poland’s underground city - times of india

A salt mine-turned-
UNESCO heritage 13 million-provides a glimpse of Polish businesses, industry and indulgenceyear-
As I walked to the center of Wieliczki, a small town in southern Poland, the old Crystal Snow was falling thick and fast.
Locals say the temperature will drop.
9 degrees Celsius tonight but it will not affect my sightseeing.
I am about to get into the ground and into a salt mine where the temperature will be between 14 °C and 16 °C. To non-
For Polish speakers, the Wieliczki salt mine may not be a name that falls off the tongue, but it is recognized globally.
As early as 1978, UNESCO included it in the world heritage list.
The term \"salt mine\" may suggest a grim place for industry and hard work, but I have heard that Wieliczki is also known as a place for art and culture.
The current miner Dariusz greeted me with a smile and told me that I was still brushing off my wool hat when he was going to be my guide.
One of the benefits of traveling in Europe outside the summer is that few people wait to buy tickets to see the sights.
Normally I have to think about a fairly large queue as more than 10 lakh visitors come here every year.
In fact, the tourists have visited the mine for two centuries, but Dariusz told me that today, we will take a look along the route of the new miners, then I saw some underground caves where miners carved sculptures from rock salt.
The salt of Wieliczki was very valuable in the Middle Ages.
At that time, it was widely used to preserve food.
It is called \"gray gold\" and has made a significant contribution to the wealth of the Polish king.
Their authority is located at Wawel Castle in the heart of Krakow, 10 km kilometers away.
Industrial-scale mining ended in Wieliczki in 1996, but some salt is still being produced, mainly for the local market, the tradition of keeping the Henry IV Probus over 1289 of the time, the Duke of sirisia and Krakow, granted the mine a franchise.
When I put on a gray overall and orange helmet, the tourist had to wear the helmet when visiting the miner\'s route, and Dariusz told me that only a tenth of the mine was open to the public.
The mine dropped to a depth of 327 below the ground, with a tunnel length of 245 km kilometers.
\"Survive with me.
\"There is a huge maze of tunnels, and only I know the way out,\" Darius said . \" Then he laughed and said he was joking.
However, we took our safety very seriously and he showed us how to use emergency breathing equipment and mine lamps.
Taking part in the trip helps maintain a reasonable level of fitness.
Even if the underground trail is only 2 km M, we have to climb more than 800 steps and several ladders.
When we entered the mine, Dariusz pointed out that there were clay-covered wooden doors at the end of the tunnel;
These doors help control fires caused by methane gas.
In 1644 fires, a fire burned for eight months.
Just as I thought it was an adventure to work underground in the past, my head hit an old wooden beam.
Thankfully, my helmet was hit and I squatted down.
Salt stands out like white fur from 300
Beams and beams;
It has penetrated into the wood over time, saving it.
In some places, transparent salt crystals stand out like uncut diamonds.
The origin of salt can be traced back to the Zhongxin period more than 13 million years ago, when the water evaporated.
We went through several saltwater lakes during our tour.
Many of the caves we passed were amazing;
The fact that the world\'s first 36-meter underground bungee jump was held at Wieliczki gives people an idea of the size of some people.
The miner\'s route provides a good understanding of the mine work, but the most spectacular rooms are on the standard tourist route.
Arguably, the most striking is the Church of St. Kinga, which is essentially a complete church.
101 underground church.
The miners, who were also sculptors, carved gorgeous bas reliefs on the wall of the 1920 s.
The ceiling is hung with chandeliers made of salt crystals.
It caused a \"wow\" appreciation from me.
Inside the church, the sound worked well and I could appreciate it when the chorus of Verdi opera Nabucco was played through the speaker system.
Dariusz pointed to the Drozdowice III room performed by the musicians and said: \"You have to come back to our orchestra after a period of time . \".
There are banquets, meetings, and even cultural events such as exhibitions.
What is impressive is that there is also a healthy resort in the mine.
The Spa is 135 metres below the surface, and its minerals
The tiny climate of charging is said to be beneficial for the treatment of respiratory problems and allergies.
Away from the sound of traffic, it is also recommended as a place to relax.
Before returning to the ground, I sat down for dinner in the spacious Warszawa interior of the mine below 125 m.
Presumably, if I want to add to the chef\'s seasoning, there will be no less salt.
More information to Poland throughout the year is good.
Prepare for the cold weatherwinter.
In the summer, from June to August, when you are in your 20 s to your 30 s, you will usually experience sunny days and temperatures.
Lufthansa flies from Mumbai to Krakow via Munich for a price starting at INR 52,300.
Poland is part of the EU Schengen area, so a visa means you can visit several EU countries.
152-accommodation
Radisson Park Hotel (guest room)www. parkinn. com/hotel-krakow )
It is a four-star hotel with a view of the castle of Vacaville in Krakow.
The price of a double room with breakfast is 51,00 rupees. The 53-
Turoka Hotel & Spa ()www. turowka. pl/eng)has four-
Located on the edge of Wieliczka.
The Italian national football team stayed at the hotel during the UEFA 2012 Euro Championship.
Room Price INR 6,200. Websites www. poland. travel www. wieliczka-saltmine. com www. cracow. welcome. com.