Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
The deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka and Bochnia
has been mined since the 13th century. This major industrial undertaking
has royal status and is the oldest of its type in Europe. The site is a
serial property consisting of Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines and
Wieliczka Saltworks Castle. The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
illustrate the historic stages of the development of mining techniques
in Europe from the 13th to the 20th centuries: both mines have hundreds
of kilometers of galleries with works of art, underground chapels and
statues sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the
past. The mines were administratively and technically run by Wieliczka
Saltworks Castle, which dates from the medieval period and has been
rebuilt several times in the course of its history.