Search engine for touristic excursions to any place in the world Wieliczka Salt Mine influences capital of scotland – Wieliczka, southern Poland, which lies within the Krakow metropolitan area. From your Neolithic times, table salt was produced here through the upwelling brine.
Nowadays, the mine never extracts salt by mining because extraction stopped in 1996. Salt continues to be created from underground brine, it’s then pumped towards the surface and become pure evaporated salt.
The mines are the official Polish Historical Monument plus a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its attraction includes four chapels, an underground lake, historic salt-mining and labyrinthine technology displays.
Find out more about Wieliczka Salt Mine in these top 10 fascinating facts.
1. Wieliczka Salt Mine ends 700 Years
A history with the Wieliczka Salt mine goes for the thirteenth century. Brine following up to the surface have been collected and processed due to the sodium chloride content.
King Casimir II the Great contributed greatly towards the growth and development of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. This granted the mines many privileges and the man took the miners under his protection.
On the time 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 a possible underground facility for war-related manufacturing.
2. A lot of the Mine Interior is made from Salt
It is a salt mill, in fact. Most tunnels have walls, floors, roofs, and also crystal decorations and statues carved in salt. As soon as you check out the mines, you are able to touch something to feel.
You will find wooden beams in the tunnels, and are generally the many sculptures and reliefs across the mine. The wood was utilized to protect the ceilings and walls created from salt, which is the reason there was no forest near Wieliczka from the 15th century.
You’ll find most stunning crystals hanging from numerous chandeliers from the mine. They look like glass but they are actually giant salt crystals from rock salt that were dissolved and reconstructed.
3. Wieliczka is Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 1978, the Wieliczka Salt Mines in Poland was placed in the UNESCO World Heritage list plus the historic city centre of Krakow. It is one of several oldest mines on earth.
The oldest document confirms its existence dates back to 1044. The mine site also may include the Wieliczka Saltworks Castle as well as the nearby Bochnia Salt Mine.
4. The Mine Has for Chapels
The stipulations in the mines weren’t the top. So, the miners created four chapels to wish in. The mine may be the just one with an underground church in Europe.
One of the chapels was the Chapel of St. Kinga, the most impressive section of the salt mines. It took control of 30 years for several men to finish the chapel removing approximately 20,000 tonnes of salt.
Holy masses are performed to this day for the occasion of the name day’s St. Kinga and yuletide. There is also a large salt statue in honour of St. Kinga, where one can also see a lot of the chandeliers using rock salt crystal.
5. In the centre Age, Wieliczka Salt Mining Generated a Third of Poland’s Income
The wages from salt mining included a 3rd in the earnings of the royal treasury in Poland. Salt was considered a noble metal and it was called “White gold”.
In that time, many transactions were paid using salt and work, which is why nowadays, the phrase “salary” can be used to spell out earnings.
Due to salt income, tenement houses and royal residences were built. This designed a fortune for families with names growing from salt.
6. The Mines have some of Unique Machinery and Structure
You can find the world’s largest mining machines made of wood, a horse treadmill from the 17th century as well as the horn of miners through the miner’s brotherhood from 1534. In the 17th century, the first horse was delivered to the salt mine.
The few things in the mine that weren’t made of salt were buckets, winches, mining tools and a few sculptures made of wood. Salt is a superb preservative and a lot of tools and apparatus continue to be in great condition.
7. Hot Air Ballooning and Bungee Jumping Have Took Place in the Mine
A classy air balloon was lifted 65 feet up and running for four minutes in 2014. However, there’s no proof of that online outside their internet site.
Also, sporting activities have taken place within the mines, including soccer games and windsurfing on Subterrain Lake. Some areas could be hired out for formal dinners, weddings, as well as concerts.
8. The Mine is Deep
The best the main mine is 1073 feet underground along with the total entire mine tunnel is 178 miles.
Easy and simple path to the mines may be the tourist route, which enables you to see the attractiveness of the mine and also the most critical areas of it. The space is 3.5 kilometres along with the depth you’ll reach is 135 meters.
Most rocks within the mine use a dull grey look; however, in certain 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 selection of film music by Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner was recorded by Sinfonia Varsovia from the Wieliczka mines chapel. Also, in 1999 in america, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was featured in the Modern Marvels episode on salt mines.
Inside the Australian television series Spellbinder: Land from the Dragon Lord, the mines were featured because the Land from the Moloch. The mines have also appeared on multiple editions of the reality show; The spectacular Race, The Amazing Race Australia 1 and others.
10. Breath Healthy Air Within your Visit
The air inside the Wieliczka salt mine costs nothing from bacteria, viruses and pollutants. Checking out the them can relieve people being affected by respiratory diseases and allergies and in addition it helps cure a hangover.
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