Visiting Beautiful Poland: Wieliczka Salt Mines in Pictures

Salt–essential to life and once a commodity that gave rise to cities and civilizations. And it doesn’t just come from the sea. Duh to me! Wieliczka salt mine in southern Poland fueled the rise and wealth of the Kingdom of Poland. Did you know that the word “salary” came from the Latin word “sal”? Apparently salt was once sooooo expensive that Roman soldiers got paid in salt.

Located in the town of the same name just 20 minute-drive from Kraków, the Salt Mines of Wieliczka (Kopalnia Soli Wieliczka in Polish) is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

*Our boys with King Casimir III the Great (Kazimierz III Wielki) who brought prosperity and riches to the Kingdom of Poland (1333-1370)*

After an exciting three hour-long tour of this 800 year-old mine, 136 meters underground, walking through some of the 246 kilometer-long passages of the oldest operating salt mine in the world with all its impressive salt sculptures and cathedrals. . . we have become believers! You would too.

*The Virgin Mother, a miner’s altar underground.*

There are underground lakes, chapels, salt mine technology displays as well as many statues sculptured in saltrock by miners.

*Salt rocks. Yes, after 800-something years, the Wieliczka salt mine still produce salts like these.*

Kids decided to do a quality check and licked the walls, and yes, the salt is real!

*Underground cathedral at the salt mines of Wieliczka, complete with art panels, salt sculptures, altars and cahndeliers.*

At the end of the tour you can treat yourself to some fine, well-salted Polish food in the mine’s Karczma (Polish tavern). For some reason, food tastes much better 125 meters underneath the ground

I guess salt mining must be easier these days cause that used to be the worst place to go if you were a Roman slave.

*It looked like the legendary Wawel Dragon that terrorised King Krak’s town tunneled its way all the way to Wieliczka salt mines.*

Yes, it’s quite fascinating… And to think that we only walked through 1% of it!… A go-to place in case of zombie apocalypse ,. . . or if Putin’s war spills over…

*The Salt Mines of Wieliczka had many of these historical scenes, sculptures and monuments that it wouldn’t be surprising if they add museum to its name.*

*Salt miners’ altar in the “cathedral” somewhere in the 246 kilometer-long complex of tunnels, 130-something meters down under.*

*And they have water source too*–an underground lake!

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*A cleaned up version the mine’s Karczma (Polish tavern)* where food is hearty and especially tasty with a liter of good ol’ Polish piwo (beer).

*At the end of the tour of the Wieliczka salt mines you’d come out in the center of the charming town about a ways away from where you would enter.*

### That’s it. Thanks for stopping by! ###

Next Stop:

*21 days of family camping road trip number 5. This time it’s all in Polska–the beautiful land of Poles*.

Here’s the rest of what we plan to see and do in Poland’s south/southeast region on this year’s family camping road trip:

Olsztyn and the trail of the Eagle’s nest,
Black Madonna of Częstochowa,
Krakow and the nearby attractions (Energylandia, Wadowice, Wieliczka Salt Mine),
Pieniny mountain,
drive through Slovakia’s southern Carpathian mountain,
stop by the Saint Magdalene church in Dukla,
do some trekking in the Bieszczady mountains and cross over into cross over to Ukraine (… maybe ; ),
go see about a famous beetle in Szczebrzeszyn,
and a charming art town of Kazimierz Dolny.