The salt mine defines Wieliczka, with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. A museum in Żupny Castle and its two-terraced garden add further cultural highlights.
Salt History Underground
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is the oldest salt-mining enterprise in Polish territory; its beginnings date back to the Middle Ages. A notable landmark in the mine’s history is the Regis Shaft: it is the oldest surviving shaft of the salt mine and the only surviving medieval mining shaft in the city.
The approximately two-kilometre-long Miners’ Route starts at the Regis Shaft. The shaft reopened to tourists in 2012; check the current tour arrangements before your trip. The tour is guided: participants are given mining equipment, learn about former working methods and carry out practical mining tasks. St. Kinga’s Chapel is 101 metres underground; many elements of its interior are carved from salt. The two figures describe different things: the chapel’s location is 101 metres underground, while the Miners’ Route is approximately two kilometres long.
Castle Museum and Garden
The Muzeum Żup Krakowskich is located in Żupny Castle in Wieliczka. Exhibitions about the salt mine are displayed in its rooms. The Żupny Garden is an integral part of the castle. It was reconstructed from 1993 to 1995; the restored garden consists of two terraces. The museum and garden thus offer different perspectives on the cultural history of this salt-mining town.
In the Wider Destination of Wieliczka
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines.” Other cultural sites in Wieliczka include the wooden St. Sebastian’s Church, built in 1582 and containing Renaissance paintings, as well as the parish Church of St. Clement. It was founded in 1381 by the townspeople; architectural elements from the 13th and 14th centuries have been preserved in it. The Franciscan Church and Franciscan monastery were built in the first half of the 17th century and were the first stone church of the Lesser Poland Reformed Province.
Historical connections can also be found beyond these churches in the wider destination of Wieliczka. The parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Grabie dates from 1742 and contains a Gothic stone baptismal font from the 15th century. The Ursuline monastery in Siercza is housed in a former Lubomirski palace dating from around the turn of the 20th century. Remains of a former manor farm complex, including a granary, have been preserved in Raciborsko. Wieliczka’s Jewish historic cemetery dates from the 18th century.
The routes described for outdoor activities differ in their course and use: the yellow route is a walking and cycling route between Wieliczka and Dobczyce. The red cycling route forms a 27-kilometre loop through Wieliczka and Siercza. The “Las i stawy na Grabówkach” ecological reserve lies along the walking and cycling route from Wieliczka. Siercza also has a riding stable that offers horse riding under the supervision of an instructor; check current availability.
A time-sensitive notice applies to Zamek Żupny and its courtyard: as of 8 September 2026, both were closed for renovation work, which was expected to continue until the end of 2028. Check the current status before visiting. As of 19 January 2024, the metropolitan bus network connected Wieliczka with Kraków. Check current routes and timetables before travelling.
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Discover more destinations: Biskupice, Byszyce, Łysokanie, Zabawa, Zakrzów, Podstolice, Gdów, Czarnochowice.
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