Tom made reservations for the tour and Alex picked us up along with five other people in a van. We drove to the site and got in line, waiting to descend down into the mine.
Evelyne was our guide for this experience.
There were more than 400 steps down to the first level and it seemed to take forever. We walked down wooden steps. The miners went up and down crude steps carved out of the salt.
You had to keep reminding yourself everything is salt--the floors, the walls, the steps, everything. The mine opened in the 13th century, and produced table salt continuously until 2007. It was one of the world's oldest salt mines in operation. To be a miner was a very sought after position as the salt was a very precious commodity. The miners stayed in the mines for months or even years only rarely returning to the surface.
After they finished their regular work, to pass the time, in the 19th century they would carve figures, chandeliers and even chapels out of the salt in the mines. There are dozens of statues and four chapels carved out by the miners.
We saw how the miners lived and worked, using horses that lived underground.
We walked through caverns, saw saltwater lakes, and some of the many salt sculptures.
The most amazing part was the enormous Chapel of the Blessed Kinga.
Everything is carved out of salt, including the staircase, the chandeliers and the polished salt floor.
Carved all around the walls is the story of Jesus from birth to crucifiction.
Here you can also see a relief of the Last Supper and a life-size statue of Pope John Paul II, who grew up in this area.
By the end of the tour we had descended down over 400 feet below the surface.
Luckily, we were able to take an elevator back to the top. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad we got the opportunity to see it.
We found Alex, our driver for a trip back to Kraków.
We said good-bye to our fellow passengers and made our way to find a late lunch.
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