Wieliczka Salt Mine: Miner for a Day in Poland

It was half past nine when I arrived at the Wieliczka Salt Mine to experience life as a miner in the good old days. The city of Wieliczka is located 30 minutes by road from Krakow and it makes a good half day trip to visit this mine.

I have visited the conventional tourist route, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, several years back and thus I decided to opt for the miners' route which would enable visitors a first hand experience of life as a miner.

Before starting the tour proper, all of us had to change into the miner's attire and were given the necessary apparatus for the tour. We descended firstly 60 metres underground and were given a brief introduction by our guide.

This is how the attire look like.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine was declared a UNESCO World Culture and Natural Heritage List in 1978.

All of us were assigned roles as miners.  I was fortunate enough to be assigned as Foreman, which means that others are doing the dirty work.  My only job was to ensure that the air quality was good and safe to work, and acknowledged it on the board.

Taken from the company's website: The Wieliczka salt deposit was formed over thousands of years as a result of multiple processes. It has a diversified and unique geological structure.  The deposit is formed of two different parts – the upper and the lower one. The upper block or lump deposit was formed as marly claystone and claystone with halite crystals (called zubry) with plugs of rock salt, known as green, located between them. The lower deposit consists of layers of rock salts alternating with interlayers of gangue – it is a bedded deposit. Throughout the tour, we had several hands-on activities which enhanced our understanding of the salt miners' work.

Detonate explosives

Extracting salt

Some may wonder if the miners' route would be too tiring.  I would say that the 2 hour tour is relatively easy and most people should have no difficulties in some minor obstacles. We climbed over 200 steps down a staircase but it was manageable.









Our guide was responsible in making this trip memorable with his humour and knowledge.

At the end of the stairway, we were rewarded with a beautiful salt crystal chandelier. Some restoration work was conducted at time of visit.

<

At the end of the tour, we had to jump over a saddle to prove that we were qualified miners, and all of us received a certificate to show it. I am now a qualified Foreman for this mine!

So is this trip worth it?  Yes, it is educational and allows me to see the salt mine from another angle. However, if you haven't taken the tourist route, I would suggest you do that first and take the miners' route if you have more time.



There weren't many restaurants around the Salt Mine.  However, opposite the entrance, there was this restaurant where the food was good, reasonably priced and the service was amiable.  Recommended.


Next to the Salt Mine was the Saltworks Castle which just got onto the UNESCO list.  Unfortunately, it was closed on the day of visit.


(Bus 304 goes from Krakow city centre to both salt mines.)

For more information on the salt mine: http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/