolitan region, near Wieliczka town, in Southern Poland.

The upwelling brine of this underground mine has been used to manufacture sodium chloride (table salt) since Neolithic times. The Wieliczka Salt Mine of Poland, which dates back to the 13th century and is one among the world's oldest active underground salt mines, produced table salt continuously until 2007.

Throughout its existence, the royal salt mine was run by the UPY Krakowskie (Kraków Salt Mines) corporation.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine of Poland is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an official Pomnik Historii (Polish Historic Monument).

The tunnels and labyrinthine corridors, exhibitions of old salt-mining technologies, underground lakes, four chapels, several sculptures etched out of rock salt by miners, and more modern sculptures by contemporary artists are among the attractions present inside Wieliczka salt mines.

With a guided tour, you can tour through these underground attractions via a tourist route and with the help of a tour guide.

History Of Wieliczka Salt Mine

In the 13th century, the town of Wieliczka excavated the first mining tunnels. The Krakow salt mine is, therefore, nearly 700 years old.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine of Poland has a depth of about 0.2 mi (0.32 km) and stretches for approximately 178 mi (287 km) along horizontal corridors and chambers. The rock salt is grey in color, resembling raw granite instead of the white crystalline material that you would anticipate.

Brine has been gathered and analyzed for its table salt (sodium chloride) content since the 13th century. Wells were dug, and the first shafts for extracting rock salt were excavated during this time period. Saltworks Castle was constructed in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Kraków Saltworks Museum is presently located in Wieliczka salt mines.

King Casimir III the Great (ruled 1333–1370) aided the growth of the Wieliczka Salt Mine by bestowing various privileges on it and taking care of the workers. He established a hospital near the salt mines in 1363.

Many chambers were sunk, and different technologies, such as the Saxon treadmill and the Hungarian horse treadmill for bringing salt to the surface, were installed throughout the mines' history. The invading Germans utilized the mine as an underground complex for war-related production during the Second World War.

The mine has an underground lake, exhibitions on salt mining history, and a 2.2 mi (3.5 km) visitors' trail (less than 2% of the entire length of the mines) with sculptures carved from rock salt at different dates. The Wieliczka Salt Mine was then included in the initial UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.

Formation Of Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Poland Wieliczka mine's magnificent subterranean landscapes owe their beauty to nature, which molded the rocks into distinctive, diverse, and difficult shapes. It's worth noting that the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland has a geological structure unlike anything else on the planet.

Strong rock mass motions were related to the elevation of the Carpathians after the deposition of rock salts. The Carpathian Mountains' tectonic activity caused salt strata to fold, detaching them from the earth and pushing them at least a dozen kilometers to the north. Consequently, the salts were raised to the surface, allowing for their early identification and use.

The deposit was fashioned into a highly peculiar structure by the Carpathians acting as a huge bulldozer moving rock masses. The Wieliczka deposit is distinguished by its two-fold structure.

It is divided into an upper lump deposit and a lower bedded deposit. The lump deposit is one of a kind on the planet.

It is made up of lumps of rock salt that range in size from the size of a basketball to huge blocks, as the name suggests.

After reaching the subsurface via mining, the miners built corridors in which they sought lumps of salt, extracting the salt and building subterranean rooms. The most attractive chambers in the mine are used to extract salt lumps, one of which is the patron saint Kinga's Chapel, which travelers on the Tourist Route visit.

Structural Details Of Wieliczka Salt Mine

The mine is now one of Poland's designated national historical monuments (Pomniki historii), with hundreds of sculptures and four chapels carved out of rock salt as attractions. In addition, new carvings created by current artists have been added to the earlier statues.

A chapel and a reception area are available for special gatherings, such as weddings. Miners carve the walls of a chamber to seem like wood, similar to a wooden chapel erected in the early ages.

The mine's 210 ft (64 m) nine levels are reached through a wooden stairway.

The 1.9 mi (3 km) trip includes hallways, chapel, sculptures, and a 443 ft (135 m) subterranean lake. Visitors are returned to the surface by an elevator; the elevator carries 36 people (nine each) and takes approximately 30 seconds to complete the journey.

Tourism Related To The Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka mine is a Polish national historical monument, with hundreds of sculptures and four chapels carved out of rock salt by the workers. The Wieliczka Salt Mine attracts 1.2 million visitors per year.

Nicolaus Copernicus, Alexander von Humboldt, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Dmitri Mendeleyev, Fryderyk Chopin, Ignacy Paderewski, Boleslaw Prus, Jacob Bronowski (who filmed segments of The Ascent of Man in the mine), Robert Baden-Powell, Karol Wojtyla (later Pope John Paul), and the von Unrug family (a prominent Polish-German royal family) are some of its famous visitors from Europe and beyond.

FAQs

When was the Wieliczka Salt Mine discovered?

The Wieliczka Salt Mine was discovered in the 13th century in the southern Polish town of Wieliczka.

Is Wieliczka Salt Mine worth visiting?

Yes, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is definitely worth visiting.

Why is the Wieliczka Salt Mine important?

It is important because it is an underground wonderland depicting the rich history of Poland.

How much does it cost to go to the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

The cost of entrance to the mine varies. For example, a popular guided tour costs roughly $10.82 per person, while entrance tickets presently charge $32.37.

How deep is the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

The Wieliczka Salt Mine hits a depth of 0.2 mi (327 m) and stretches over 178 mi (287 km) along horizontal corridors and chambers.

Where is the largest salt mine in the world?

The largest salt mine in the world is in Ontario and is named Sifto Salt Mines.

Is salt more valuable than gold?

In ancient times, salt was more valuable than gold but not now.

Why are there clapperboards in the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

The clapperboards are for touring purposes.

How many stairs are there in the Wieliczka Salt Mine?

The salt mine has nearly 800 stairs, but you get to utilize the lift when you take a personal tour.