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The Wieliczka Salt Mine,
located just outside Krakow, has been worked as a
source of rock salt since the late 13th century.
The mine consists of
over 200 km of underground passages.Over the
centuries, miners have established a tradition of
carving sculptures out of the native rock salt. As a
result, the mine contains entire underground
churches, altars, bas-reliefs, and dozens of
life-size or larger statues. It also houses an
underground museum and has a number of special
purpose chambers such as a sanatorium for people
suffering from respiratory ailments. The largest of
the chapels, the Chapel of the Blessed Kinga, is
located 101 meters below the surface, it is over 50
meters long, 15 meters wide, 12 meters high, with a
volume of 10,000 cubic meters.
As a testament to its
historical and artistic importance, the mine has
been placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List of sites
designated as having ``outstanding universal value
to mankind.'' It receives up to a million visitors
yearly, most of them during the warmer summer
months.
The Wieliczka Salt
Mines provide a unique experience that should not be
missed.
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