Day Three - Wieliczka Salt Mine

Shopping now done and inheritance legalities out of the way, we made our way to the famous salt mine in Wieliczka. Our adventure included driving to Krakow and making our way across the city to the southern outskirts where Wieliczka is located. it was also the first time that Susan was able to see the Castle Wawel in Krakow from a bridge crossing Wisla River.

We finally arrived at Wieliczka Salt Mines (http://www.kopalnia.pl/home.php?action=&id_language=2) , after getting through all that traffic. Wieliczka is unique due to the fact that after hundreds of years of operation, it's still a working mine. Here we are walking up to the mine entrance (by the way, the red car (shoe-car) is my dad's Renault Clio):

We signed up for the Polish guided tour as it was the one coming up next. Magda became the translator. We had a really good time with some students who were in our group and who spoke about 6 or 7 different languages, including Chinese, German, English and Polish. Very fascinating young people and a lot of fun.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a Unesco preserved historical sight and is a one of a kind place. Our tour went through a number of rooms each carved out entirely from salt. Below are some pictures and videos from the tour.

This "room" has been carved over a "salt water" lake. There used to be a ferry that you could take to cross to the other end, but once Austrian soldiers had a party here, got a bit drunk and tipped the ferry over killing several of them. Since then they discontinued the ferry crossings.

This is a carving of the Last Supper that was done in St. John's Chappel by one of the miners that worked there. It has a three dimensional effect that makes it so interesting.

St. John's Chappel

St. John's Chappel - view of the altar

Susan and Magda in front of the carving of King Kazimierz Wielki. This king proclaimed the statute for the Kraków Salina. That act regulated the customary mining law and the management of the salt mines in Wieliczka, as well as the Saltworks and the whole venture. The chief manager, either as an administrator or leaseholder, oversaw in the name of the king the exploitation and sale of salt. In the old times salt was very expensive as it was used not only for seasoning but also as the basic food preservation agent.

The chamber was named after Nicholas Copernicus, the great Polish astronomer, who most probably visited the mine in 1493, when he was a student at the Kraków Academy, now the Jagiellonian University.

Legend of how Wieliczka was started.

That evening, when we returned, we were treated to a fabulous supper by my friends and neighbors in the apartment next door. Zosia and Czesiu are a retired couple who have been extremely generous with their time in helping me manage Dad's apartment. Zosia made us home made potato pancakes with yet another white cabbage salad and a tomoato/fetta cheese salad. czesiu served some special type of berry Vodka to wash it down.