Wieliczka salt mine Bashny.Net

It turns out that the Polish architectural beauty is not only on earth, but beneath it, somewhere in the 300-meter depth. Not far from Krakow, the old capital of Poland, lies the town of Wieliczka. Famous for it's unique salt mine called Wieliczka Salt mine. This Deposit was discovered in the XIII century, exactly at the moment when Boleslav V, called the Chaste, was married to the pious daughter of the Hungarian king of Bali IV. Legend has it that the salt deposits – the dowry of Princess Kinga. She's leaving Home, threw his ring into the salt mine, in Poland, pointed out the place where it is necessary to get. Ring is pulled along with the first piece of salt...





Kopi started to develop and do it without stopping now 700 years. Now, of course, extraction of salt here is not industrial scale, but the income from the mine amounted to 30% of the entire Treasury of the state. The money was kept at the time of the Krakow Academy and completed the famous Wawel castle.





But if you think velicka salt mine is a series developed mines boring, interesting only for speleologists but the historian, you are greatly mistaken. For several centuries, the mines are a center of entertainment – for example, in cell "Lento" (Komora Lentow) was arranged in the ballroom, where he danced the Polonaise to the sounds of the miners orchestra. In another room, Komora Michalowice, was a huge chandelier of three meters in diameter and five and a half meters high, it was possible to paste 300 candles. Polish craftsmen have made it of salt crystals.





In some rooms are facing the scenic sculpture of the Mother of God Victorious, Nicolaus Copernicus (who visited once this place), John Paul II, miniature gnomes. Special attention deserves the Chapel of St. Kinga. Underground salt room — height 9 meters, length 54 in, width 17 — embellished carved into the salt walls with bas-reliefs, there is a salt chandelier. Created this wonderful space at the beginning of the XX century. There in the dungeon restaurant, and hall with stage for concerts and festivals, and a sanatorium for Allergy sufferers. The mine air is saturated with chlorides of sodium, calcium and magnesium, and allergens, dust and germs, which is full in the air on top of virtually nothing.





All the premises of the mine drifts, slopes, operating cameras, lakes, mine pits – stretch for 350 kilometers and is 9 levels with a depth of 327 meters. They read all stages of the development of mining technology in different historical periods. To visit is only open two kilometers tourist route goes through 20 tunnels on several levels, at depths from 64 to 135 meters. Visiting this amazing place, you will rise in one number with Alexander I, Emperor Francis I, Johann-Wolfgang Goethe, Friderika Chopin, Jan Matejko, Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, Boleslav Prus, Henryk Sienkiewicz – all of them visited the mines, what were the entries in the visitors ' book. Add your page!

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