The Wieliczka mine is located in the city of Wieliczka, in the metropolitan area of Krakow, Poland. The mine has existed for many centuries and was exploited by miners who went deep in search of a precious and abandoned element: salt. The peculiarity of the mine, in spite of what we can imagine, consists in the presence of large rooms, we can define them as halls for how large they are and how they are furnished. The most extravagant miners, spending whole days in the depths of the mine, in moments of rest or leisure have delighted in the creation of small works such as statues or candelabra or ornamental pieces composed entirely of salt.
The mine sinks over 300 meters below ground level and is made up of an intricate network of tunnels and alleys, so it would be easy to get lost if you proceeded without directions. Some rooms created and carved out of salt are so large and well appointed that I personally had a hard time believing that everything was made of salt. Nostalgia for home and family has encouraged the workers to create small objects that recall their home and their families, others have wanted to exaggerate in creating columns or monuments to imagine rich and powerful men, masters of an empire but of salt.
Living for many days in large aseptic caves would have driven many workers to insanity and depression, and taking the time to decorate their workplace has had enormous benefits for morale. The miners' ability to sculpt and work the salt in those conditions and with artificial light such as lanterns is impressive. The details are incredible and many monuments such as the columns really look like marble in both shape and effect, the shimmer of the salt looks identical to that of the marble stone.
The monumental columns therefore that embellish some large rooms seem to be in marble, so the craftsmen have been meticulous in the construction, creating some effects such as veins. Some salons appear to have been the residences of kings or wealthy lords and it is truly amazing to observe what the miners have created simply with salt. The routes are challenging but each room is a source of amazement to me for the beauty of the contents. The air, despite the ventilation system, is heavy and some rooms and corridors are a little narrow, a problem for those suffering from claustrophobia. It was truly amazing to discover this underground world made entirely of salt and underline how creative art can be despite the materials available.
The salt mine is impressive! Wow, 300 meters below. It's fascinating how the miners embellished the walls with reliefs and ornaments to make it feel like a home away from home. Excellent post as always.
thank you so much for your feedback! It was really impressive to see how deep the miners dug, with fairly rudimentary tools 😱
a splendid location, and a great photo-report on it.
it might be hard to get such quality captures in given lighting conditions. especially I enjoyed the sault texture on wooden logs.
Thank you, the inside of the mines is actually very well lit and smartphone technology in the photographic sector transforms a novice like me into a mid-level photographer 😁✌️
Who would have imagined that salt, a humble and common earth element, could become the raw material for artistic masterpieces? It was simply unbelievable when I first saw your pictures that I kept zooming in to examine how elaborate their details were. Like you, I'd also have thought that everything there was made out of polished stone or marble before knowing it was salt! And what even impressed me more was the positive attitude of the miners who channeled their energies into pure creativity by crafting a magnificent subterranean museum! Otherwise, they could have ended up becoming insane or depressed in such harsh and isolated conditions!
Which artwork there would you consider your personal favorite?
Mmmm difficult to choose: the nativity is really exciting because I imagined the workers at work during the holiday season, away from their families...
Great choice! The mere act alone of creating those holiday artworks away from loved ones is already filled with emotions, and is definitely a labor of love!
Greetings @claudio83, magnificent piece of underground architecture you've shared here.
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Thank you very much for your feedback, it really is a very charming and special place. Glad you liked my post 😊