|
The idea of a fun trip to a salt mine may sound a little dubious. And as you head out through the suburbs you may wonder just why you are leaving the glories of the city behind. However, it is not just the antiquity of these mines that makes them worth the trip (things got fully underway here as early as the thirteenth century), they are also home to one of the wonders of Poland. This is the chapel of the Blessed Kinga, which to all intents and purposes is a full blown church, the only difference being that it is 200 metres undergound, and carved entirely from salt, (including the chandeliers that hang from the ceiling). It is a quite astounding sight, and all the more so as it was carved not by an outsider, but by a group of gifted miners themselves.
Entering the mines involves a long descent by stairwell, and it feels very much like a Jules Verne Journey to the Centre of the Earth type adventure. The chapel of the Blessed Kinga is the undoubted show-stopper, yet it is only one of several attractions. There are a handful more smaller chapels, including the seventeenth century chapel of St. Anthony, and a huge underground salt lake. If Tolkien had seen this place he would probably have got down on his knees and kissed the salty ground. Venerable guests such as Goethe and Emperor Franz Josef were themselves suitably impressed. All tours are guided, which means that sometimes you cannot linger in the more captivating rooms for as long as you might like. However, if you have more than two nights in the Krakow, or bad weather strikes, the mines make a very worthwhile trip.
Getting to the Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow shouldn't prove too difficult or expensive. Regular buses run from the top of Starowislna Street opposite the Main Post Office, taking around forty minutes to get there. Be warned that buses are a little cramped and we advise you check departure details at one of Krakow's tourist information offices as these routes chop and change quite a bit. You're best asking a friendly Pole where to get off too, as this is a public bus not a tourist service. If you don't fancy taking your chances on the public transport of fair Poland, then booking your transport with our friends at Krakow-tours.com takes all the headache away from your salt mines adventure for just a few extra zloty.
| | | |
 | | "i went in the 2007/2008 holidays and found a magnificent site as soon as my eyes lay upon the chapel of St kinga. a marvellous place i wouold recommend visiting." | Andrew Karpinski
Australia
Apr.05.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Best ever trip. If you get the chance to see then do not miss. stunning" | Snake
United Kingdom
Mar.14.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "we visited salt mine from ireland, we never saw anything as beautiful, in our life, including our guide, who explained everything in great detail, we will recommend it to everyone." | james & kathleen tate
India
Jan.28.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "Stunning cravings, Ypu can even get married in the big church, nearly 1 km underground." | Damian Byrne
Ireland
Jan.03.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "just got back go there dont miss awesom 900 years of history in one hit this place is a credit to polands history" | nigel brown
United Kingdom
Dec.13.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "If you are fortunate enough to vacation in Poland then take a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, you will not regret it. I visited in January 2006 and was spellbound by the complexity and beauty of the mines. " | Iain T. Christie
United Kingdom
Oct.29.2007
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "To descend into the earth of Poland evokes an incredible sense of history. Wonderful and beautiful. " | Gordon Fulton
United Kingdom
Oct.23.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "amazing,we were awstruck by the vastness of the caverns and carvings, completleu unexpected." | the langley's
United Kingdom
Oct.09.2007
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "A very good trip a must see the carvings on the walls etc are marvellous if you come to krakow its a must see absolutely great ." | Brian
United Kingdom
Sep.19.2007
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "As a Polish tourist attraction, Wieliczka is pretty expensive. It's 63 zloty to visit the mine with an English speaking tour guide. The price seems outrageous when compared with the price of a museum ticket here, but if you consider that it's a 2 hour guided tour that goes through 2 km of mines, it's a bit more reasonable - though still a lot of money." | Dagny
United States
Jul.30.2007
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "its the 8th wonder of the world if you miss this youve missed a big attraction i was really really impressed " | thomas hagan
United Kingdom
Jul.01.2007
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "The Salt Mines in Wieliczka are simply stunning, and well worth the trip from Krakow. Apparently they are UNESCO's 12th rated treasure in the entire world!!!!!!!!!!!!" | Duncski
United Kingdom
Apr.19.2007
rates this page 5/5 |
| |