Have you heard about a salt mine called Wieliczka? This surreal place is located in the metropolitan area of ​​Krakow, Poland, and don't think it is a site focused exclusively on extractivism. Although in the past this was the activity of Wieliczka, the mine has been transformed over time and today it houses an incredible underground city carved in salt.

Isn't it amazing? (Mother Nature Network / Milan Gonda / Shutterstock)

The Wieliczka Salt Mine has been around since the 13th century and during the Renaissance was one of Europe's main trading hubs, as salt was an essential ingredient for food preservation. Of course the mine became super famous and was visited by many illustrious bigwigs over the centuries - among them Copernicus, Goethe and Chopin - and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978, but extraction activities even continued until the end of the year. the 90's.

Surreal attraction

According to Starre Vartan of Mother Nature Network, the mine is currently one of Poland's top tourist attractions and receives more than one million visitors each year. And she is huge! Wieliczka is more than 300 meters deep and nearly 300 kilometers long - although “just” just over three kilometers are open to visitors.

Scheme showing how the salt mine is distributed (Wikimedia Commons / Willem Hondius)

However, in these three kilometers you can find several sculptures and halls adorned with reliefs and other works of art made in salt. The earliest creations were created by the miners who worked in Wieliczka - and left their mark on the walls, tunnels and other spaces of the mine.

There is even a carved "Holy Supper" inside! (Wikimedia Commons / Akumiszcza)

There are, for example, several scenes of local rhymes and fairy tales carved into the walls, and also a chamber whose walls were carved to mimic the look of wood. The mine also features huge 19th century crystal chandeliers and houses a lake and a beautiful salt cathedral inside.

Underground Lego in Wieliczka (Mother Nature Network / Juli Scalzi / Shutterstock)

Another curious thing is that, although Wieliczka is in the depths, it has a resort suitable for people with breathing problems - and even offers accommodation for those who want to spend the night there. The "air" inside the mine is said to be medicinal, as it would be devoid of outside pollution, allergenic agents, bacteria or fungi, and the depth would protect visitors from electromagnetic radiation.

Surreal Environment (Wieliczka Salt Mine)

To be sure, the resort's rooms were housed inside a chamber where the horse stables assisted in excavating this subterranean wonder that looks like something out of this world. Check out more images of Wieliczka in the following gallery: