Today actually dawns better than advertised - just threatening skies - no rain or wind yet.
We have planned to visit the salt mines today - about a 20 minute drive from town and completely underground (thus saving us from the coming rain storms). The challenge today - as with Schlinder's Factory - is that when we tried to book tickets online there were none available until next week. Because we have the car - and it’s a short drive - we just head out first thing in the morning, hoping to score some tickets. The drive is easy - we're getting acclimated to Polish roads, even if we can't pronounce the darn names.
Once in Wieliczka, we ignore the first parking lot guys (hey, we're experienced now!) and head up closer to the mine entrance. 15zl later, we are parked in the first row of parking and heading through a pretty park, up the hill to the mine.
Once again, luck is with us - we get tickets for the first English tour. Yay. We pay our 10zl fee for a camera (only one - Ed will be the photographer - I will have to sneak with my cell phone if I want any photos) and get in line for our tour. Precisely at 9:00am we are led into the mine and our tour begins. The salt mine is the only place in the world where mining has been continuous since the Middle Ages. The scope of the mine is amazing - over 300 kilometers (186 miles) of tunnels/excavation that reach a depth of 327 meters (1070 feet).
The tour covers 3km of excavation, descending all the way down to 135 meters (442 feet). And begins by winding down 350 stairs to get to the first level of the mine. Here we are in a large chamber that begins our tour through tunnels carved centuries ago (amazing!) - even the floors are salt. Our guide gives us a history of the mines - ancient to present day, along with explanations of the machinery used to move the heavy rock salt logs.
We also view the sculptures the miners have carved from the rock salt in their spare time. We hear the legend of Princess Kinga who is the patron saint of the miners. From Hungary, when betrothed to a Polish Duke, she asked her father for something to make her new country more prosperous - and he gave her a salt mine. But the mine was far away from Poland, and she couldn't take it with her - instead she threw her engagement ring into the shaft for good luck. Once settled in Cracow, she told the Duke they needed to go find a place where they could mine salt. Their entourage ended up in Wieliczka, where through intuition, Kinga said they should mine. They found salt - and as they were digging - also the gold ring Kinga had thrown in the mine in Hungary. Thus - she became the protector of the miners - the good luck charm - and this carving was done in her honor.
It’s a very interesting tour - they had horses down there! We visit the stables, different chapels and huge caverns with enormous wooden log supports.
Surprisingly enough, I'm not claustrophobic - which is good - I'm just not focusing on the fact that we are so far down beneath the earth's surface. J Finally we reach the St. Kinga chapel - and immense chamber where concerts, parties and even weddings are held. The carvings here are incredible -with such detail - and the chandeliers are even adorned with salt in the shape of glass crystals.
After stopping to admire everything - we're off again to one of the underground lakes for a symphony concert…
Then on to more tunnels and a river where they used to have boat rides until an accident occurred years ago where a boat overturned and the passengers suffocated (the water is so concentrated with salt you cannot swim nor sink in it).
The tour is 3 hours long - but it goes by in a flash. We end up in the gift shop (of course) and the restaurant - where we learn that this was our guide's first solo tour - it was her "exam" day. We had figured as much since there was another guide with us the entire way taking notes. Seems to be a theme with us these last few days - breaking in the newbies!
Now it is time to resurface - which we do in the most bizarre elevator contraption we've ever seen. I'm not good with tight elevators so I'm a little worried because this thing has 4 or 5 different little compartments - all stacked on top of each other. The bulk of the group goes into the bottom compartment - which apparently is pretty big (sort of reminds you of a cattle stall) - we get shifted off and follow another group, which gets split again, and we end up in the top compartment - the last ones in (actually, the people already in the lift say there is no more room - but the Polish miner - who speaks no English - is pushing Ed and me into the compartment - existing occupants be damned!).
Fortunately it is a quick, painless and very airy (remember cattle stall architecture) ride up - I don't even have to push anyone to get off the lift quickly. LOL. We just leisurely walk off, down the stairs and out into the now drizzly day. And what a different a few hours make - not only in the weather but in the people. Holy cow - the ticket line is wrapping its way down the hill! We are so glad we were up and out and on the first tour. These poor people will be standing in the rain for hours waiting to get their tickets and get inside the mine. Good call!
Back in the car, we reverse our steps back to the apartment with only one little mishap - lanes that suddenly force right turns with no advance warning - always a hazard. But we make it. Stuff the little car back into the garage space, grab one of the big suitcases for packing and huff our way into the apartment.
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