Today is my last day in Krakow and I set off for Hungary tonight. Yesterday went to the famous Wieliczka Salt mines just 5 miles outside the city. They have been mining salt here for altleast 800 years! As a result it reaches up to 900 feet deep and has 2000 chambers, our tour of 2 1/2 hours only covered 1% of the mine itself. They showed us the mining conditions (which seem to be downright cushy compared to coal mining nowadays), several statues carved from salt rock, a couple of underground lakes, and a fantastic chapel (as big as a church) complete with phantom of the opera worthy chandeliers. Everything was made of salt rock, chandeliers, wall, floor tiles, baby Jesus, and a JPII figure. The mine stopped working in the 70's, I guess they
... read more