#Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli)

[suetravelblog]

Wieliczka Salt Mine Poland

[galeriakrakow]

Poland's Underground City Of Salt

Wieliczka Salt Mine is, without a doubt, one of the coolest and most unique places we have ever been! Located just outside of Krakow, this is a MUST VISIT in Poland. The salt mine has been around since the 14th century and is now a UNESCO site. There's a whole city of people going about their business every single day deep beneath the ground. The salt mines can have 10,000 people a day moving through them, which is why there are 500 guides and 200 maintenance staff working here. EVERYTHING IS MADE OF SALT. You will not be able to get over this fact as you make your way through the mines. There are 300 kilometres of tunnels (the same distance from Krakow to Warsaw!), 2000 chambers, many chapels, and countless intricate sculptures all made of SALT. You can lick the walls, if you don't believe it! The craziest part? What we see represents only 1% of the existing salt mine. The mine has received many famous visitors over the centuries from Chopin, Goethe, and John Paul II to dignitaries and king and queens. You walk down 380 steps to enter the mine and, thankfully, take a super fast elevator back to the surface after your tour. The Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli Wieliczka) is full of layers of history, intrigue, art, and culture. The feeling you have visiting is just total awe. Do not miss the chance to visit Wieliczka.

[famous-aces]

Saint King of Poland

Who: Kinga (her given name is sometimes spelled Cunegunda, Zinga among other spellings and pronunciations) (also known as Szent Kinga or Święta Kinga)

What: Queen Consort and Saint

Where: Hungarian (active largely in Poland)

When: March 5, 1234 - July 24, 1292

(Image Description: a painting of Kinga. She stands with her hands steepled in prayer. She wears all white with ermine robes and a crown. In front of her on a little table are some rocks. There are white flowers growing in the background. She is a white woman with a narrow face and dark eyes. Her hair is covered by a veil. End ID)

Kinga was the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary and his Queen Maria Laskarina and wife of Bolesław V the Chaste of Poland. She was Beatified in 1690 although she wasn't actually Canonized until 1999. She is now a Patroness of Poland, Lithuania, and salt miners (we'll get there).

She was married in 1239 to Bolesław, then Duke of Kraków, (she was 15, he was 13).  Kinga spent her reign in Poland doing many charitable works. She gave special attention to and provided care for the then maligned and outcast lepers.  After her husband's death in 1279 Kinga refused any further place in government and any other husband. She sold off most of her earthly possessions, gave all her money to the poor, and became a nun.  She would remain a nun until her death.

In 1280 she founded a Convent of the Poor Clares on her lands in Sącz. Eventually a Franciscan Order she established settled nearby. From this and the surrounding villages came what is now Stary Sącz, one of the oldest cities in Poland.

Her sainthood comes from a miracle that supposedly occurred shortly after her marriage. Legend goes that when she reluctantly left what was then Hungary for Poland she decided to bring the Polish -- who desperately wanted for salt -- a clump of the stuff.  While she was at the salt mine in Máramaros, she dropped her engagement ring into a shaft, a testament to how little she wanted to be married. Upon her arrival in Kraków she either requested or was present for some people digging a deep pit, in which they found a "rock" made of pure salt. When the lump of salt was broken open her ring was found inside. In this pit more salt was discovered and it would become the immense Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia soli Wieliczka), now a World Heritage Site.  It operated from the 1240s to 2007, making it one of the oldest operating salt mines. Interestingly among its many famous historical visitors is Alexander von Humboldt.

There is an enormous complex still there, one of the most visited places in Poland with a museum and three routes through it depending on your interests, the Tourist Route (which boasts nearly 45,000,000 visitors since its opening and contains elaborate salt statues, chambers carved from the stuff, saline underground lakes, and "almost 3 kilometers of meandering corridors"), the Miners Route (off the beaten trail about the history and function of the mine allowing you to engage and explore yourself), and, what Kinga would have been proud of, the Pilgrims' Route (with at least three chapels and sculptures made out of salt and wood). She also would have been glad to know there is a Rehabilitation and Treatment center there as well.  Anyway this place sounds very cool and I want to go there.

(Image Description: a sculpture of Kinga from the Wieliczka Salt Mine carved out of pure salt. End ID)

Probable Orientation: Aroace

Kinga was very young when she married but her husband's nickname (the Chaste) is part of the reason she ends up on the list. Often young Medieval couples waited a little while before having sex but Kinga persuaded Bolesław to join her in a vow of everlasting chastity. The marriage was (like many royal marriages) one of politics rather than romance , but unlike most royal marriages it was never consummated at any point during its duration (1239 - 1279). She never broke that chastity vow even after his death, choosing instead a life largely in solitude.

Apparently Bolesław and Kinga got along well enough, described as living like "brother and sister" rather than husband and wife. So it wasn't as if they hated each other. She never had a secret lover noted by history (and again it would be hard for a queen to have one).

The vow was Kinga's suggestion and Bolesław was coaxed into it by his wife and his own sister Blessed Salomea of Poland. The vow was supposedly a religious one (both of their families were deeply entwined in the Church), but it is an odd choice for a Queen Consort to make. I discussed the problem of Elizabeth I's chastity in great detail, but I don't know Polish or Hungarian history well enough to know if there was a similar distrust for childless queens, but it is still striking that a queen did not continue her line. Her chastity is framed as part of her sacrifice to God (much like Joan of Arc), but it may have been that Kinga was inspired by her religious family to use God to get out of having sex.

(Image description: a painting of Kinga being given back her engagement ring by the miners. It was painted by Florian Cynk. It shows her in fancy dress with the miner on his knees in front of her holding out her ring. She reaches out to take it from him. She has people gathered around her looking on in surprise. End ID)

[sienkiewiczpoland]

Kopalnia soli Wieliczka (Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland)

[pablocharnas]

The Salt Mine Wieliczka * * * #thebrightsideofeu #documentary #photo #color #nopeople #underground #photovogue #travelmag #interior #igtravel #trip #travel #wieliczka #krakow #chapel #travelawesome #travelphoto #travelworld #keepexploring #globe_travel #travellingthroughtheworld #travelnations #travel_drops #poland #travelphotography #travelphotographer #fotografkrakow @vogueitalia @luomovogue (at Salt Mine Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxxha-xoLSi/?igshid=1vm5bamug7n3w

[umashadow]

Day 3 - @wieliczkasaltmine Posted @withregram • @hibarbal Krakow の旅。 Day3 Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli ヴィエリチカ岩塩坑 ポーランドでもっとも重要な、鉱山と宗教が融合した文化史跡(1978年、世界遺産に登録されている)、歴史ある地下都市で、20の壮麗な部屋と、地下135メートルの見学ルートを探��してきたよ🙋‍♀️ 地下に入るまでも入ってからも、独特な雰囲気で、地底湖がめちゃくちゃ神秘的。礼拝堂も美しかった✨ 2時間あちこち歩いた後、美術館からは、スーパープライベートな、ガイドツアーが始まって、更に素晴らしい時間を過ごす時が出来ました。とっても素敵だったガイドさんに感謝です。 ガイドさん、順番に当てがわれるんだけど、彼らが待ってる席が、キャバクラの待機席みたいで、順番待ってる時、黒服経験者のパパと実況してたよ、ほんとダメ夫妻👻 地下に作られたホールでは、パーティ、結婚式、コンサートやら各種イベントなども行われているらしい。ここでイベントしたらめちゃくちゃかっこいいだろうなあ〜 ぜんそくなどの呼吸器疾患治療のための保養所も地下にあって、世界中から多くの人々が療養に訪れているんだとか。私達もマスクを一瞬外させてもらって、新鮮な空気を吸わせて頂きました。 約3時間ほどのウォーキング、いい運動になったし、筋肉痛になった。どれだけ運動不足なのかしら。 パパは昔、ここの御近所に住んでたんだよ。のんびりしてていい街だなあ〜 どんな味か体験したかったお塩と、バスソルト、かわいいモニュメントをゲットして帰ってきました🙌 #ヴィエリチカ岩塩坑 #wieliczka #wieliczkasaltmine #kopalniasoliwieliczka (Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow-Polandia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTE6Na1DgQ0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[worldtravelproposals]

*Magnificent chambers chiselled out in rock salt. Amazing underground saline lakes, majestic timber constructions and unique statues sculpted in salt. Almost 3 kilometres of meandering corridors, 800 steps to climb of which 350 have to be descended to reach the depth of 135 meters underground. Learn about the legend of Princess Kinga and how she brought the salt treasure to Polish land (#wieliczka #poland🇵🇱). ——————————- #travellers #travellife #travellovers #travelgrams #travellingourplanet #travelgrammer #travelshot #traveladdiction #travelmemories #travelphotographers #travelphotographs #travelpicsdaily #travelpictures #travel #traveldestinations #travellingourplanet #backpackersintheworld #backpackersworld #travelstroke #traveltherenext #instatravelblog #travelblogs #travelbloggerlife #instatraveling #trip #insta #instatravelingram #instatrip #travelmoreoften ———————————–

[sweetscoopuk]

For our last whole day in Kraków we visited the Salt Mines. Well worth a visit if you get a chance to visit this amazing city. #krakow #saltmines #sweetscoopuk will be back to posting sweets next week.... (at Salt Mine Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli) https://www.instagram.com/p/B63dRDBHgyZ/?igshid=jx2x8ao0ywa

[wordpressmoneyonline]

My Friday hustle advice : 1️⃣ Travel to #Poland 2️⃣ Visit Krakow anyways 3️⃣ Visit #Wieliczka #SaltMine Stop wasting time watching TV. Just #book a #ticket to anywhere and travel travel and travel again and again. Poland should be one of your very first destinations. The Wieliczka Salt Mine (Polish: Kopalnia soli Wieliczka), in the town of Wieliczka, southern Poland, lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. In 1978 the Wieliczka was placed on the original UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites Tourism The mine is currently one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomniki historii), whose attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The older sculptures have been supplemented with new carvings made by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually. . . #travel #travelphotography #photography #nature #travelgram #photooftheday #instatravel #instagood #wanderlust #trip #travelblogger #traveling #vacation #picoftheday #travelling #explore #landscape #ig #holiday #like #winter #naturephotography #art #photo (at Krakow Salt Mine - 125 Metres Below Sea Level) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6T676EJHP0/?igshid=1i9sqtyhn5fv7

[a6unraj]

I'm at Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli Wieliczka)!

With Harish http://4sq.com/cPLliZ

[katsjourneyblog]

The Chapel of St. Kinga, hundreds of meters deep into the salt mine, is absolutely stunning. Taking 67 years to carve, EVERYTHING is made of salt! #wieliczka #saltmineskrakow #saltmines #krakow #poland #smithsonianjourneys #katsjourney #internationaltravel #stkinga #chapelsofinstagram (at Salt Mine Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eczJ0lq7Q/?igshid=1ov45eb1f6sbh

[cest-la-vie7]

⛏Wieliczka Salt mine⚒|#xinyiseeingeurope #7 (at Kopalnia Soli "Wieliczka")

[pablocharnas]

The Salt Mine Wieliczka * * * #thebrightsideofeu #documentary #photo #color #nopeople #religion #photovogue #travelmag #interior #igtravel #architecture #travel #wieliczka #krakow #church #travelawesome #candle #travellingthroughtheworld #illuminated #travelnations #travel_drops #poland #sculpture @vogueitalia @luomovogue (at Salt Mine Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxrL7nxow1e/?igshid=3ao52u9kr53k

[flowpositive]

Wieliczka salt mine #fujifilm #instaxmini #wieliczkasaltmine #krakow (at Salt Mine Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvRzbOllAKK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1v58984tvgnjq

[shabby-xo]

Chandeliers made of salt are my new favourite thing! 💜 (at Salt Mine Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs83PZrg7AJbDh_dmzYpzGrhx3mRbVUvs47aQ00/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=h895nln97i4w

[velvetlusia]

Kopalnia soli Wieliczka (salt mine), Wieliczka, Poland St. Kinga's Chapel (top), Nikolaj Kopernik sculpture (middle), Wieliczka salt lake (bottom)