Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka salt mine is located near Krakow. It was in continuous operation for 700 years until 2007 when the price of salt and mine flooding caused a cessation in operation. The tour requires several miles of walking and descends about 500 feet on various stairs (some are carved in rock salt. Fortunately, there is an elevator to the surface at the end of the visit.

The miners constructed numerous chapels as the mining operations moved along nearly 300 kilometres of tunnels and caverns. The picture below is a carving in rock salt of the Last Supper

The Polish pope, John Paul also has a statue carved from rock salt.

This statue of the Madonna is nearly pure salt and is therefore translucent.

Over the centuries, elaborate structures have been installed to support the mine walls and ceilings.

The mnine has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

The Germans set up an ammunition factory in the mine using Jewish slave labor, but the Russian advance caused it to be abandoned before production began.

Some of the chambers shown to the public are large and elaborate.

The chandeliers in the mine use thousands of rock salt crystals.

There is an underground hotel, cinema and restaurant.