A salt mine in Poland contains a chapel and chandeliers made of salt
06/03/2020Going underground! Inside the 13th century Polish salt mine where visitors explore vast chambers and azure lakes hidden deep beneath the earth
- Wieliczka Salt Mines have dazzled millions of visitors since 13th century
- The unique mine, near Krakow, is on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list
- Incredible space is carved entirely in salt and contains 2,000 different rooms
- Many, including a chapel, are decorated with great sculptures and chandeliers
From underground pools to an incredible carved chapel, this Polish mine has amazed millions of visitors and is entirely made of salt.
The Wieliczka Salt Mines, located near Krakow, is on the Unesco World Heritage Sites list and has been explored by 45 million tourists since it was built in the 13th century.
The curious underground structure, which is 1,072 ft deep, contains 2,000 rooms, including a chapel which sees giant functional chandeliers made of salt dangling from the high ceillings.
The mine consists of 245 km of corridors, and is so large that only 2 per cent of it can be visited, with fans shared amazing pictures of their visit on Bored Panda.
Not only is the mine impressive by its size, it is also peppered with beautiful works of art and statues carved in the salt.
While it’s currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is set to reopen on June 7.
A woman takes in the sights at the beautiful and surreal Wieliczka salt mine, located near Krakow, one of the oldest mines of its kind in the world
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Visitors from around the world have been amazed by the many sculptures and works of art made from salt which can be found around the mine
One of the most magnificent rooms in the mine is the chapel, which features a crucifix and an altar also carved into the salt
Walls of timber can also be found lining the corridors of one of the parts of the 13th century mine, which has been a World Heritage Site since 1978
Another spectacular room in the mine features an impressive structure, which contains the main stairs of the tourist route into the underground masterpiece
The mine also contains a natural lake, which is surrounded by wooden pathway which allows visitors to explore the cavern
The incredible staircase is in one of the largest salt chambers in the underground mine, which contains 2,000 rooms
Visitors have to use staircases to descend hundreds of feet to explore the incredible masterpiece
In another room of the mine, which was sculpted in the 13th century, visitors can find a beautiful and modern fountain
The chapel is among the rooms to feature the most intricate of details carved into the rock face, including a row of salt sculptures
The Unesco World Heritage site has been fitted with modern wooden staircases throughout to allow tourists to visit safely
The salt within the walls of the mine glint and shine as the light from the chandeliers bounces from it
One of the largest of the 2,000 rooms within the mine is the incredible chapel, with millions of visitors passing through the cavernous space
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is currently closed to tourists amid the coronavirus pandemic, but will reopen later this week
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