The Salt Mines Near Krakow - Kopalnia soli Wieliczka

If I was a bit surprised by how far Auschwitz is from Krakow, then I was equally surprised by how close to Krakow the Salt Mines are.

The Salt Mines date back from the 12th or even the 10th century, according to "Insight Guides: Poland" updated 2002 edition. According to Wikepedia, they dates back to the 13t century. Main point is, the Salt Mines are old, and remained in active operation until 2007, producing table salt  It is Poland's oldest salt mines, and possibly the world's oldest salt mines! It is listed by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage List.

The mines go well over 300 metres down, or a thousand feet down below the ground. They are huge! It cannot be overstated just how huge the mines are, with over 150 km, or 93 miles, of tunnels.

What makes these particularly unique and worthy of a visit (this place gets over a million visits per year!) are the sculptures and rooms that have been carved down here. It is truly like an underground city, with some gorgeous rooms that are beautifully crafted.  Some of the pictures below came out fairly decently, and some others considerably less so. Yet, none of them quite do justice to how they actually look. If you want a better idea, I would recommend doing some online research with a search engine, and taking a gander at some better quality pictures then the ones that I took with a fairly cheap, more or less piece of crap camera. Look at the pictures others have online or, better yet, find your way to Krakow, if at all possible, and take a visit for yourself! Krakow as a city is worth the trip (I will be posting much more about my trip to Krakow in the following days, having stalled for far too long on this simple task, for a variety of reasons).

There are all sorts of things here! There are underground lakes which reflect the lights beautifully. There is a sanitorium that treats patience. There is an underground hotel, some reception rooms for events. There are exhibits and galleries. There are several chapels, and even a cathedral, all underground! According to Wikepedia, it has gained the nickname, "The Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland".

There have been some famous visitors to the site, including Copernicus, Goethe, Von Humbolt, Chopin, Pope John Paul II, and Bill Clinton. During World War II, it was used by the occupying German forces for military purposes.

If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in beautiful Krakow, I would definitely recommend a visit to this place. It takes maybe around three or so hours with a guided tour, although you can stay longer if you would like. It is a unique place to visit, probably unlike anything you have seen.

Here are some sites that might prove informative and helpful about this place:

http://www.krakow-info.com/wielicz.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine

http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/about-the-mine

The exterior building, which has the entrance down to the Salt Mines. It's a long and steep climb down quite a few tight flights of stairs, so if you plan a visit, prepare yourself!

The Cathedral

One of the reception rooms