How to visit and what to see in Wielizka Salt Mine (Krakow): schedules, prices

Without a doubt, one of the essential visits trust your trip to Krakow in the southern Poland, is the Wieliczka Salt Mine known as the “Poland's underground salt cathedral".

Located just 14 kilometers southeast of Krakow, in the town of Wieliczka, it is one of the salt mines most famous in the world.

Declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco, have become a major tourist attraction with more than a million visitors each year.

The  Wieliczka Salt Mine have their origin in the Middle Ages and they are still in production.

Curiosities history of the Wieliczka salt mines

The first references to the Wieliczka mines They date back to the year 1044.

In subsequent centuries they achieved great importance, generating in the 30th century more than XNUMX percent of the total income of the then Kingdom of Poland.

How many kilometers are the Wieliczka mines?

With a depth of 327 meters, these mines extend through more than 300 kilometers of tunnels.

La tourist activity in the mines They already date back to the 14th century, when relevant figures from the court of the Polish kings were allowed access for their visit.

And tourist visits were promoted as early as the 16th century with a cultural objective.

Currently, the tourist route takes place in a 3,5 kilometer route through the mine galleries, between the levels of 64 meters and 135 meters.

How to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines

When you arrive at the site of the mines, very close to the Krakow city, you will find the large entrance building.

I already warned you that during holiday periods, like the month of August when I had the opportunity to visit them, it is certain that you will find large lines of tourists in front of the ticket offices.

Si vas a go on your own to the Wieliczka salt mines, an important tip is to locate the queue for the visits in languages (Spanish, English, French...) other than Polish.

They are different ticket offices and, therefore, different queues, and I can tell you that the queue for local visitors is much longer.

Tour in Spanish to the Wieliczka Salt Mines

Yes, instead of moving on your own from Krakow y to visit the salt mines you prefer to do it in a group with guide in Spanish, you can sign up Tour to the Wieliczka mines.

This excursion you will do by bus from Krakow will last a total of four hours, and with the company of a guide in spanish You will travel 3,5 kilometers of galleries.

What to see when visiting the Wieliczka mines

La visit to the Wieliczka mines It begins by descending through a long and deep staircase, with 350 steps that you need to go down to reach the 135 depth meters.

The temperature at that depth will be around 14-16 degrees Celsius.

During the entire visit you will travel long tunnels and to 20 rooms in which you will find exhibitions and objects related to salt production in the mine, so you can discover the ingenious systems used to extract salt.

Salt statues in Wieliczka mines

But in your visit the salt mines You will also reach chambers where you will see numerous statues of salt sculpted by miners Throughout history, the vast majority, religious sculptures.

These are true artworks that have given world fame to these Polish mines.

Keep in mind that if you sign up for the complete visit by all the tour of the salt mines has a duration up to three hours.

Saint Kinga, the great chapel of Wieliczka

You will find the maximum artistic expression in what is, without a doubt, the most important chamber of the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a large room called St. Kinga's Chapel.

It is a huge room inside the mines that has been converted into a great chapel, with different statues and religious decorative elements, but at the same time it is used as concert hall.

Really the tourist visit at Wieliczka mines, whose route is a succession of corridors, small rooms and elevators, has its climax when you reach the St Kinga's Chapel.

This large room was created in 1896, and is 54 meters long by 18 meters wide and 12 meters high.

Since it was created, over the years it was gradually decorated by sculptor miners who left expressions of their artistic skills on the walls and ceilings of the room.

The most important thing about it is the altar, in whose central part is located the sculpture made of rock salt Saint Kinga, and on whose sides there are other sculptures of San Jose y San Clemente, the latter patron of the miners and the parish of the town of Wieliczka.

Apart from the numerous sculptures and panels with religious scenes, all of them made of salt, the huge chandeliers lamps that hang over the large room, made with salt crystals.

Although in the 60s it was planned to finish the decoration of this room, it was decided to continue incorporating new decorative elements made by new generations of mining artists.

To highlight the monument to John Paul II in salt rock, which was built between 2002 and 2003.

From the almost complete magnitude of the Chapel of Saint Kinga of the Wieliczka Salt MinesThe view from the upper access to this large room is a good example.

And given the impact of this first vision, they have already put a ticket office next to the viewing terrace to charge a small fee (2,30 euros) to those of us who want to take photos.

Therefore, if you are a photographer, have your portfolio ready…

Wielizcka mine visit schedules

The Visiting hours of the Wielizcka Salt Mines They are, from April to October, from 8 a.m. to 19,30:XNUMX p.m., the last time to enter the mine; from November to March, from 8 a.m. to 17 p.m.

The visit on your own is done in groups of up to 35 people through guided tours in different languages.

Guided tours in Wielizcka mines

The official guided tours in Spanish They are throughout the year, at 12,45:15,45 and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

Please note that it is advisable to arrive early enough to book these visits.

Given the limited visits in Spanish, you also have the option of signing up for the guided tours in English which are carried out every 30 minutes.

Or if you prefer, the aforementioned alternative of the Wieliczka excursion from Krakow which already includes the bus transfer from the center of the city to the place where the mines are located, on the outskirts of them.

Wieliczka Salt Mine entrance prices

The ticket prices To visit the mines with guided tours in languages ​​other than Polish are, the general rate, 126 PLN (28,50 euros), and the reduced rate for students up to 26 years old, seniors +65 and disabled people and their companions, 116 PLN (26,20 euros).

Children and students of primary and secondary education also have a reduced rate, for 106 PLN (23,94 euros) and there is a family rate for two adults and two children from 4 to 16 years old for 379 PLN (85,62 euros).

Children under 4 years old enter for free.

Map: how to get to Wieliczka

For Getting to Wieliczka Salt Mines from Krakow Bus you have to take line 304 on the Kurniki street, on the sidewalk opposite the shopping center Galeria Krakowska, with buses that pass every 20 minutes (see bus schedules 304).

There are also minibuses that circulate every so often from the Krakow Railway Station to the salt mines.