Wieliczka Salt Mine is in the town of Wieliczka, southern Poland, which lies from the Krakow metropolitan area. From the Neolithic times, table salt was produced here from your upwelling brine.
Nowadays, the mine never extracts salt by mining because extraction stopped in 1996. Salt remains created from underground brine, it’s then pumped to the surface and turned into pure evaporated salt.
The mines are now the official Polish Historical Monument as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its attraction includes four chapels, an underground lake, historic salt-mining and labyrinthine technology displays.
Learn more about Wieliczka Salt Mine of these top 10 fascinating facts.
1. Wieliczka Salt Mine ends 700 Years
The historical past in the Wieliczka Salt mine goes back to the thirteenth century. Brine following up to the surface have been collected and processed for the sodium chloride content.
King Casimir II the truly great contributed greatly for the development of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. This granted the mines many privileges and that he took the miners under his protection.
Over the use of the mine’s running, many chambers were dug as well as technologies were added, for example the Hungarian horse treadmill. During World War II, the Germans used the mine as an underground facility for war-related manufacturing.
2. The majority of the Mine Interior consists of Salt
It is a salt mill, in fact. Most tunnels have walls, floors, roofs, and even crystal decorations and statues carved in salt. Once you visit the mines, you are able to touch everything to feel.
You will find wooden beams in the tunnels, and they are the a large number of sculptures and reliefs throughout the mine. The wood was utilized to safeguard the ceilings and walls manufactured from salt, and that’s why there wasn’t any forest near Wieliczka in the 15th century.
You can find most stunning crystals hanging from numerous chandeliers inside the mine. They appear like glass however are actually giant salt crystals from rock salt that have been dissolved and reconstructed.
3. Wieliczka is Part of 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 can be among the oldest mines on the planet.
The oldest document confirms its existence dates back to 1044. The mine site comes with the Wieliczka Saltworks Castle plus the nearby Bochnia Salt Mine.
4. The Mine Has for Chapels
The physical conditions inside the mines weren’t the most effective. So, the miners created four chapels to pray in. The mine may be the merely one with an underground church in Europe.
One of several chapels was the Chapel of St. Kinga, probably the most impressive section of the salt mines. It took control of three decades for 3 men to accomplish the chapel removing approximately 20,000 tonnes of salt.
Holy masses are performed even today about the occasion in the name day of St. Kinga and Christmas. Gleam large salt statue in honour of St. Kinga, which you could also see several of the chandeliers using their rock salt crystal.
5. At the center Age, Wieliczka Salt Mining Generated a 3rd of Poland’s Income
The wages from salt mining included one third in the wages of the royal treasury in Poland. Salt was considered a noble metal and was called “White gold”.
During that time, many transactions were paid using salt and work, and that’s why nowadays, the definition of “salary” is employed to describe earnings.
As a result of salt income, tenement houses and royal residences were built. This made a fortune for families with names growing away from salt.
6. The Mines have some of Unique Machinery and Structure
You can find the world’s largest mining machines manufactured from wood, a horse treadmill from the 17th century as well as the horn of miners from your miner’s brotherhood from 1534. From the 17th century, the initial horse was brought to the salt mine.
The few things within the mine that weren’t created from salt were buckets, winches, mining tools and several sculptures made from wood. Salt is a wonderful preservative and lots of tools and apparatus remain in excellent.
7. Heat Ballooning and Bungee Jumping Have Occurred inside the Mine
A classy air balloon was lifted 65 feet up for four minutes in 2014. However, there isn’t any proof that online outside the website.
Also, sporting activities have happened in the mines, including soccer games and windsurfing on Subterrain Lake. Some areas may be hired out for formal dinners, weddings, as well as concerts.
8. The Mine is Deep
The best the main mine is 1073 feet below ground along with the total length of the mine tunnel is 178 miles.
The easiest path to the mines could be the tourist route, which enables you to start to see the great thing about the mine and the most important aspects of it. The length is 3.5 kilometres along with the depth you’ll reach is 135 meters.
Most rocks inside the mine have a dull grey look; however, in some batches, the salts look fluffy white. The miners nicknamed this cauliflower.
9. The Mines Happen to be Featured in Culture
In 1995, Preisner’s Music, a compilation of film music by Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner was recorded by Sinfonia Varsovia from the Wieliczka mines chapel. Also, in 1999 in the usa, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was featured in the Modern Marvels episode on salt mines.
In the Australian tv series Spellbinder: Land in the Dragon Lord, the mines were featured because the Land in the Moloch. The mines also have appeared on multiple editions of a reality show; The Amazing Race, The Amazing Race Australia 1 and more.
10. Breath Healthy Air In your Visit
Air in the Wieliczka salt mine is free from bacteria, viruses and pollutants. A visit to them can relieve people being affected by respiratory diseases and allergies and it also helps cure a hangover.
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