Wieliczka Salt Mine influences capital of scotland- Wieliczka, southern Poland, which lies within the Krakow metropolitan area. From your Neolithic times, table salt was produced here from the upwelling brine.
Nowadays, the mine never extracts salt by mining because extraction stopped in 1996. Salt is still created from underground brine, it’s then pumped for the surface and become pure evaporated salt.
The mines have become the state run Polish Historical Monument as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its attraction includes four chapels, an underground lake, historic salt-mining and labyrinthine technology displays.
Learn more about Wieliczka Salt Mine over these top ten fascinating facts.
1. Wieliczka Salt Mine is finished 700 Years
A brief history of the Wieliczka Salt mine dates back on the thirteenth century. Brine following to the surface ended up collected and processed for the sodium chloride content.
King Casimir II the truly amazing contributed greatly on the progression of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. This granted the mines many privileges anf the husband took the miners under his protection.
In the duration of the mine’s running, many chambers were dug as well as technologies were added, like the Hungarian horse treadmill. During The second world war, the Germans used the mine being an underground facility for war-related manufacturing.
2. A lot of the Mine Interior is Made of Salt
This can be a salt mill, all things considered. Most tunnels have walls, floors, roofs, and even crystal decorations and statues carved in salt. As soon as you go to the mines, you’ll be able to touch everything to feel.
There are wooden beams inside the tunnels, and so are the a large number of sculptures and reliefs throughout the mine. The wood was utilized to guard the walls and ceilings created from salt, and that’s why there was no forest near Wieliczka in the 15th century.
You’ll find most stunning crystals hanging from numerous chandeliers from the mine. They search like glass but they are actually giant salt crystals from rock salt that have been dissolved and reconstructed.
3. Wieliczka is Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 1978, the Wieliczka Salt Mines in Poland was indexed by the UNESCO World Heritage list plus the historic city centre of Krakow. It can be among the oldest mines on earth.
The oldest document confirms its existence goes back to 1044. The mine site also may include the Wieliczka Saltworks Castle plus the nearby Bochnia Salt Mine.
4. The Mine Has for Chapels
The conditions inside the mines weren’t the top. So, the miners created four chapels to pray in. The mine is the merely one with an underground church in Europe.
One of the chapels was the Chapel of St. Kinga, one of the most impressive part of the salt mines. It took over three decades for 3 men to finish the chapel removing approximately 20,000 tonnes of salt.
Holy masses are carried out even now about the occasion with the name day of St. Kinga and yuletide. Gleam large salt statue in honour of St. Kinga, where you can also see a lot of the chandeliers using rock salt crystal.
5. In the centre Age, Wieliczka Salt Mining Generated another of Poland’s Income
The wages from salt mining accounted for a third of the wages of the royal treasury in Poland. Salt was considered a noble metal and was called “White gold”.
During that time, many transactions were paid using salt and work, which explains why nowadays, the phrase “salary” is employed to spell out earnings.
Because of salt income, tenement houses and royal residences were built. This designed a fortune for families with names growing away from salt.
6. The Mines have some of Unique Machinery and Structure
There are the world’s largest mining machines created from wood, a horse treadmill through the 17th century along with the horn of miners through the miner’s brotherhood from 1534. Inside the 17th century, the initial horse was delivered to the salt mine.
The few things within the mine that weren’t manufactured from salt were buckets, winches, mining tools plus some sculptures made of wood. Salt is a wonderful preservative and a lot of tools and apparatus continue to be in good shape.
7. Hot Air Ballooning and Bungee Jumping Have Occurred in the Mine
A hot air balloon was lifted 65 feet off the floor for four minutes in 2014. However, there isn’t any evidence of that online outside their website.
Also, sports activities occured in the mines, for example soccer games and windsurfing on Subterrain Lake. Some areas might be hired out for formal dinners, weddings, as well as concerts.
8. The Mine is Deep
The cheapest section of the mine is 1073 feet underground and also the total entire mine tunnel is 178 miles.
The simplest approach to the mines could be the tourist route, which lets you see the appeal of the mine along with the most important elements of it. The space is 3.5 kilometres along with the depth you will reach is 135 meters.
Most rocks inside the mine have a very dull grey look; however, in most batches, the salts look fluffy white. The miners nicknamed this cauliflower.
9. The Mines Have already been Featured in Culture
In 1995, Preisner’s Music, a selection of film music by Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner was recorded by Sinfonia Varsovia within the Wieliczka mines chapel. Also, in 1999 in the usa, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was featured in the Modern Marvels episode on salt mines.
Inside the Australian television series Spellbinder: Land in the Dragon Lord, the mines were featured because Land in the Moloch. The mines have appeared on multiple editions of a reality show; The astounding Race, The astounding Race Australia 1 and others.
10. Breath Healthy Air Within your Visit
The air within the Wieliczka salt mine is free from bacteria, viruses and pollutants. Checking out the them can relieve people being affected by respiratory diseases and allergies you’ll take pride in helps cure a hangover.
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