5. Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine Transport and Guided Tour
Visit the mind-blowing Wieliczka Salt Mine, a must when in Krakow. One of the oldest salt mines in Europe, its carvings of fabulous figures, monuments, and altarpieces have earned Wieliczka a place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1978. The product of multiple generations of miners who hand-carved it from blocks of salt, this subterranean world of pits, tunnels, and huge rooms has to be seen to be believed.
The whole underground labyrinth stretches over 9 levels and descends 327 meters (1,073 feet) below the surface of the Earth. The first tourist trail in Wieliczka was established as early as at the turn of the 19th century, and nowadays the route consists of 20 monumental chambers joined by 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) of pathways.
Head 210 to 440 feet (approximately 64 to 135 meters) underground, passing through galleries and chambers where traces of mining activity have been preserved. Along the way, see many examples of sacred art and themed compositions relating to the history of the mine and legends.
One of the undoubted highlights is the spectacular Chapel of the Blessed Kinga — a huge, underground church where everything, from the chandeliers to the altarpieces, has been chiseled out of salt. Also, don't miss the world's largest mining heritage museum with a collection encompassing unique pieces of mining equipment reflecting the development of mining techniques from the Middle Ages until today.