This is the last time we will talk about the Wieliczka Saltworks!
A church 100 meters underground, an emerald green subterranean lake…
The Wieliczka Salt Pit looks like an Indiana Jones adventure.
It’s like a Disney Sea attraction…” my mother blurted out;
Approximately 40 minutes by bus from Krakow Central Station.
And it’s a very popular day trip to this world heritage site!
If you’re in Krakow for more than two nights, this is a must-see spot!
In this article.
This article provides an overview of the Wieliczka Salt Pit, its attractions, how to get there, and what you need to know before you go.
This will give you a full understanding of the Wieliczka Saltworks.
Click here to read the previous article ↓↓↓↓↓.
What is the Wieliczka Salt Resistance like?
Founded in 1044, Wieliczka Saltworks is the oldest salt company in the world.
Currently, no new mining is being conducted due to cost and safety concerns.
It was registered as a World Heritage site in 1978 and is now a very popular tourist destination visited by people from all over the world.
The amazing thing about the Wieliczka Salt Mine is the sculptures that were made by scraping rock salt deep underground.
Most of these were made not by professional sculptors but by the miners who worked there at the time.
The miners worked dangerously in the dark, where no sunlight could reach.
Because of the harshness of the work, many people lost their lives or suffered physical damage.
When I think of what they were thinking when they were making the sculptures… I am deeply moved.
Wieliczka Saltworks Highlights! With photos!
Highlight 1] St. Kinga’s Cathedral, located 100 meters underground.
located about 100 meters below the ground, in a
A church made entirely of salt
The church is located about 100 meters below the ground.
Every time I visit a World Heritage site, I wonder, “How did they do this?” I always wonder “How did they make this?
The walls are covered with salt sculptures made by miners, including the famous “Last Supper” sculpture.
And
The chandelier is also made of salt.
A must see!
Highlight 2] Emerald Green Underground Lake
The fantastic scenery is different from that of St. Kinga’s Cathedral.
The color was similar to the caldera of Mt. Aso in Kumamoto.
The caldera is super hot, while the underground lake is cold.
It is a mystery of the earth.(The comment is very flimsy… ^^;)
Highlight 3] Salt, salt, salt… A world made entirely of salt.
It’s not just St. Kinga’s Cathedral where everything is made of salt.
Salt floors, salt walls, salt ceilings.
Every part of the tourist route is made of salt.
A bed of salt. Hard to believe this is salt…
A wall of salt. It is possible to lick it ^^^;
How to get to the Wieliczka Salt Flats
Wieliczka Saltworks is located on the outskirts of Krakow.
From the center of Krakow
It is recommended to take a bus or the Uber/Bolt car-dispatch app.
We will explain how to get to each of them.
It can also be reached by train, but due to the construction of the railroad line, only one train service is available every hour, which is inconvenient, so I will omit the explanation here.
How to get there by city bus
If you’re looking for cheap, take the bus!
- Bus No. 304
- Approximately 40 minutes from bus stop Dworzec Glówny Zachód near Krakow Central Station.
- No transfers; get off at Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli. From there it’s a short walk.
- It leaves every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. (6am to 4pm. Other times the interval is a little longer.)
- Tickets are 4.6 zloty as of May 2019. (
Tickets are for “Zone (Strefa) I + II / 50minute or Single trip.”
)
Buses are very convenient, as they are cheap and can be taken without transfers.
I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to make it! Please note that if you don’t know about tickets in advance, you will have a very hard time.
There are no ticket vending machines near the 304 bus stop.
Although the buses are equipped with ticket vending machines, they
Coin-operated
is.
I got on the train without knowing it and was in a panic because I didn’t have any coins….
I asked the bus driver to exchange money, but he refused, and I had to ask each passenger if he could exchange money for me.
Fortunately, a kind lady exchanged my money and I managed to buy a ticket.
There were rather many other tourists besides me who were struggling.
Some people got off without coins and gave up, others had coins but for some reason the coins came back and they had to fight with the ticket machine ^^^;
You can’t just reopen the door and get on the train without buying a ticket!
If a ticket examiner comes on board, you are immediately out.
Fine 240 zloty, about $7,200!
Complaining about no money changer or not being able to use a card probably won’t help. It’s inexcusable; but;.
A good way to counteract this is to buy a round-trip ticket in advance from a ticket machine at a nearby streetcar stop.
There, you can use cards and bills. Tickets are the same no matter where you buy them.
Don’t forget to run it through the imprinting machine after you get on the bus!
Traffic was terrible during commute hours…we were over 10 minutes late.
In Poland, the commuter rush begins as early as 3:00 p.m. in the evening.
304 bus stop locations
Krakow Central Station → Wieliczka Salt Pit
Get on at the Dworzec Glówny Zachód stop (first stop).
Please be careful not to make a mistake.
When I boarded the train, it was packed halfway through.
It is recommended to take the first train from Dworzec Glówny Zachód to get a seat.
Get off at Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli.
(Not the last stop!)
The sign has two arrows on it.
Follow the arrow toward “100 meters” and go gently uphill.
Return: Wieliczka Saltworks → Krakow Central Station
It takes from Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli.
There was a ticket machine at this bus stop. It was broken and I couldn’t buy it after all (laughs).
Directions by Uber/Bolt (Taxify)
If you are looking for an easy way to get around, you can use a car-dispatch application such as Uber/Bolt (formerly Taxify).
The price is around 30 to 50 zloty (about 900 to 1,500 yen).
The price is reasonable considering the ease of use.
Uber and Bolt do not have cab licenses, so use your own discretion in this area.
It is safer to allow plenty of time for commuting, as you are likely to be stuck in traffic jams during rush hours.
There do not seem to be as many as in Warsaw, and on holidays it can be difficult to get a hold of one and the price may be higher than usual.
Therefore, it is necessary to call outside the old town.
It seems that only cabs with a cab license are allowed in the old city.
A glimpse into the battle between cab companies and Uber…
Wieliczka Saltworks Hours, Closings, Prices, and Approximate Length of Stay
[table id=”21″ /]
- 1/1
- Easter Sunday (Easter Sunday) Date varies from year to year.
- 11/1
- 12/24,25
- 12/31 08:00-16:00
- Easter Saturday (Holy Saturday) The date varies from year to year; it is a Saturday somewhere in March or April.
In March, 08:00-17:00; in April, 7:30-17:00.
Estimated fees and length of stay
All will be in guided tour format.
Individuals are not free to visit the museum.
[table id=”23″ /]
If you want to take pictures with a camera, you must pay an additional 10 zloty. (There is also a charge for taking pictures with a smartphone.)
Estimated length of stay is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.
Please check the official website for the latest information.
How to reserve & purchase tickets
Online advance reservations are not required and can be purchased in line on the day of the event.
However, the ticket counter can have long lines during peak season, so it is safer to make reservations online.
Online reservations can be made up to 3 days prior to visit.
You can make a reservation here ↓.
https://www.ebilety.kopalnia.pl/index.php?Lang=ANG
Alternatively, tickets can be purchased at the office in the Old Town of Krakow.
I have never been there, but I have heard that it is a good place to go because you don’t have to wait in line as long as you do when buying locally.
Click here for the location and hours of operation of the ticket office in Krakow.
Address: ul. Wiślna 12a 31 – 007 Kraków
- Sunday
- 1/1,6
- Easter (from Holy Saturday to Easter Monday)
- 5/1,3
- Pentecost (Whit Sunday) Changes every year; Sunday somewhere in May or June
- 8/15
- 11/1,11
- 12/24-26, 31
*We are closed on Sundays and holidays, regardless of the opening date of Wieliczka Rock Salt Anti.
Things to know before visiting the Wieliczka Saltworks
There is a limit to the size of luggage that can be brought in.
Bags and backpacks that exceed 35x20x20 cm are not allowed.
Although there are no strict checks, obviously large bags and suitcases should be left at the baggage deposit area.
Don’t forget comfortable shoes & jacket.
At the Wieliczka Salt Pit, you have to descend a staggering 800 steps.
Also, floors made of salt are a bit slippery.
It is best to visit with comfortable shoes.
We will be walking for almost 2.5 hours, so high heeled shoes are definitely not recommended!
Also, because of its deep underground location, the temperature is kept at 14~16 degrees Celsius even in summer.
It may be a little chilly in short sleeves.
I was just fine in short sleeves plus a spring/fall jacket.
No need to worry about bad legs! Special tours without stairs are also available.
Special tours for people in wheelchairs or with disabilities are also offered daily.
There are no stairs at all and everything can be moved by elevator. The price is the same.
My mother has a bad leg and we recently took this tour together.
(Not so much because of my disability, but because 800 stairs was difficult)
Advance reservations by e-mail or phone are required.
For more information, please refer to this article.
Wieliczka Saltworks offers a wide variety of souvenirs
The souvenirs from Wieliczka Saltworks are of high quality and highly recommended!
Souvenir shops are located in the basement and on the ground level.
The souvenir shop in the basement will be seen during the tour.
You can’t take your time to see it, and you have to walk with what you bought throughout the tour that follows.
If you have time after the tour, you can buy souvenirs at souvenir shops on the ground.
Credit cards are accepted.
You can read more about souvenirs in this article.
If English is not your thing, I recommend taking a Japanese tour.
Unfortunately, the
The Wieliczka Salt Pit does not offer guided tours in Japanese, so you will have to join an English-speaking tour.
- English is not my thing!
- I want to hear the commentary in Japanese!
If so, it would be a good idea to sign up for a Japanese-language tour offered by a tour company.
My in-laws used to take private Japanese guided tours with Bertra Optional Tours.
They enjoyed the commentary by the Polish guide, who spoke fluent Japanese.
He was very satisfied with the explanation and said it was interesting from a unique Polish point of view.
summary
This is a summary article about the Wieliczka Saltworks.
I hope it will be helpful for your trip ^^.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section or through the contact form.
I will answer to the best of my knowledge!
