🧂 Wieliczka: a journey to the underground salt kingdom
Wieliczka is a small town 10 kilometers from Krakow, which is famous throughout the world for its salt mines, included in the UNESCO list. This is clearly not a place you return to often (although there are different routes there), but it is clearly one of those that is impossible to forget. The taste of salt from the fountain is so accurate.
How often do you see underground chapels with salt chandeliers? I doubt. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is unique and worth your attention. I'll explain why.
About 20 thousand people live in Wieliczka, and a million tourists come there every year. Once upon a time, local mines were the largest in Europe; they may have lost their scale, but their authenticity has not.
The length of all underground corridors is about 300 kilometers. It is clear that only a small part is accessible to tourists, only 3.5 km, but what!
How to get there?
The easiest way to get to Wieliczka from the center of Krakow is by train or bus. But as I already said, the distance between the cities is only 10 kilometers, so you can get there inexpensively by taxi.
When did the mines appear?
Salt mining was carried out in mines from the 13th to the 20th century. This is the only mining facility in the world that has operated continuously from the Middle Ages to the present day. As the guide, a Pole, offtopic, emphasized more than once: you will be lucky if he becomes your guide – only free people worked in the mine, no slaves. Actually, it is impossible to get into the salt mines without an accompanying person. But believe me, this will not be a boring and even slightly interactive lecture: you will be able to test yourself in the role of a miner, start different mechanisms, and try salt water from a source. If you come with children, they will also like it; part of the route intersects with the children's program.
How to order a ticket?
Now the tourist route operates from 9:00 to 17:00. Tours are conducted in different languages - at 13:45 daily. You can find out more information on the official website, buy tickets there or directly at the box office. The cost of a ticket for an adult is 116 zlotys (about 27 euros), with a tour in Polish – 86 zlotys.
What awaits you inside?
During the tour you will see dozens of salt sculptures, bas-reliefs, underground lakes, and chapels. Various conferences, concerts, and sporting events are even held in the dungeons. Couples get married there (expensive, but unusual).
Where you really need to be careful is on the first descent of the 380-step staircase to a depth of 64 meters – you will only get to the first level of the mine. You may feel dizzy, so it is recommended to hold on to the handrails. But I’ll reassure you right away, you’ll be going back up on the high-speed elevator.
The excursion is about three hours, but after completing the tourist route, you will have a lot of free time until the mines close. You can calmly walk in the permitted area, look at objects, have lunch at the “Miner’s Karchma”, buy souvenirs made from salt, even cosmetics and jewelry.
Inside the mines, the temperature never rises above +17 °C, so you won’t have to take off your outer clothing. Small bags can also be brought in. The only strict rule is not to smoke. You will also be given a short educational program on chemistry and explosiveness – this is an equally exciting part of the route.
What to see in the salt mines?
During the tourist route, do not miss the chamber of Nicolaus Copernicus with a huge statue of the astronomer made of salt.
You will also see the Chapel of St. Kinga – this is the famous underground church of the late 19th century.
All the decorations there are made of salt: a huge chandelier and several smaller ones, statues of saints, even a copy of the Last Supper.
You will pass by unique salt lakes with bright emerald water, the photos from there will be amazing.
You will find a baby dragon and her mother – the kids will definitely like this, as will the exhibition with the gnome miners.
What routes are there?
In addition to the tourist one, there is also a mining one, they do not intersect. Therefore, the second one is usually chosen by those who want to get the most from salt mines. An underground salt labyrinth, the most mysterious and inaccessible chambers, and even a mini-quest await you, during which you will search for and extract salt yourself, control the atmospheric parameters in the mine, and complete other tasks from the guide. You will learn all the most interesting things about the work of a miner, carpenter, and methane meter. The ticket price and visiting conditions are similar to the tourist route.
There is also a healing cooling tower in the salt mines. You can go there without a guide, buy a one-time visit, although many locals go there for treatment. Salt is beneficial for the respiratory tract, so it will be very useful for allergy sufferers, people after pulmonary diseases or children to go there for prevention.
What else is there in Wieliczka?
The city is not that big, but in good weather it is pleasant to wander around. There is a souvenir market, several bars and restaurants, parks, churches, museums, hotels.
It's worth walking to the Church of St. Sebastian. This is a wooden church located on a mountain on the outskirts of the city. That is why few people get to it. But the building is curious: wooden Gothic, 16th century.
Souvenirs
To be in Wieliczka and not buy salt for souvenirs is a crime, especially since it is sold in any form: both in magnets and in lamps. Your choice: medical and SPA cosmetics, various figurines, soft toys with bags of salt. Choose what you like the most. You can buy souvenirs both in the city and in the mines themselves.
Wieliczka is a city that divides people into two categories: some say that this is a place for once, while others are ready to return there and explore all the secrets of the medieval mines. Whatever category you find yourself in, your first visit will definitely impress.