Tourist Route in Wieliczka Salt Mine

The tour takes you down 380 stairs of the 17th century shaft to a depth of 64 metres—the first level of the mine. Take a deep breath, taste the salt on your lips, experience the silence, then listen to the stories of the 700-year history of the mine. You'll pass through 23 beautiful chambers surrounded by salt in all shades of grey, black, and white.

In the St. Anthony, Janowice, and Holy Cross Chapels, visitors will see beautiful altars and free-standing sculptures of religious, historical, or mythical subjects, sculpted in salt and in wood by miners over the last 300 years. In other chambers (Urszula, Spalone, Sielec) the work of miners and methods of extracting salt over the centuries are evidenced—the digging tools and the devices used to transport and lift salt from the mine.

Throughout your underground journey, the mine will impact all of your senses. You'll admire the raw beauty of the lofty vaults and the play of light, shadow, and darkness. You'll see mysterious nooks and closed-off side tunnels. You can even lick the wall and taste the raw salt.

The heart of the mine is the Chapel of St. Kinga, filled with beautifully illuminated religious bas-relief sculptures, carved in salt at the turn of the 19th and the 20th century. You will be mesmerised by the salt chandeliers, floor made of salt but polished like marble, or a brief multimedia spectacle in the Chapel.

The tourist route ends on the third level of the mine, at the depth of 135 metres. You can also quench your hunger in the Karczma Górnicza restaurant in the Budryk Chamber, buy a souvenir or even send a postcard using the underground postal services. It is worth taking a short rest before embarking on the second part of the adventure - the visit in the underground Cracow Saltworks Museum.

The 2.5-kilometre route takes about two hours. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and warmer clothing as the temperature in the mine is around 15° C (59° F).