Museum Żup Krakowskich in Wieliczka

Directly bordered by Krakow is a town older than the Poland. There has always been a human settlement near the local salt deposits, which gradually developed into a town – Wieliczka, in Old Polish Wielika. During the reign of King Casimir the Great, the city was surrounded by walls with 11 towers and 2 gates. The town was carefully guarded because salt from Wieliczka provided 1/3 of all royal income. We can say that this salt was used to build Krakow, Wawel and many Polish cities and castles. in 1368 Casimir the Great established the first mining order in the country, otherwise known as the Statute of Krakow Saltworks. The Wieliczka mine is still open today. Its oldest part was changed in 1950 to the Krakows Żup Krakowskich Museum, which is a world tourist attraction. UNESCO decides that the Wieliczka Salt Mine has been entered on the World Heritage List. On levels I, II and III, tourists visit old tunnels, porches, underground lakes, chapels carved in salt with altars and figures of saints, a magnificent ballroom, chambers enclosed with wood, original engine rooms from before hundreds of years, hearths and salt brewing equipment from a thousand years ago. The route available to tourists is over 3 km long, and the total duration of the visit is about 3 hours. The museum itself occupies 16 chambers on the third level. The overall length of the walkways and corridors throughout the mine is approximately 200 km. In the underground hall, concerts, meetings, New Year’s Eve balls, as well as a sanatorium for people suffering from allergies are held.

Museum Żup Krakowskich in Wieliczka on map