Salt mines "Wieliczka" - the inexhaustible wealth of the Polish kings

If you think that owning a gold mine is better than a salt mine, then you should definitely visit the Polish city of Wieliczka. This place, located half an hour from Krakow, is considered the oldest salt mining center in Poland. In the Middle Ages, the Wieliczka salt mines were proudly called Magnum Sal, that is, Great Salt. They belonged to the king and provided the lion's share of the proceeds to the state treasury.

A gold or silver mine is fine, but not very reliable. Veins of precious metals are unpredictable and, more often than not, the deposit is rapidly depleted. What can not be said about salt mines that have been developed for centuries! No one knows exactly when the first salt was produced in the Wieliczka mine. But it is well known that in 1044 the deposit began to be considered the privilege of King Casimir I.

For many centuries, Wieliczka provided salt to the inhabitants of the kingdom and supplied a hot commodity for international trade. From old treasury books you can learn that there were periods when it was local salt that formed the basis of the state budget.

Now the mines have become one of the most famous historical monuments in Poland. In 1978 Wieliczka was included in the first UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 1994 it was given the status of a Historical Monument. Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the mines every year. This attraction is surely one of the five most popular in the country.

The scale of the salt mines is amazing. They are located on 9 underground levels, the maximum depth of which is 327 meters. The length of the underground galleries and halls of Velichka is more than 300 km. A very small part is open to visitors - sections about 3.5 km long. Galleries and cameras accessible to tourists are located at a depth of 64 and 135 meters.

The guests of Wieliczka are in for an unexpected surprise. The mines where salt has been mined for centuries do not always look like mine workings. Galleries, ceremonial halls and real Catholic chapels are hidden underground.

There are also underground lakes and rivers, striking in their beauty.

Chapel of the Holy Book is the most famous location of Wieliczka. This is a real cathedral, carved into the rock mass.

The walls of many galleries, chambers and halls are decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures. Some of them were left by miners who worked underground at different times, and some belong to the chisel of later authors - professional sculptors. There are also lounges, cafes, souvenir shops and even a post office in the mines.

The tourist route in the mine is not an easy walk. Visitors to the historical monument have to overcome about 1000 steps, 380 of which are at the very beginning. But if you do not have problems with your legs and heart, then the chance to complete the route from start to finish is very high. The temperature in the mine is always the same, from 14 to 16 degrees Celsius. In the hot summer, the special microclimate of Wieliczka becomes a real gift for guests.

Velichka today is not only an entertainment complex for tourists. There is a sanatorium specializing in the treatment of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract. It occupies three large halls at a depth of 135 meters. Also in the mine you can rent a hall for conferences, banquets and weddings, as well as a concert venue.

If you are interested in Velichka, then you will certainly appreciate the beauty of the Romanian mine Salina Turda.