Snow is falling thick and fast as I walk towards the centre of the small town of Wieliczki in southern Poland. Locals say the temperature will fall to a biting -9°C tonight but that won't affect my sightseeing. I'm about to head underground, into a salt mine, where temperatures will be between 14°C and 16°C.
To non-Polish speakers, Wieliczki Salt Mine may not be a name that trips off the tongue, but it is recognised globally. UNESCO placed it on their inaugural list of World Heritage Sites back in 1978.
The term 'salt mine' might be suggestive of a grim place of industry and toil but Wieliczki, I've heard, is also known as a place of art and culture. I'm still brushing snow off my woolly hat when Dariusz, a former miner, greets me with a smile and tells me he'll be my guide. One of the advantages of travelling in Europe outside of the summer season is there's next to no waiting around for tickets to see attractions. Normally, I'd have had to reckon with a sizable queue, as more than 10 lakh tourists head here every year.
In fact, tourists have been visiting the mine for two centuries but, Dariusz informs me, today we'll be taking a look along the new Miner's Route before seeing some of the underground caverns in which miners have carved sculptures from the rock salt. Wieliczki's salt was so valuable during the Middle Ages — it was widely used for preserving food then — that it was known as 'grey gold' and contributed significantly to the wealth of the kings of Poland. Their seat of power was Wawel Castle, 10 km away from here, in the centre of Krakow. Mining on an industrial scale ended at Wieliczki in 1996 but some salt is still produced, mainly for the local market, maintaining a tradition that goes back beyond 1289, when the Henry IV Probus, Duke of Silesia and Krakow, granted the mine's charter.
As I pull on a grey overall and orange safety helmet, which visitors must wear when visiting the Miners' Route, Dariusz tells me just one per cent of the mine is open to the public. The mine drops to a depth of 327 metres below ground and its tunnels run for a total length of 245 km. "Stick with me to survive. There is a huge labyrinth of tunnels and only I know the way out," says Dariusz, then breaking into a laugh to show he's joking. We are, though, taking our safety seriously, and he demonstrates how emergency breathing apparatus and mining lamps are used. It helps to have a reasonable level of fitness to take this tour. Even though the subterranean trail runs just two km, we'll climb as many as 800 steps plus a couple of ladders. As we enter the mine Dariusz points out the clay covered wooden door at the end of the tunnel; such doors helped contain fires caused by methane gas. Long ago that posed a serious risk and in 1644 one fire burned for eight months. Just as I'm contemplating that working underground was a risky business in bygone times, my head smacks against an old wooden beam. Thankfully, my helmet takes the impact and I crouch a touch lower. Salt protrudes like white fur from 300-year joists and beams; over time it has seeped into the wood, preserving it. In places, transparent salt crystals jut like uncut diamonds from the rock. The origins of the salt date back more than 13 million years, to the Miocene epoch, when sea water evaporated. We pass a couple of saline lakes during our tour.
A number of the caverns we pass through are surprisingly large; the fact that the world's first underground bungee jump, of 36 metres, was held in Wieliczki gives an idea of the scale of some. The Miners' Route provides a good insight into the working of the mine but the most spectacular chambers are on the standard tourist route. Arguably the most eyecatching of all is St Kinga's Chapel, essentially a full-sized church 101 metres underground. Miners who were also sculptors carved ornate bas relief scenes on the walls in the 1920s. Chandeliers made from salt crystals hang from the ceiling. It draws a murmured 'wow' of appreciation from me.
Within the chapel the acoustics are good, something I get to appreciate when a chorus from Nabucco, Verdi's opera, is piped over the speaker system. "You'll have to come back again some time to listen to our orchestra playing," says Dariusz, pointing towards the Drozdowice III chamber, where the musicians perform. Banquets, conferences and even cultural events such as exhibitions are held down here.
Impressively, the mine also has a health resort. The spa is 135 metres below the surface and its mineral-charged microclimate is said to be beneficial in the treatment of respiratory problems and allergies. Far removed from the sound of traffic it's also recommended as a place of relaxation.
Before heading back to ground level I sit down to enjoy dinner in the mine's spacious Warszawa chamber, 125 metres below. Presumably, if I want to add to the chef's seasoning, there will be no shortage of salt.
Additional info
When to go
Poland is good to go to throughout the year. Prepare for icy weather in mid-winter. In summer, from June to August, it's common to experience sunny days and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s.
Getting there
Lufthansa flies between Mumbai and Krakow via Munich, with prices starting from INR 52,300. Poland is part of the European Union's Schengen zone, so one visa means you'll be able to visit several EU countries.
Accommodation
The 152-room Park Inn by Radisson (www.parkinn.com/hotel-krakow ) is a four star hotel with views of Krakow's Wawel Castle. Double rooms with breakfast cost INR 51,00. The 53-room Turowka Hotel and Spa (www.turowka.pl/eng) has four-stars and is located on the edge of Wieliczka. The Italian national football team stayed at the hotel during the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. Rooms cost INR 6,200.
Websites
www.poland.travel www.wieliczka-saltmine.com www.cracow.welcome.com.pl
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