essential - krakow

Wieliczka salt mines

Wieliczka Salt mines are one of Krakow, Poland’s major tourist attractions with approximately 1 m visitors per year being drawn to the magnificent underground sculptures, taverns and chambers.

The salt mines themselves had been in continuous operation from the 13 century right up until 2007 producing table salt deeming it one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines. In places, the mine reaches depths of over 300 m and is made up of a network of passageways totalling approximately 300 m in length.

Salt mine tour

The salt mine tour is a 2 km walk through the depths of the mine taking in incredible statues and sculptures calved from rock salt in the past by the miners themselves and more recently by modern artists. The tour includes 20 historic chambers which themselves are calved out of salt right down to the chandeliers, in which the salt has been modified to make them clear and glass like in appearance.

One of the most striking attractions on the salt mine tour is a massive chamber carved out by miners in the distant past to resemble a wooden chapel – one of the features that has led to the salt mines being named ‘The underground salt Cathedral of Poland’