Szyb Daniłowicza, Mining shaft museum in Wieliczka, Poland
Szyb Daniłowicza is a mining tower featuring an elevator system that lowers visitors approximately 135 meters underground into the salt mine complex. The structure serves as the main entry point for exploring this underground facility.
The structure was built in 1635 as one of eight new shafts constructed at that time. It received its name from Jan Mikołaj Daniłowicz, who managed the mine between 1640 and 1642.
The shaft serves as the gateway to the underground salt world, marking where visitors' journeys into the depths begin. Its name commemorates a former mine administrator and represents the connection between past operations and present-day exploration.
Visitors enter the mine through this shaft and descend in groups accompanied by trained guides who lead them through different chambers and passages. Wearing comfortable shoes is important, as the underground paths can be uneven and slippery in places.
The shaft originally functioned as an active salt extraction facility, but during the 1800s it was repurposed to serve exclusively as a tourist entrance to the underground world. This transformation allowed the historical elevator mechanism to be preserved and adapted for visitor transport.
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