Research shows that salt therapy, or more scientifically known as halotherapy, is good for cleansing the lungs. This type of therapy involves breathing in air with tiny salt particles that improve lung function. In the 19th century, salt miners in Poland found that they did not develop any respiratory conditions and were, by general consensus, considered healthy. Studies show that salt therapy has an array of benefits for even skin problems and allergies! With that in mind, here are some of the best salt mines in Poland the next time you visit this beautiful country.
Top Salt Mines in Poland
Wielickza Salt Mine
Located 15 kilometres from Krakow, Wielickza Salt Mine is the world’s largest salt mine. This mine was founded in the 1200s and operated up until 2007! Getting to the mine is also very easy as buses frequently drive from Krakow to near the salt mine.
The Wielickza nestles itself a whopping 337 metres under the ground. However, tourists are only on a level of about 125 metres most of the time. Here, everything (yes, everything) is made from salt. In fact, the walls and the floor tilling are made from salt. Ultimately, it feels like walking in a cocoon of crystal.
There are even salt statues, two Catholic chapels and a love story displayed by a stage of life-sized salt figures. The Catholic chapels have a plethora of engravings on the walls and the hall itself spans a great distance. Along with the many hanging chandeliers made from polished salt crystals, a timeless ambience fills the room!
The Wielickza Salt Mine is dedicated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Considering that it takes close to two hours to complete, the tour here is very reasonably priced. For a more visual experience, check out this tour through the magnificent mine.
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Bachnia Salt Mine
A short drive from Krakow is the Bachnia Salt Mine. Interestingly, this Polish salt mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. 212 metres below ground level, the doors crackle open to a world cocooned by salt! Most of the salt museums put on displays of how the mine might have operated, functioning both as a showcase of information as well as entertainment. The tour takes you through the Ważyn Chamber, which sits at a level 248 metres underground.
This massive chamber has no supporting pillars and was created to establish a sort of sanatorium. The Ważyn Chamber has a unique microclimate with high humidity and a constant temperature of 14 – 16 °C. The air in this chamber is notoriously pure and filled with microelements like magnesium, manganese and calcium. The air also has favourable ionisation and is heavy with sodium chloride. Surely, visiting here would have your lungs rejuvenated!
At Bachnia Salt Mine, you could take a ferry through an underground passage flooded with brine like the miners did back in the day. Shine your headlight onto the walls to see the galaxy dotting the surface. It truly is a magical place and feels almost like a time capsule. In 2013, the mine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as an extension of the Wieliczka Salt Mine inscription of 1978.
Ciechocinek Graduation Towers
Under Kujawy between Ciechocinek and Inowroclaw, there was a huge brine lake. Due to Austria’s claim over Wielicza and Bachnia in 1824, miners started to build and use technology that captured evaporating salt from this lake. The benefits of this site were almost immediately noticeable. Today, Ciechocinek is a renowned health resort on the river Vistula. If you enjoy this article, be sure to read about the unbelievable experiences to embrace on Easter Island.
The site is also called the Ciechocinek Graduation Towers and could be described as a complex of three brine graduation towers. A graduation tower is a structure that removes water from a saline solution by evaporation. These towers constitute the largest wooden structure of its type in all of Europe. From above, its shape resembles the form of a horseshoe. With the salty air filled with minerals, a stroll past the feet of these structures could do any person real good.
Do Be Salty at the Salt Mines in Poland
As you can see, halotherapy can be used to alleviate lung infections, throat infections, smoking-related breathing problems, respiratory allergies, asthma, pneumonia, sinusitis and so much more. But apart from the lungs, the skin benefits that come along with visiting these mines are notable too! These mines are truly like magical healing caves.
