More precious than gold, salt has been a critical element of civilization. It has been used as currency and coinage – the word “salary” has the same root as “salt.” The Wieliczka Salt Mine, in the town where we are staying, has been worked as a source of rock salt since the late 13th century. The mine corridors extend more than 300 km, connecting 2000 excavation chambers in nine underground levels and reaching a depth of more than 1000 feet, but our tour covered only three levels and a small fraction of the mine.
During its peak, Wieliczka employed 2500 workers. Miners, carpenters, blacksmiths, mechanics, coopers and every possible trade worked inside the mine. Only the rope-makers worked on the surface; their building had to be 200 meters long! Today, our guide joked, there are 500 miners and 2000 guides, understandable since it has been open to tourists since the 15th Century.
Over its seven hundred year history miners in Wieliczka established a tradition of carving sculptures from the rock salt. As a result, the mine today contains entire underground churches, altars, bas-reliefs, and dozens of life-size or larger statues. Even the chandeliers are made from salt. The largest of the chapels, the Chapel of the Blessed King, contains the most recent statue (no surprise) of Pope John Paul II.
