Wieliczka Salt Mine | Wieliczka, Poland

Wieliczka, a lovely town just outside Kraków.

Wieliczka is famous for its spectacular salt mine. Each year around 1,8 mln tourists from all over the world visit the Mine. Since 1978 Wieliczka Salt Mine is on the UNESCO Heritage List.

In the pictures you can see the main entrance to the Mine (Daniłowicz's Shaft) , the park around the mine, graduation tower. The true treasures are hidden underground though.

Salt chandelier from Wieliczka in Krakow, Poland

Stuff I learned June 3-23

so I fell asleep earlier after posting about my scrushy crawlnut migraine times, and woke up a lil bit ago, still migrainily.

I took some Advil, Tylenol, water, and now I can tell you guys about the day I had. (Might be a contributing factor to a hurty brain. i took in a lot of information.)

Under the cut: what I learned today about the uses of kudzu (it evolved to be used plentifully by humans, which is why it grows so quickly and abundantly!), plastic upcycling, and the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland.

I learned a great deal about the uses of kudzu, in the process of educating a friend about it. Kudzu has been used as a form of erosion control and to enhance the soil. As a legume, it increases the nitrogen in the soil by a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. It’s used in many food dishes, including as a jelly from the flowers (which apparently tastes like grape jelly), a starch, and a tea. The starch is flavoured as a summer drink in Vietnam, and used as a thickener like cornstarch.  Nearby bee colonies may forage on kudzu nectar during droughts as a last resort, producing a low-viscosity red or purple honey that tastes of grape jelly or bubblegum. (I want to try this so bad!) It’s used in traditional medicines, and has a lot of food nutrition. It’s used as a fibre for baskets. Clothing, and paper usage. Soap, lotions, and ethanol. It’s super duper useful. This was before I even got to work, I learned all this knowledge.

At work, a coworker rushed out of the donation centre to show us a book about the tour at the the Wieliczka Salt Mine in the town of Wieliczka, near Kraków in southern Poland. Holy heck you guys! The sculptures! The art carved directly into salt! The history! Never in my dreams would I have imagined that humans had created this as a thing, without being shown. I did not take photos of the book, but I will add them tomorrow when I’m back at work. There’s a historical tour of how the first miners mined the salt, the tools and structures for support they had, there’s a green lake! :D

THEN, there are the carvings and the grand halls and the tunnels. Finally, the WAYS that the salt erupts from the walls and surfaces: in stalactites, stalagmites, King’s Hair curls, crystals, and amazingly geometric shapes. When you think “salt mine”, most people think of the salt deserts in the US (or at least, the three customers in the store that I pestered to look at the book all said this.)

ADDITIONALLY, today I talked with a customer who comes in every weekend about cleaning up plastics from the Great Lakes. He’s a photographer, and doing a work right now based on that, so we discussed the uses of plastics as recycled/upcycled products, which I’d watched multiple videos on last night and in the morning. Brothers Make, a southern UK based business run by brothers Jonny and Matt, gather plastic trash from the beaches (and have it collected by friends and family) and turn it into furniture, jewelry, and useful tools.

“In 1950, 2.5 billion people produced 1.5 million tonnes of plastic. In 2016,  7 billion people produced over 320 million tonnes of plastic.

- sas.org.uk (2020)“

Their YouTube channel has a ton of videos on the things they’ve made along with the fascinating process of cleaning, shredding, melting and molding plastic, along with how you can do it at home!

who wants to go to the Wieliczka salt mine church with me

Wieliczka Salt Mine Poland

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Wieliczka & Bochnia Royal Salt Mines

Today, let's embark on a virtual journey through the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines in Poland. Join me as we delve into the depths of these remarkable underground landscapes.

Begin your subterranean adventure in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that has been in operation for over 700 years. Descend into the mine's depths and witness the extraordinary beauty carved out of salt by generations of miners.

Marvel at St. Kinga's Chapel, an underground marvel carved entirely from salt. The intricate sculptures, chandeliers, and altarpieces create a breathtaking subterranean cathedral that testifies to the miners' craftsmanship.

Discover the enchanting Underground Lake, a subterranean body of water that adds an ethereal touch to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The reflections of the salt formations on the water's surface create a mesmerizing scene.

Journey to the Bochnia Salt Mine, one of the oldest salt mines in the world, with a history dating back to the 13th century. Explore its network of chambers, including the iconic and massive Chamber of King Casimir the Great.

Traverse the vast underground chambers in both mines, each telling a story of the challenges and triumphs of salt mining. The sheer scale of the excavations and the intricate details carved into the salt rock showcase the ingenuity of the miners.

Admire the salt sculptures that adorn the mines, from whimsical characters to intricate reliefs. These salt-carved artworks not only showcase the artistic talents of the miners but also add a unique aesthetic to the subterranean environment.

Both the Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines earned their UNESCO World Heritage status in 1978, recognizing the historical, cultural, and technological significance of these underground marvels. They stand as a testament to the importance of salt in European history.

Beyond their historical and cultural significance, the salt mines are believed to have therapeutic benefits. The microclimate within the mines, rich in salt particles, is said to have positive effects on respiratory health.

In conclusion, the Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines invite us to venture beneath the surface and witness the legacy of centuries of salt mining. As UNESCO World Heritage Sites, they beckon us to appreciate the cultural and technological achievements of the miners who carved these subterranean wonders. When you're ready to explore a world where history is etched in salt, these mines promise to inspire and captivate. 🏰⛏️🌟

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Małopolska, Poland

Halite (salt)

Wieliczka salt mine, Poland, photo by Grzegorz Bijak

Skeletal halite, Poland, Spirifer Minerals

Searles Lake, California, photo by Rob Lavinsky

Lubin, Poland, photo by Rob Lavinsky

Wieliczka salt mine, Poland, photo by Rob Lavinsky

Carlsbad potash district, New Mexico, USA, photo by Kelly Nash

PCA Mine, New Mexico, USA, photo by Michael C. Roarke

Saskatchewan, Canada, photo by Rob Lavinksy

Wieliczka Salt Mine

February 2024

Artist (company): Stachowicz, Teodor Baltazar (1800-1873)

Title (name): Pond in the Salt Mine at Wieliczka

National Museum Krakow

go watch my montage of wieliczka salt mines with awesome dwarf metal playing in the background

ok idk how widespread this information is but i grew up in kraków (cracow) and that's a touristy town. it's the capital of małopolska (lesser poland) voivodeship and it's rather close to both oświęcim and wieliczka. oświęcim is the city where nazis decided to built auschwitz at, when poland was occupied. before ww2 oświęcim a large jewish community. wieliczka is the city where a salt mine is located, very cool place. kraków itself has a district called kazimierz that used to be a place where both polish and jewish cultures co-existed, it has a lot of landmarks. it's also very gentrified but that's a story for another day. on the other side of river wisła (vistula) you can visit the schindler factory that was turned into a museum

the fact a lot of tourists come to the region to tour around those places. i mean it makes sense, you buy a tour package l, land in kraków airport, tour all those places at once. however you can say the order of things became a bit of a... paradox? isn't it weird that one day you go to a place where so many people lost their lives only to hours later enjoy the beauty of a salt mine. last time i went to mocak, an art museum next to the schindler museum, you had to pass through an outdoor art instaltion. it's a tunnel that has 'auschwitz wieliczka' and it's supposed to show the ... irony? idk the right word. the installation was moved couple times, it even ended up getting locked up in a warehouse due to weirdos constantly destroying it by spray painting terrible things on it.

and after this long intro, here's the main thing i want to you to know. in my community it was known that israel plans special tours for young people to show them the history. i used to see groups of tourists on the ghetto heroes square. it's also a home to an art installation, sculptures of chairs are meant to commemorate those who lost their lives. allegedly due to "previous unruly behavior" some hotels ban those groups from booking but idk how legit this info is.

those trips to poland are called shoah tours and organized for high school kids. that also are yet to enlist in the idf. could you say it is using a past tragedy to invoke some sort of duty to protect the country? they are widely criticized, both by polish and israeli researchers. there's this very known in poland documentary about them, showing how supposedly israeli kids are told polish people are hostile and will hurt them if they aren't careful? again, that's alleged. that documentary is unfortunately often used by antisemites. this is another long story i do not have the expertise to explain. it's upsetting in general. you have young minds being, maybe this is a strong word but, poisoned. every young person should be taught ways to make independent decisions and develop ways to analyze things on their own, not to be told what to think. also, there's a rumour that those kids and their teacher are accompained by mossad agent? some are so sure of this they play 'spot the oddly looking teacher with concealed weapon' whenever they see a large group of high school kids walking around the areas i mentioned at the start of the post, wit a guide that speaks hebrew

i know there's research done by various sociologists how those tours mostly benefit idf and are used as propaganda tool. in fall 2022 tours were cancelled due to government level conflict between israel and poland. as you can guess, there's a lot of tension there.

thank you for reading this very long post. i want to point out this is a topic i'm familiar with due to growing up in the area, however i moved out a long time ago so my experience as a local might be outdated. nor i'm an expert in the matter of jewish history. this is purely subjective account and i'm sorry if i misrespresented anything

Hi Żmija. I've been quietly following your blog and enjoying your thoughts for a while now. I'm an American from California, and I wanted to tell you that tomorrow I leave for a month-long work trip to Gliwice. I've never been to Poland before, and although I will be busy most of the time, do you have any recommendations for things to do/places to go/things to appreciate? I look forward to getting to know a bit of your country! Thank you! Oh, and I deeply enjoy your blog!

oh goodness! I have countless places to recommend here in Silesia alone, I could talk about it for hours and hours... you simply must tell me how far you can go and what you're interested in! more industrial, ruins, nature, art, cuisine, architecture? so many possibilities (and I assume, so little time!)

first thing I always recommend is visiting the Guido coal mine. go down into the dark earth and listen to the overwhelming silence until it is no longer silent. or go see Adit Queen Louise for a sisterly experience to Guido, both beautiful and ordinary and thrilling. and if you have the time and means to go a bit farther than Silesia, go to Kraków and do check out the Wieliczka salt mine as well, and marvel at the lights and structures where no lights or structures should be.

Silesian Museum is one of my favourites, too, and it's worth it to visit it while in Katowice along with just seeing and experiencing the city itself. And similarly, if you have the chance to go to Kraków for a moment, do visit the Museum of Kraków underneath the old city square as well!

you can check this site for Tourist Information of the Silesian Voivodeship - a fair part of it is available in English - to see what might be of interest before I start rambling too much.

do let me know what you're interested in and how far you can travel and I'd be happy to recommend a dozen more places!