The Wieliczka Salt Mine, near the Polish town of Krakow, has been in continuous operation since the 13th century, and still is producing table salt today. The mine stretches to a depth of 327 meters and is more than 300 km long. In addition to its ancient purpose as a mine, Wieliczka features a 3.5 km tourist route lined with statues of historical and mythical figures, all of them sculptured out of salt by miners. The tourist route also features beautifully carved chambers, chapels, underground lakes, and exhibits showing the history of salt-mining. About 800,000 visitors view the mine every year.

The History of the Mine

During the Middle Ages, before the advent of refrigeration, salt was valuable as a food preservative. In the beginning of the mine's history, salt was extracted through evaporation of brine water from wells dug in the ground. Later salt deposits were discovered and then mined, a dangerous but profitable activity. The salt mines belonged to the Polish kings and by the 14th century contributed 30 percent of the state's income. The salt financed the founding of the Krakow Academy, later the Jagiellonian University, by Casimir the Great in 1364.

When the mine was first opened, the salt was mined by manual labor. Around 1400 this method was replaced by deptaki, treadmills set on the drum with the rope coiled over it. The machine was set in motion by the weight of the deptacze treading on the steps of the drum. The next stage in the development of transport facilities was the horse gear introduced in the mine in mid-15th century. Technological progress and development of the machinery increased the production from the Wieliczka Mine. In the latter half of the 15th century, the profits drawn from the Mine allowed for restoration and development of the Wawel Castle. This was also the time, when the Mine expanded downwards in search for more abundant salt deposits and when new methods of exploitation were introduced.