Salt Mine 
Cracow Salt-Works Museum, ul Zamkowa 8, 32-020 Wieliczka, Tel: 12-4221947, 12-2783266, Fax: 12-2783028 E-mail:
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| Location: | In Wieliczka, 14km south-east of Cracow. |
| Open: | 16.Apr-15.Oct daily 8-18, 16.Oct-15.Apr daily 8-16. |
| Fee: | |
| Classification: | Salt Mine |
| Light: | electric. |
| Dimension: | 7.5 million m², L=320,000m, D=315m, T=14°C. |
| Guided tours: | D=150min, L=3,500m, D=135m. |
| Bibliography: | |
| Address: | Kopalnia Soli "Wieliczka" Trasa Turytyczna sp. z o.o., ul. Danilowicza
10, 32-020 Wieliczka, Tel. 12-2787302, Tel. 12-2787366, Fax: 12-2787333.
E-mail:
Cracow Salt-Works Museum, ul Zamkowa 8, 32-020 Wieliczka, Tel: 12-4221947, 12-2783266, Fax: 12-2783028 E-mail: |
| Last update: | $Date: 2006/08/23 00:09:50 $ |
| 1119 | first time mentioned as Magnum Sol or Wielika Sol. | |
| 1290 | start of salt mining according to legend. | |
| 13?? | 60 saxon miners came to Wieliczka and built new salt mines. | |
| 1368 | the statutes of King Kasimir the Great ruled the rights and privileges of the miners. | |
| 1826-1846 | salt water from the mine used in a spa. | |
| 1897-1927 | Nikolaus Kopernikus skulptured in salt. | |
| 1950 | parts of the mine improved to make a museum and show mine. | |
| 1958 | spa revived by Professor Mieczysław Skulimowski. | |
| 1978 | listed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. | |
| 1992 | an inundation of water threatened an important part of the tourist route. | |
| 1996 | salt mining stopped, salt deposits nearly completely mined. Opened as show mine. |
The Royal salt mine "Wieliczka" is like a vast underground city. It is the oldest working mine which is open for tourists in Europe. Salt was mined here as long as 700 years ago and today the mine consists of nine levels going down to a depth of 327m. There are 2,040 chambers connected by 200km of passages.
The water of the springs in this area always contained salt, which was used at least for 5,000 years. The water was cooked on fire until the whole water was gone and the salt remained in the pot. But in the 13th century the mining for salt started. How this happened is told in an old legend about princess Kinga, who was later beatified and is the patron saint of the miners around Krakow.
The Hungarian princess Kinga was to marry the sovereign of Krakow. She wanted to bring a wealthy gift for her fiancé. As the people in Poland had everything except salt, she asked her father for a salt mine as adowry, which he provided. She threw one of her rings into a salt mine of her father and travelled to Poland. Near Krakow, in Wieliczka she told the people to dig a deep pit. The miners found salt, and enclosed in the first piece of salt they mined was the ring of Kinga.
The mine contains, beneath the mine itself, numerous churches, chapels, and rooms for leisure activities. Near the entrance is the chapel of Saint Antonius located. The whole room was covered with sculptures made of salt. But as the chapel is close to the entrance, the moist of the air destroyed the figures. Today they look like modern art, or maybe prehistoric sculptures.
Other churches, like the Cathedral, are well preserved. Here even the chandeliers are made of salt. The walls are covered with sculpureds of saints and scenes from the bible. Sometimes the room is used for weddings.
In 1978 the mine was included in the First World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO and in 1994 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Poland, it was recognised as a Monument of History of the Polish Nation.
In 1992 there was an inundation of water from some old workings which threatened not only an important part of the tourist route containing many statues and carvings, but also endangered the town itself. A succesful cleanup operation was carried out and the mine was once again reopened to the public.
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) The website of a German documentary IV series showing UNESCO
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