Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander.
- Hillsong United | Oceans
- Hillsong United | Oceans
A visit to Krakow is not complete without seeing this stunning underworld that is the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The tour here is always conducted by a tour guide and you can choose which route you want, either the Miners Route or the Tourist Route. As for us, we chose the Tourist Route and the tour lasted for about 3 hours. When we booked this trip, the person at the counter told us that going underground, the temperature will drop between 14 degrees C to 16 degrees C.
Be prepared to climb 100 meters beneath the surface, a total of 800 steps. Once, you enter - there's no turning back! To enter the mine, we climbed down one of the steepest staircase known to man. The first staircase was about 350 steps and felt like it was never ending. It sounds intimidating, hearing 800 steps, but in reality, it was easy enough.
Be prepared to climb 100 meters beneath the surface, a total of 800 steps. Once, you enter - there's no turning back! To enter the mine, we climbed down one of the steepest staircase known to man. The first staircase was about 350 steps and felt like it was never ending. It sounds intimidating, hearing 800 steps, but in reality, it was easy enough.
A statue of Nicolas Copernicus
The bust of Kazimierz - a great king. Till this day, you will still hear the name Kazimierz (the Jewish Quarter in Poland).
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The mine was built in the 13th century, it survived floods, landslides, the Nazi invasion and communist Russia. Today, it is one of the oldest salt mines in the world that you can visit. There is a lot of chambers inside this salt mine, mostly chapels that the miners built and an underground lake. The statues that you will see are purely made of rock salt and carved by the miners.
The most spectacular part of this tour is visiting St. Kinga Chapel. The chandelier made of salt, lights up this chamber and religious murals covered the walls. The only sad part when we visited, the chapel was being restored.
The most spectacular part of this tour is visiting St. Kinga Chapel. The chandelier made of salt, lights up this chamber and religious murals covered the walls. The only sad part when we visited, the chapel was being restored.
Of course a statue of Pope John Paull II. He was able to visit this mine during his time.
The tour ends with a notable experience of a heart-choking shaft ride that brings you to the top. On that note, I can't help but wonder, how the miners work on this kind of conditions during the early days if I, myself, cannot handle a claustrophobic elevator ride.
So far, this place did not disappoint, like the legends and mysteries that surround this underworld, both are equally amusing and deceptively beautiful. The one thing that lingered on us is that, this mine definitely stood the test of time. It surely filled our adventurous hearts with an experience we can never forget.
So far, this place did not disappoint, like the legends and mysteries that surround this underworld, both are equally amusing and deceptively beautiful. The one thing that lingered on us is that, this mine definitely stood the test of time. It surely filled our adventurous hearts with an experience we can never forget.
