Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines, Underground salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia, Poland
These salt mines are underground mining complexes spanning multiple levels with hundreds of kilometers of tunnels, chambers, and underground lakes carved into rock salt. Both sites developed from deposits that miners carved out over many centuries.
Mining started in 1251 when Hungarian workers discovered rock salt deposits and began extracting them systematically. The operation continued for centuries until it eventually stopped in 1990.
St. Kinga's Chapel sits deep below the surface with salt sculptures, reliefs, and chandeliers all carved by miners over centuries. Visitors can see how workers transformed the underground space into a place of both labor and spiritual expression.
Visitors explore the mines on guided tours that descend through multiple levels, reaching depths between 64 and 135 meters below the surface. Access starts at the Daniłowicz Shaft in Wieliczka, where tours begin.
An underground rehabilitation center was established in 1997 deep within a chamber at 135 meters depth, using the salt environment for healing treatments. This surprising medical facility demonstrates a modern purpose for the historic mining space.
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