Don’t Be Salty
If you’re ever in Poland and don’t take the chance to associate salt with having a good time you might be missing out.
“The Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in southern Poland near the city of Krakow, has been worked as a source of rock salt since the late 13th century. The mine consists of over 200 km of underground passages, connecting more than 2000 excavation chambers on 9 underground levels extending down to 327m below the surface. Over the centuries, miners have established a tradition of carving sculptures out of the native rock salt. As a result, the mine contains entire underground churches, altars, bas-reliefs, and dozens of life-size or larger statues. It also houses an underground museum and has a number of special purpose chambers such as a sanatorium for people suffering from respiratory ailments. The largest of the chapels, the Chapel of the Blessed Kings, is located 101 meters below the surface; it is over 50 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 12 meters high. As a testament to its historical and artistic importance, the mine has been placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List of sites designated as having ‘outstanding universal value to mankind.” It receives up to a million visitors yearly, most of them during the warmer summer months.'” Source: https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/resources/detailed-rocks-and-minerals-articles/salt
They also have a very cool website with two virtual tours. Both are worth taking. Check it all out below.
Home Page: The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine
Virtual Tours:
