Wieliczka, Salt Mine 3

As a result of over 700 years of mining the salt deposits, and hidden below the town, the Wieliczka mine has 9 levels, reaching nearly 1,000 feet deep, about 186 miles of galleries, and 3000 chambers. The tourist visit is about 2 miles long, and reaches over 400 feet below ground.

It’s dark down there, and this photo shows some of the chandeliers, made of salt crystals, that light the tourist visit. Magnificent chapels, captivating underground lakes, original tools and equipment, and traces of mining, give the tourist a realistic view of the miner’s work, passion and beliefs.

The Chapel of Blessed Kinga, located over 300 feet below ground, was created in 1896. It is 180 feet long, about 56 feet wide, and 40 feet high. In the years 1927-1963, a miner sculptor, Antoni Wyrodek completed the decoration of the chapel with the following bas-reliefs: Flight into Egypt, Twelve-Year-Old Jesus Teaching in the Temple, A Miracle in Cana of Galilee, The Last Supper, Doubting Thomas.