What it is like inside the Wieliczka Salt Mine
Inside the Wieliczka Salt Mine the visitor route is only a small part of the whole. The mine has 9 levels, about 245 km of passages and a deepest point of 327 m. Visitors on the Tourist Route reach 135 m and walk about 3.5 km, at 17 to 18 °C. The rest of the mine is not open to you.
You go down on foot with a guide and come back up by lift, which the ticket covers. The chambers are hollowed out of the salt and some are very large. Before you decide on a date, see the Wieliczka Salt Mine tickets and the opening hours.
The chambers by name
Chambers such as Pieskowa Skała, Weimar, Janowice, Stanisław Staszic and Kazimierz the Great each have a name and a story.
Weimar
Known for its brine pond, described below.
Janowice
The mine links this chamber to the legend of St Kinga, her discovery of salt and her engagement ring. It is a legend, not a recorded event.
Stanisław Staszic
A tall chamber with timber stairs, shown in the photo below.
Boczaniec
This chamber belongs to the Miners' Route, not to the Tourist Route.
A chamber with a name and a description is not necessarily on every tour. Your guide decides the route on the day, and the visiting rules allow changes for organisational or safety reasons. The Chapel of St Kinga has its own page: the Chapel of St Kinga.
Our pick: inside with a private car
A private trip with mine entry and a guide's explanations, from your hotel.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Tours into the Wieliczka Salt Mine
Guided visits and transfers from Kraków, with live prices and availability.
The underground lake
Salt water, not a natural lake.
The Weimar chamber holds a brine pond. It was created in the 1960s by flooding the floor of the chamber, so it is not a natural lake. Light and sound effects are used there. The chamber also has a salt sculpture of Skarbnik, the legendary guardian of the mine, and a monument to Goethe.
The lake is for looking at. There is no boating, swimming or bathing for visitors, and you may not leave the approved areas.
This photo shows wooden supports above an underground lake. Lighting changes how water looks underground, so photos of one lake can differ a lot.
Timber, machines and old workings
The mine was a workplace first.
A gallery with timber supports
Timber supports line the galleries. More in the history of the mine.
A wooden horse-powered winch
A wooden horse-powered winch in the mine.
A mine locomotive on its track
Rail equipment from the working mine.
The photo shows a timber structure with a salt wheel underground. For the working side of the mine in more depth, the Miners' Route is the better fit, and the history page sets the dates.
The museum level and the health resort
Two things inside the mine that are not the main route.
Underground museum
The museum route on level III is included in the visitor ticket. It is separate from the Saltworks Castle above ground. The Tourist Route takes 2 to 3 hours, and the museum section adds about 1 extra hour for its 1.5 km. Plan generously.
Health resort
A separate offer with its own booking: stays of 1 to 3 days or 4 to 21 days on level III, 135 m down. The temperature there is 13 to 14.5 °C, you bring your own food, there is no Wi-Fi and no early return to the surface. Tourist routes cost extra. No health benefit is claimed for a normal tour visit.
Events underground
One underground chamber is laid out with set tables for events.
Practical points before you go down
Rules and comfort underground.
Steps
About 800 steps in total, 380 of them at the start. Parts of the route are accessible with prior reservation, with a Polish or English guide.
Bags
Bags up to 20 × 20 × 35 cm are fine. Larger items and strollers stay at the top. Left luggage is free and lockers are limited.
Rules
Stay in the approved areas. No smoking, e-cigarettes or open flame. Do not damage or take salt. Animals are not allowed, except assistance dogs.
Getting there
The route starts at the Daniłowicz shaft. See getting there for trains, buses and parking.
Inside the Wieliczka Salt Mine: frequently asked questions
How deep do visitors go?
Visitors reach 135 m. The deepest point of the whole mine is 327 m, and that part is not open to visitors.
Is there an underground lake?
Yes. A brine pond in the Weimar chamber, created in the 1960s by flooding the floor. It is not a natural lake, and you cannot swim or take a boat.
How many chambers does the mine have?
Depending on the count, the mine has 2,350 excavated chambers or almost 2,500 mine spaces. You see only a few on the route.
Do I see every chamber on every visit?
No. The route can change, and a chamber you read about is not always on your tour.
Is it cold inside?
The Tourist Route is 17 to 18 °C, the Miners' Route 14 to 16 °C. Bring a light jacket.
Is this the official website of the Wieliczka Salt Mine?
No. This is an independent travel guide and is not connected with the mine or its operator.