Wieliczka Salt Mine

Posted by Alex in Pictures, Travel & Places on August 4, 2007 at 3:51 pm



The Erazm Baracz Chamber in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland


The Last Supper carved in rock-salt, in the St. Kinga’s Chapel, Wieliczka Salt Mine
(Photo: Adam Kumiszcza, Wikipedia)

The Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow, Poland, is the world’s oldest salt mine – in fact, it’s the only mining site in the world that has operated continuously since the Middle Ages!

Today, the mine still produces table salt, as it has been since the 13th century (actually the mine was in operation long before that – the earliest written account of it was dated in the 1105 AD).

The mine is deep and long: it reaches a depth of 327 meters (1,072 feet) and has over 300 km (186 mi.) of tunnels and shafts. Many of its chambers are decorated and fashioned into chapels, complete with amazing artwork sculpted from the very rock salt that made the mine.

Links: Official site (with virtual tour) | Wikipedia entryThanks norberto!

Previously on Neatorama: Salt Hotel in Bolivia (this post was suggested in the comment by norberto)


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COMMENT

8 comments to "Wieliczka Salt Mine"

  1. fine
    August 4th, 2007 at 4:16 pm

    Jedna z najstarszych na świecie kopalni soli kamiennej - 1105 AD.
    It is one of the world's oldest operating salt mines.

    The mine reaches down to a depth of 327 meters, and is over 300 km long.

  2. travelina
    August 4th, 2007 at 7:14 pm

    I've heard about this salt mine but never sawaphotos-- thanks!

    Have you seen this hotel made of salt in Bolivia?
    http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/one-or-two-nights-in-sodium-hotel .html

  3. Bad Cat!
    August 4th, 2007 at 8:30 pm

    I've seen this mine in person - it is absolutly stunning! When I started the tour, I (like most people I would presume) was thinking "Whatever - a salt mine.". This thing was amazing and beautiful!

  4. Cuimhne
    August 4th, 2007 at 10:39 pm

    I've been here too :) School trip when I was about 13. The pervy tour guide kept suggesting that all the class should kiss him. *shudder* Apart from that the mine is INCREDIBLE. The trip down the stairs to get down is ridiculously long. The elevator back out is scary lol, like 8 people on a little two level box (four on top of the other four) and it shoots up so fast....

  5. Keleborn
    August 5th, 2007 at 12:39 am

    Been there too, great place to visit

  6. Lemons
    August 5th, 2007 at 9:17 pm

    The chapel is amazing, especially the chandeliers of salt crystals.

    Another bonus of visiting there is that, if it's summer, it's much cooler down in the mines.

  7. Diego
    August 6th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

    Here is another amazing chapel in another salt mine in Zipaquira, near Bogota(Colombia)
    Check their official website
    http://www.catedraldesal.gov.co/

  8. Kike
    August 6th, 2007 at 2:57 pm

    I've been there a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing. It's something everybody must seen. I have a lot of photos I did inside on my personal blog "Papelera 21".


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