Wieliczka Kolpania Soli

On our last full day, we opted for an organized coach tour of the famous salt mines in Wieliczka, a town no more than a 30 minute bus ride outside of Krakow.
From Wikipedia: "The mine had continuously produced table salt from the 13th century until 2007 as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. The mine's attractions for tourists include dozens of statues and an entire cathedral that have been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding. The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 300 km long. It features a 3.5-km touring route for visitors (less than 1% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes historic statues and mythical figures. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, so that the carvings resemble unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look that many visitors expect. The carvings may appear white in the photos, but the actual carved figures are not white."
Every one of the kids said out loud that it was a fun excursion so it was worth the effort. My favorite part of the tour was when we had some down time to explore or just when we had to wait around and our guide would say, "Now ve are havin some of der free time." Also the ride in the lift at the end of the tour was very memorable. We were truly packed into a small, creaking, old miners' lift pressed against one another so tightly that we could barely swing the door inward to get out at the top. Luckily, none of us are claustrophobic.

Entrance with headframe

Owen using some of "der free time"

Heading down into the mine on the first set of over 800 steps
The stairs and supports are all wooden because metal would quickly corrode in the presence of all that salt.


One of the chandeliers and detail of the chandelier below
Notice the salt crystals on the ceiling. With changes in humidity, new growths of salt appear. There are two types of salt growths: spaghetti and cauliflower.



Mining cart "rails" which are actually pits scraped into the floor of the mine after years of use

Overview of the large St. Kinga's Chapel




Jesus, Mary and Joseph on their way back from Bethlehem

Da Vinci's The Last Supper preserved in salt