Salt Mine in Wieliczka

Already during the 2nd UNESCO Conference on the List of World Heritage the Polish “Wieliczka” Salt Mine was entered into UNESCO's First World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage. Together with the neighboring Bochnia it is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. These are also one of the oldest running companies in the world.

Since a very long time ago, thanks to the process of evaporation, salt was obtained from naturally occurring brine springs. At some point the springs dried out and that was when “the Borlach rule” came into effect.

When the route starts the visitors are stunned by St. Antoine’s Chapel. The first mass was read here in 1698. In the Janowice Chamber a group of figures sculpted in salt illustrate the legend of the Ring of St. Kinga of Poland which was found in the first lump of salt. In the Burned Chamber (Komora Spalona), dangerous work involving methane burning is depicted. An interesting chamber is the towering Pieskowa Skała Chamber, forged around 1669. It combines level I - at 64 meters - with level II – at 90 meters. The remainings of old stairs used by the porters can still be seen here.