Hello friends, we have arrived at the attraction that interested me most, to do in Poland near Krakow, it was to visit the Wieliczka salt mines, which are located about 15 kilometers from Krakow, I got there by train paying a few euros, a very cheap and easy way to reach this UNESCO heritage, Yes because practically since 1998 the rock salt has no longer been collected but they have become a real museum
Its activity, the mine lasted more than 700 years. Selgem was practically defined as the white gold of Poland because it guaranteed more than a third of the revenue of the Kingdom of Poland. So you can imagine what a wealth salt was once, also because it was essential for the preservation of food.
To visit these mines you have to pay a fairly high ticket, around 50 euros. However, you also have to consider that you visit these mines with a guide. Furthermore, I had already booked the guide in Italian several months ago, there are not many guides during the day, but since there are guides in all languages, this is also very convenient for understanding
The tour basically lasts about three hours, it's not tiring to do, but you have to travel almost 3 and a half km, the mine is practically spread over 9 levels and you practically have to move a lot from one room to another through tunnels that are quite large, at the beginning you go down a lot of stairs, I think there are more than 400 steps, and then you continue to move, you see the chapel of Santa Kinga, many salt statues that were made by sculptors, and also numerous underground salt lakes that have formed in recent years, and from where some of these are still extracted a little salt, Yes because in part they still work in the mine, In fact I met some miners who still follow the maintenance of the museum, let's say.
Let's say it was a great experience, because I had never entered a real mine, honestly I didn't see many things, also because some instances were unfortunately under maintenance, in fact with the breathing of all these people who visit these mines the degradation of the sculptures and let's say of the salt is accelerated, I would have liked it more if maybe the guide had dwelt a little more on the history of this mine, let's say that the price is almost right for the visit to this mine, also because it must be considered that they need to be maintained
However, I definitely recommend you visit here. I recommend booking well in advance if you choose a guide who speaks your language because there certainly won't be much availability, and if you arrive at the place at the last minute you risk being placed inside a random guide, therefore not understanding what the guide is saying.
I thank you for reading the post. See you next time.
| Detail | Useful Notes |
|---|---|
| Tour Duration | Approximately 2 - 3 hours for the Tourist Route. |
| Physical Effort | At the start, you walk down about 380 wooden steps to reach the first level (return is via a high-speed elevator). |
| Temperature | Constant year-round between 14°C and 16°C (57°F - 61°F): dressing in layers is recommended even in summer. |
| How to get there from Krakow | Local train from Krakow Main Station (Kraków Główny) to Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia (approx. 20-25 minutes) or bus line 304. |
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