The Salt Mine in Wieliczka is one of the most famous sites like this in the whole world. It was placed on the UNESCO’s First World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1978. Its history, however, goes back to Middle Ages when it was founded. Today the Salt Mine is a popular attraction which stretches for about 300km, reaching the depth of 327 meters – and its nine levels illustrate all the stages of mining technology development.

The salt sculptures depict the legend about St Kinga and foundation of the Salt Mine in Wieliczka.

There is a 700-year-old legend telling about the beginnings of the mine. According to it, it was a Hungarian princess, Blessed Kinga, who played a big role in finding the salt nearby Kraków. When leaving the city of Marmaros (in Hungary) she threw her ring into the salt mine there. On the way to Cracow, where she was to get married into the Polish Royal Family, she stopped and asked her servants to dig a well in the pointed place. Instead of water, salt was discovered and in the first lump of salt Kinga’s ring was found.
Improved salt mining existed already in this area during the reign of Bolesław the Brave (who lived in period 995-1025). Salt was the economic foundation of the state. In Poland it was used, in the ancient times, as a mean of payment. In the 14th century, salt mines brought over 30% of all the state’s income.
In the 16th century Wieliczka Salt Mine was one of the biggest business enterprises in modern Europe of that period. Not only did it employ miners and staff performing the work directly connected with production and administration but also carpenters, smiths, wagon drivers and stable boys. The mine had even its own kitchens and physician, as well as specific “welfare system” and “pension fund”.
In the beginning the transportation and underground transport were manual. Afterwards more developments were introduced and the salt was taken out to the surface by horses. After 1772, when the First Partitioning of Poland took place and the Austrian rules started, changes of administration and organisation were introduced. New mining methods were brought by the mining experts who arrived on request of the new government. The work underground became more automated. Also restorative and tourist capacities of the Salt Mine were discovered and developed in the period between the two world wars.

The tourist route in the salt mine leads nearby green lakes situated underground.

Already in 1826 brine baths in Wieliczka began to be used as a form of treatment. Popularity of treatment through bathing in brine decreased in the same century. In 1958 specific microclimate started to be used to cure asthma, inflammation of upper and lower respiratory tracts, and some allergies. The clinic is still operating.
Also tourist aspects of the Salt Mine in Wieliczka were noticed. Firstly, only so called “elite” was allowed to visit the excavations – mainly to get educated on the process of mining. During the Austrian rule the sight was advertised as one of the most important attractions of the Austrian Monarchy. At that time a number of chambers of Level 1 were made to be available to visitors – what gave birth to today’s tourist route.

St Kinga's Chamber - the most popular among the Wieliczka Salt Mine's attractions.

Attraction of the site was increased due to embellishments introduced by miners. Working in constant danger made them deeply religious and the chapels were constructed underground (where the services were held). As the miners were later on not allowed to take wooden statues into the mine, they started to carve sculptures in the salt rock. The tourists may visit tunnels situated on the tourist route, see green lakes, salt crystals and chapels with beautiful carvings. One of the biggest attractions of the mine is the Chapel of Saint Kinga with its decorative walls, covered with illustrations of the scenes from the Bible (carved in salt by miners-sculptures). Chandeliers made from crystalline salt light the chamber. Also the dimensions of the chapel are imposing: its height is 10 metres, length 54 and its width 15.  
Nowadays the underground tourist route is visited by over 1000 000 tourists a year.

See more: www.kopalnia.pl
See more: www.wieliczka.iap.pl