While we were visiting Krakow, we took a day trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The salt mine at Wieliczka is one of the most popular tourist sites in Poland. Underground mining has taken place here for almost nine centuries. This site was entered on UNESCO's first World Heritage List.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is amazing. The miners here, over a 900 year period of time have created a system of tunnels and caverns by removing the salt as part of the mining process. The salt mine has nine different levels at depths of 64 to 327 meters. There are over 300 kilometers of tunnels with about 3000 chambers. The miners have carved statues, stairways, flooring, and even salt chandeliers. Tourists started visiting the mine as early as the 15th century.
Today's Tourist Route includes some beautiful chambers, underground chapels, and lakes. It consists of 22 chambers connected by tunnels with a total distance of about 2 kilometers. The route goes from levels 1 (depth of 64 meters) to level 3 (depth of 135 meters).
The pictures that we took are generally disappointing because of the lighting. Most of them were of poor quality but I will put some of them in the blog so that you can get a taste of the experience. Speaking of taste--after being in the mine for a short time, you could taste the salt on your lips. Some of the pictures show reflections of light from the salt suspended in the air. There is also a health spa in the mine. Apparently, the air in the mine has medicinal properties and helps people with respiratory ailments.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is amazing. The miners here, over a 900 year period of time have created a system of tunnels and caverns by removing the salt as part of the mining process. The salt mine has nine different levels at depths of 64 to 327 meters. There are over 300 kilometers of tunnels with about 3000 chambers. The miners have carved statues, stairways, flooring, and even salt chandeliers. Tourists started visiting the mine as early as the 15th century.
Today's Tourist Route includes some beautiful chambers, underground chapels, and lakes. It consists of 22 chambers connected by tunnels with a total distance of about 2 kilometers. The route goes from levels 1 (depth of 64 meters) to level 3 (depth of 135 meters).
The pictures that we took are generally disappointing because of the lighting. Most of them were of poor quality but I will put some of them in the blog so that you can get a taste of the experience. Speaking of taste--after being in the mine for a short time, you could taste the salt on your lips. Some of the pictures show reflections of light from the salt suspended in the air. There is also a health spa in the mine. Apparently, the air in the mine has medicinal properties and helps people with respiratory ailments.
Getting ready to ride the bus to Wieliczka
The Wieliczka Salt Mine
To begin the tour, we went down 58 sets of stairs--down to a depth of 64 meters.
Bumpa's arms were tired from carrying the little one.
Someone was a little bit nervous about being underground. She quickly got over it.
The wooden cribbing works very well as it get saturated with the salt.
Metal would not hold up over the years the way that wood does.
Machinery used for lifting salt to the surface
Salt in the rocks in the walls of the tunnels
Statue of Nicholas Copernicus--the Polish astronomer who visited the mine in 1493
Statues in the Janowice Chamber
Statue of a soldier
The Spalone Chamber
One of many chambers in the salt mine
Casmir the Great
Old mining transport devices
Horses were used to haul salt
Horses were also used to turn the treadmills
Going down to the next level of the mine
Steps cut into the salt rock that the miners used over the years
St. Kinga's Chapel
The most impressive room that we saw on the tour. The chamber is about 54 meters long, 15-18 meters wide, and 12 meters high. All of the statues, floor, chandeliers, etc. are carved out of salt. Weekly religious services are held here.
Enjoying St. Kinga's Chapel
Salt Chandelier
Salt Floor
Salt steps leading down to St. Kinga's Chapel
Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child
Christ teaching in the Temple
The Last Supper
Alter in St. Kinga's Chapel
Pope John Paul II
Dwarves in the salt mine
Large Chamber
Walking through one of the tunnels
UNESCO World Heritage Site--one of the originals
Trying to take a picture
Playing in the mine
St. John's Chapel
No comments:
Post a Comment