Rolling Traveler

Things to do on a free afternoon in… Kraków, Poland.

Kraków [KRA-koof; Cracow] has such a beautiful city center with so much to explore that it is difficult to imagine having a free afternoon, but take my advice: no matter how short your trip, make sure you take one afternoon away from the castle, the restaurants, the old Jewish quarter and the churches to go out to the Wieliczka Salt Mine [vyeh-LEECH-ka]. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mine is so much more than you could imagine from the name ’salt mine’. There are whole rooms with intricate decoration carved into the salt of the mine, which was fully functional until 1996, and now stands open for tourists all year round. Like many such sites that were never designed for wheelchairs, it is not fully accessible, but they have done a good job of adapting it, creating a tour for wheelchair users that takes in much of the beauty of the mine.

Getting to the mine is fairly straightforward: it is a short journey by car or taxi, but fares have gotten expensive, so check how much it might be. It is also possible to take a train, although bear in mind that you will need help to board the train, as there are steps up into most Polish commuter trains. The approach to the mine entrance is smooth and easily accessible, with a slight upward gradient.

If you are a wheelchair user, it is essential that you call ahead at least a day in advance and arrange a time for an English-speaking tour of the accessible parts of the mine. The tour for wheelchair user enters by elevator, while the standard tour goes in via a long wooden staircase, and does not cover exactly the same ground as the standard tour, because some areas could not be made accessible without destroying their integrity. The number to call is (+48) 122 787 302, and the operators speak good enough English to book the tour. 

A word of warning to those of you who find certain words to describe wheelchair users offensive: of the three operators I spoke to when I called to see what their English was like, two used the word handicapped, and the other said disabled. Bear in mind that they probably learned English from a non-native speaker and, depending on their age, from older books. I have worked as an English teacher in Poland, and I know that the language education in schools can sometimes be a bit archaic.

(Chapel of Saint Kinga in Wieliczka; Wikipedia Commons, Cedric Puisney)

The highlight of the tour for me was the underground lake, which the former geologist in me found simply stunning, but for most people, St. Kinga’s Chapel is the most impressive. A full chapel carved into the salt and decorated with salt sculptures, it has an otherworldly feel. There are other statues in the mines too, both old and modern, all with the common theme of being carved out of salt.

(Salt Statue of Saint Barbara and Carving of DaVinci’s Last Supper in the Wieliczka Salt Mine; Wikipedia Commons, Bill Tyne and Adam Kumiszcza, respectively)

Dress warmly and bring gloves, as the mine is colder than you might expect, particularly when you are near the water. It’s also a good idea to bring a bottle of water, as the air can be quite dry, and you will do a lot of walking.

There is a good description of a trip to the mine from the point of view of a non-wheelchair user here, with some wonderful photos.

Wieliczka is beautiful, and if you visit this part of Europe and don’t see it, you’ll only wish you had later. Plan it into your trip, and prepare to be amazed.

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