Deep underground in Poland lies something remarkable but little known outside of Eastern Europe.
From the outside, Wieliczka Salt Mine doesn’t look extraordinary.
It looks extremely well kept for a place that
hasn’t mined any salt since 1996. Since the 13th century, miners have mined
salt there, but left behind things quite startling and unique.
The term “back to the salt mines” refers to the mining of salt in these mines.
The word SALARY comes from SALT or SALERIUM. The ancient Romans were paid in salt. In Poland
Salt was tender. It was the oil of its day. Over 200 meters below ground the mine holds
an astonishing secret. This is the salt mine that became an art gallery,
cathedral and underground lake. Wieliczka is a small town situated in the
Krakow area of Poland. It was founded in the 12th century to mine
the rich deposits of salt and did so until 1996. But miners did more than just extract salt.
They left behind them a breathtaking record
of their time underground in the shape of statues of mythic, historical and religious figures.
They even created their own chapels in which
to pray. Perhaps their most astonishing legacy is the huge underground cathedral they left
behind for posterity. The tour takes about 3 hours.
After a 150 meter climb down 380 wooden stairs, the visitor will see some amazing sites including
the Chapel of Saint Kinga an astonishing wonder to behold.
The Polish people have for many centuries been devout Catholics and this was more than
just a long term hobby to relieve the boredom of being underground.
This was an act of worship. The miners carved on their own time after hours.
Amazingly, even the chandeliers in the cathedral are made of salt.
It was not simply hewn from the ground and then thrown together. The process is rather
more painstaking for the lighting. After extraction, the rock salt was first
of all dissolved. It was then reconstituted with the impurities taken out so that it achieved
a class-like finish. The chandeliers are what many visitors think
the rest of the cavernous mine will be like as they have a picture in their minds of salt
as they would sprinkle on their meals. However, the rock salt that naturally however,
comes in different shades of grey. For safety reasons, less than one percent
of the mine is open to visitors, but even that is still almost 4 kilometers in length
– more than enough to weary the average tourist after an hour or two.
The mine was closed for 2 reasons: the low price of salt on the world market made it
too expensive to mine and the mine was slowly flooding.
The mine closed its mining operations in 1996 after 900 years of operation.
Copernicus and Pope John Paul II as well as Sara Bernhardt have visited the mine.
The religious carvings are, in reality, what draw many to this mine – as much for their
amazing quality of realism as for their Christian aesthetics.
This one shows Jesus appearing to the apostles after the crucifixion. He shows the doubter,
Saint Thomas, the wounds on this wrists. Another remarkable carving is The Last Supper.
The work and patience that must have gone into the creation of these sculptures is extraordinary.
The miners became quite used to their work being on display.
During the mine’s busiest period in the nineteenth century, the cream of Europe’s
thinkers visited the site and you can still see many of their names in the old visitor’s
books on display. The reliefs are perhaps among some of the
most iconographic works of Christian folk art in the world.
It comes as little surprise to learn that the mine was placed on the original list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites back in 1978. Not all of the work is relief-based.
There are many life sized statues that must have taken a considerable amount of time – months,
perhaps even years – to create. Not all of the statues have a religious or
symbolic imagery attached to them however. The miners even threw in a dragon for good measure.
Today the mine is the site for concerts, because of its unique acoustics, films,
getting married, and even a restaurant.
A health spa has been there since the 1800s.
The high sodium atmosphere is thought to be good for respiratory ailments.
In addition, the high sodium atmosphere preserves everything.
One traveled Frenchman observed in the 18th century that Krakow’s Wieliczka salt mine
was no less magnificent than the Egyptian pyramids.