Wieliczka
Salt Mines
The
pictures are of Wieliczka Salt Mines, which is about 20 miles East of
Krakow. There are hundreds of miles of mines and go very, very deep. Over
the years (since the 2-3 centuries) the Poles mined salt from here, and
salt at that time was a very valuable commodity. Then, as they continued
to mine and live in the mine they adopted the idea that they could make
objects out of the salt as a hobby. They carved innumerable objects,
hundreds of statues, they built a basketball court underground, had a
shopping mall underground, and a 6 piece orchestra underground, a swimming
lake way underground and a large church underground. It is a UNESCO site.
Submitted By: Henry Szczepanik (Dracut, Massachusetts)
Additional Information about the Wieliczka Salt Mines:
- In 1978 the mine was included in the First World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO. In 1994 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Poland, it was recognized as a Monument of History of the Polish Nation.
- Close to the entrance you will find the chapel of Saint Antonius. Further below the main mining area you will find other churches with chandeliers made of salt, and sculptures of saints and scenes from the bible.