Wieliczka Salt Mine is within the town of Wieliczka, southern Poland, which lies within the Krakow metropolitan area. From your Neolithic times, table salt was produced here from the upwelling brine.

Nowadays, the mine never extracts salt by mining because extraction stopped in 1996. Salt remains to be created from underground brine, it’s then pumped towards the surface and become pure evaporated salt.

The mines are now the official Polish Historical Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its attraction includes four chapels, an underground lake, historic salt-mining and labyrinthine technology displays.

Find out about Wieliczka Salt Mine in these top 10 fascinating facts.

1. Wieliczka Salt Mine ends 700 Years
The historical past from the Wieliczka Salt mine extends back for the thirteenth century. Brine following up to the surface was collected and processed for its sodium chloride content.

King Casimir II the Great contributed greatly for the continuing development of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. This granted the mines many privileges and he took the miners under his protection.

Within the use of the mine’s running, many chambers were dug as well as other technologies were added, such as the Hungarian horse treadmill. During The second world war, the Germans used the mine being an underground facility for war-related manufacturing.

2. The majority of the Mine Interior is constructed of Salt

This is the salt mill, in the end. Most tunnels have walls, floors, roofs, and even crystal decorations and statues carved in salt. After you check out the mines, you are able to touch everything to feel.

You will find wooden beams within the tunnels, and so are the a large number of sculptures and reliefs across the mine. The wood was adopted to safeguard the ceilings and walls made from salt, and that’s why there was no forest near Wieliczka in the 15th century.

You can find most stunning crystals hanging from numerous chandeliers within the mine. They are like glass but you are actually giant salt crystals from rock salt which were dissolved and reconstructed.

3. Wieliczka belongs to a UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 1978, the Wieliczka Salt Mines in Poland was classified by the UNESCO World Heritage list plus the historic city centre of Krakow. It really is one of the oldest mines on earth.

The oldest document confirms its existence goes back to 1044. The mine site comes with the Wieliczka Saltworks Castle along with the nearby Bochnia Salt Mine.

4. The Mine Has for Chapels
The circumstances inside the mines weren’t the very best. So, the miners created four chapels to pray in. The mine may be the merely one having an underground church in Europe.

One of the chapels was the Chapel of St. Kinga, one of the most impressive section of the salt mines. It took over thirty years for three men to complete the chapel removing approximately 20,000 tonnes of salt.

Holy masses are executed today about the occasion in the name day of St. Kinga and yuletide. Additionally there is a large salt statue in honour of St. Kinga, which you could also see several of the chandeliers using rock salt crystal.

5. In The Middle Age, Wieliczka Salt Mining Generated one third of Poland’s Income
The wages from salt mining accounted for a 3rd of the salary of the royal treasury in Poland. Salt was considered a noble metal and it was called “White gold”.

During that time, many transactions were paid using salt and work, which is why nowadays, the term “salary” is used to spell it out earnings.

Because of salt income, tenement houses and royal residences were built. This designed a fortune for families with names growing out of salt.

6. The Mines have numerous Unique Machinery and Structure
You will find the world’s largest mining machines made of wood, a horse treadmill from the 17th century along with the horn of miners in the miner’s brotherhood from 1534. Inside the 17th century, the 1st horse was taken to the salt mine.

The few things inside the mine that weren’t made from salt were buckets, winches, mining tools and some sculptures made from wood. Salt is a great preservative and several tools and apparatus are nevertheless in excellent.

7. Hot Air Ballooning and Sailing Have Came about from the Mine
A fashionable air balloon was lifted 65 feet up and running for four minutes in 2014. However, there is absolutely no proof that online outside their website.

Also, sporting activities happened from the mines, like soccer games and windsurfing on Subterrain Lake. Some areas might be hired out for formal dinners, weddings, and in many cases concerts.

8. The Mine is Deep
The minimum section of the mine is 1073 feet underground and also the total whole mine tunnel is 178 miles.

The easiest path to the mines is the tourist route, which lets you start to see the great thing about the mine as well as the most critical areas of it. The space is 3.5 kilometres and also the depth you will reach is 135 meters.

Most rocks from the mine use a dull grey look; however, in certain batches, the salts look fluffy white. The miners nicknamed this cauliflower.

9. The Mines Are already Featured in Culture
In 1995, Preisner’s Music, a compilation of film music by Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner was recorded by Sinfonia Varsovia inside the Wieliczka mines chapel. Also, in 1999 in the US, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was featured in the Modern Marvels episode on salt mines.

In the Australian television series Spellbinder: Land from the Dragon Lord, the mines were featured because Land in the Moloch. The mines have appeared on multiple editions of your reality show; The spectacular Race, The spectacular Race Australia 1 and others.

10. Breath Healthy Air Within your Visit
Air inside Wieliczka salt mine is free from bacteria, viruses and pollutants. Checking out the them can relieve people being affected by respiratory diseases and allergies and in addition it helps cure a hangover.

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