Wieliczka Salt Mines

Sunday  3 July

As we left Kosice we were held up by a military train, interesting to see the Army (?) on the move.

Drove through the Tatra  Mountains in rain, our first rain for approx 6 weeks. Beautiful drive through alpine villages and lush vallies, houses with snow guards on the roof, quiet little hamlet's and beautiful  fir trees, so pretty.   

We stopped at the Wieliczka Salt Mine on the way and went under ground, 56 levels.  At the top of the staircase you couldn't see the bottom, eek!

 The tunnels were well supported and we had a tour guide as there was a labyrinth of tunnels and unguided it would be easy to get lost. 

 The salt is grey rock salt and if you wanted to, you could lick the walls. the mine was opened in the 13th century and only ceased commercial mining in 1996, now it is a major tourist attraction.

The miners carved from the rock salt and there are huge caverns all with rock salt carvings. There were stables for the horses, that worked the winch wheels, that remained underground for their entire lives as it was too dangerous to hoist them in and out to such great depths.

There are four  chapels and they still have services in one chapel every Sunday.  The large chapel in incredible, everything, including the floor tiles are all carved from salt, even salt crystal chandeliers. The carver's were two brothers, both lived into their 90's and spent most of their life underground, rarified air kept them healthy.

 There is a salt water lake that is 35%more salty than the Dead Sea, it looked very inviting. Underground was about 13degrees,  lovely temp.

We took the lift back up, the stairs would have been too much after walking miles underground.