There’s A Salt Mine In Poland With Underground Lakes, Chapels, And Chandeliers Made Of Salt And It Looks Unreal (30 Pics)
InterviewSitting on everyone’s kitchen counter is the kitchen staple so basic it’s borderline boring. And as I write, I’m already thinking of salt more than I have in this past year combined.
But the Wieliczka salt mine, near Krakow, Poland proves that salt can be a masterpiece on its own. The mine was first opened in the 13th century, and today, it’s a part of the First UNESCO World Heritage List. For a reason! The salt mine, which reaches -1072 ft at its deepest point, features underground lakes, 2,000 chambers, and chapels equipped with enormous chandeliers. And if that wasn’t enough, every little thing is made of salt. The mine is so unreal, it brings to mind a level in Tomb Raider, rather than a place thanks to which I season my dinner.
More info: Wieliczka-SaltMine.com
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Had my prom down there in the late 90s. If you never moshed to Nirvana 125 metres underground, well, your loss.
Ann!! That's such a beautiful memory to have 🤗🤗🤗 🐾
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This is the biggest chapel in this mine with the most figurines and decorations. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the statues are all salt! Our guide told us we can taste it. Licked a finger damp, rubbed it against basically anything, and tasted it. Yup, it's salt. Haha, kinda gross but gotta try it.
The history of Wieliczka salt mine dates back to the Middle Ages, when it used to be called the Magnum Sal, or the Great Salt. In the 13th century, it was the largest source of salt in the country, which was crucial to the country’s economy. Today, it’s one of the main tourist attractions in Poland.
Bored Panda contacted Aleksandra Sieradzka from the marketing and communications department at the Wieliczka Salt Mine to find out more about this breathtaking place.
Aleksandra told us that all the 2000 chambers in the mine are carved of salt. “The corridors and even the floor are made of salt.” There two chapels of St. Kinga and St. Anthony that are both made entirely of salt, including the altars and the statues of saints that were carved by the sculptor miners. “The chandeliers also contain crystal salt—the purest type of salt.”
Salt may seem like a fragile and delicate material, but it has a hardness similar to that of gypsum. “The processing of salt itself is not difficult; however, in order to professionally carve in salt, one needs to have a lot of experience with this material,” explained Aleksandra. “Every block of salt is different—it differs not only in size or hardness, but also in color, which can be used in an interesting way in the act of creation.”
Aleksandra confirmed that, if you’re lucky, you can pop into a party or two at the Mine. “That is true, there are a couple of chambers where you can have a party. One big ballroom (Warszawa Chamber) and a few smaller ones. The Mine is famous for its New Year’s concerts that take place during the first weekend of January.”
We can only imagine how enormous the whole underground structure is, because only 2% of it is accessible to tourists. Meanwhile, the salt mine corridors form an actual labyrinth which stretches up to a whopping 498 ft in length. There are 9 levels in total and the lowest one is located at 1072 ft below ground.
But Wieliczka is only the fifth-biggest salt mine out there. Ontario is home to the biggest one in the world, which is located 1800 ft under Lake Huron. Compass Minerals’ Goderich salt mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. The second-biggest is Khewra Salt Mines in Pakistan, and the third place belongs to Prahova Salt Mine in Romania.
The work and effort to make this place of beauty was staggeringly and eminently breathtaking in my opinion!
Everything about this place is so beautiful wonderful, it just feeds the imagination in so many ways. I would love to know who carved the statues, who made the beautiful Chandeliers and how long has it taken to do all this. Thank you Bored Panda Staff for this which as usual is what you do best only the most beautiful post and I love them all. Ed
Went to Poland a couple of years ago to visit some historical places related to WWII, since I've got some free time I've made the tour in the Salt Mine without any expectation. Turned out to be the most astonishing place i've visited so far. Incredibe!
There are a lot of other salt mines in Poland, but this one is by far the best I've been to
Load More Replies...They let you get married there. And on admission they tell you there is a sizeable portion of salt you have to have to lick off the walls before you leave. Kinda old joke, but I believed it. Just once 😌
I still have the salt from the shop 😂 They also have Sunday mass in the chapel, I am not sure if it costs money, but I think that is pretty cool for anyone interested!
Load More Replies...I only went there once when I was a kid, what I remember most is a statue of a dog made out of salt, that had a large indentation in its head because people licked it so much :D
A lot of this remind me of the Phantom Of The Opera sets. Really neat stuff!
I thought of Erebor from The Hobbit. It looks amazing either way!
Load More Replies...There's a salt mine open to tourists in Hutchinson, Kansas which goes over 600 feet down and is most notable for containing old film and TV reels, costumes and other memorabilia, as well as other relics such as newspapers from the time of Lincoln's assassination, all of which can only survive in the ultra low humidity and moderate temperature environment. The mine/museum is called Strataca and it might as well be a damn shoe closet after seeing this gorgeous transformation of earth in Poland!
I went here a year ago around this time. Absolutely beautiful and stunning! It was definitely quite an experience and would love to go again too!
I wonder if it smells like the sea in that cave system? It looks spectacular and is much larger than any caves I've been in (and never in a salt mine!).
Not like the sea, not to me at least. Like a mineral, sort of ston-y, raw, unscented natural smell. But it might have been the humid air, not the salt. And the air there is very clean and healthy for anyone with pulmonological issues.
Load More Replies...I went to visit this as a kid, some 30-odd years ago! Even as a kid, I found it very impressive. But my best memories were the bath salts from the shop, they smelled so good :-)
The photos really do the place justice (the one I made, so many years ago, reallly didn't...)
I was there many years ago. I remember one of the chapels is dedicated to St Barbara (my name), the patron of miners amongst others. I think some of the wooden walkways have been added in the half a lifetime since, as I don't remember so many.
Been there 2 times (not so far from Poland/Slovakia borderline), it's place definitely worth to see it!
Beautiful ! There's also a very beautiful salt cathedral in Bogota Colombia . Google it!
Somebody needs to do some fact-checking on the information in the mines website. Some of their statements don't pass the basic sniff-test. You want me to believe that by the end of the middle ages the place employed 350 people, yet only produced 7-8 tonnes of salt per year? So each employee managed to scrape up two ounces per day? 7-8 tonnes per day is a much more believable figure (still only 44lbs per person)
It was only a seasonal work at this times when the workers were not required in the fields, it is written on the website. Now you need to fact-check your own fact-checking.
Load More Replies...Went to Poland a couple of years ago to visit some historical places related to WWII, since I've got some free time I've made the tour in the Salt Mine without any expectation. Turned out to be the most astonishing place i've visited so far. Incredibe!
There are a lot of other salt mines in Poland, but this one is by far the best I've been to
Load More Replies...They let you get married there. And on admission they tell you there is a sizeable portion of salt you have to have to lick off the walls before you leave. Kinda old joke, but I believed it. Just once 😌
I still have the salt from the shop 😂 They also have Sunday mass in the chapel, I am not sure if it costs money, but I think that is pretty cool for anyone interested!
Load More Replies...I only went there once when I was a kid, what I remember most is a statue of a dog made out of salt, that had a large indentation in its head because people licked it so much :D
A lot of this remind me of the Phantom Of The Opera sets. Really neat stuff!
I thought of Erebor from The Hobbit. It looks amazing either way!
Load More Replies...There's a salt mine open to tourists in Hutchinson, Kansas which goes over 600 feet down and is most notable for containing old film and TV reels, costumes and other memorabilia, as well as other relics such as newspapers from the time of Lincoln's assassination, all of which can only survive in the ultra low humidity and moderate temperature environment. The mine/museum is called Strataca and it might as well be a damn shoe closet after seeing this gorgeous transformation of earth in Poland!
I went here a year ago around this time. Absolutely beautiful and stunning! It was definitely quite an experience and would love to go again too!
I wonder if it smells like the sea in that cave system? It looks spectacular and is much larger than any caves I've been in (and never in a salt mine!).
Not like the sea, not to me at least. Like a mineral, sort of ston-y, raw, unscented natural smell. But it might have been the humid air, not the salt. And the air there is very clean and healthy for anyone with pulmonological issues.
Load More Replies...I went to visit this as a kid, some 30-odd years ago! Even as a kid, I found it very impressive. But my best memories were the bath salts from the shop, they smelled so good :-)
The photos really do the place justice (the one I made, so many years ago, reallly didn't...)
I was there many years ago. I remember one of the chapels is dedicated to St Barbara (my name), the patron of miners amongst others. I think some of the wooden walkways have been added in the half a lifetime since, as I don't remember so many.
Been there 2 times (not so far from Poland/Slovakia borderline), it's place definitely worth to see it!
Beautiful ! There's also a very beautiful salt cathedral in Bogota Colombia . Google it!
Somebody needs to do some fact-checking on the information in the mines website. Some of their statements don't pass the basic sniff-test. You want me to believe that by the end of the middle ages the place employed 350 people, yet only produced 7-8 tonnes of salt per year? So each employee managed to scrape up two ounces per day? 7-8 tonnes per day is a much more believable figure (still only 44lbs per person)
It was only a seasonal work at this times when the workers were not required in the fields, it is written on the website. Now you need to fact-check your own fact-checking.
Load More Replies...