The Bochnia Salt Mine () in
Bochnia
Bochnia (german: Salzberg) is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning in Eu ...
, Poland, is one of the oldest salt mines in the world
and is the oldest commercial company in Poland.
The Bochnia salt mine was established in 1248 after salt had been discovered there in the 12th and 13th centuries, and became part of the royal mining company, ''
Żupy krakowskie
Żupy krakowskie was a Polish salt mining company which operated continuously from its inception in the 13th century to the late 20th century. It managed salt mines and salt works in two neighboring towns (known as the Royal Salt Mines collectivel ...
'' (
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
Salt Works). In 1990, the mine ceased producing salt but remains a tourist attraction.
In 1981 the Bochnia salt mine was declared a heritage monument. It is one of Poland's official national
Historic Monuments (''
Pomnik historii
Historic Monument ( pl, pomnik historii) is one of several categories of objects of cultural heritage (in the singular, '' zabytek'') in Poland.
To be recognized as a Polish historic monument, an object must be declared such by the President ...
''), as designated on 6 October 2000, and is overseen by the
National Heritage Board of Poland
The National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland ( pl, Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa NID) is a Polish governmental institution responsible for documenting cultural property and the intangible cultural heritage, as well as for supporting and ...
.
The chapel in the mine has train tracks running through it.
History
![Sutoris shaft](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Sutoris_shaft.jpg)
The mine shafts measure in length at about in depth below the surface, at 16 levels.
In 2013, the mine was added to the
UNESCO World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
as an extension of the
Wieliczka Salt Mine
The Wieliczka Salt Mine ( pl, Kopalnia soli Wieliczka) is a salt mine in the town of Wieliczka, near Kraków in southern Poland.
From Neolithic times, sodium chloride (table salt) was produced there from the upwelling brine. The Wieliczka salt ...
inscription of 1978.
[Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (extension to the Wieliczka Salt Mine).](_blank)
''UNESCO World Heritage Centre'', 03/07/2013.
August Passage
The August Passage is the main communication and transportation route in the mine. It runs from the east to the west of the mine, connecting in a straight line the bottom ends of the Campi and Sutoris shafts. It is at a depth of from the top of the Sutoris shaft and counting from the top of the Campi shaft. The August Passage was initially called the Long Stove (Piec Długi). Its first part, extending between the Rabsztyn Chute and a Campi Shaft, was built from 1723 to 1743, in accordance with a design by Jan Gottfried Borlach. His great achievement was to regulate routes in the mine by ensuring their straightening and leveling. As a result of this, over the next decades, the August Passage was able to reach a length of nearly .
Excavated chambers, shafts and passages form an underground town, which is open to sightseers. The largest of the preserved chambers has been converted into a
sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
.
Ważyn Chamber
The Ważyn Chamber was named after the administrator (podżupek) Andrzej Ważyński. The deepness of this chamber, the biggest in
Bochnia
Bochnia (german: Salzberg) is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning in Eu ...
Salt Mine, is ; its length is ; its maximum width is ; and its maximum height is . The chamber uses no supporting pillars. Salt from Ważyn chamber was extracted from 1697 until the 1950s. For the purposes of creating a
sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
, these old pits were expanded with a loading-hauling-dumping (LHD) unit machine. This work took place until 1984. Thanks to them the Ernest Chute from the 17th century impressively presents itself on the stripped chamber's roof.
The Ważyn chamber has a specific
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
, with a constant temperature between , high humidity (about 70%) and favourable ionisation of the air saturated by sodium chloride and valuable microelements, like magnesium, manganese and calcium. The air in the chamber is distinguished by its purity. The chamber is equipped with beds: up to 300 people can sleep here. The other parts of Ważyn Chamber are fields for playing volleyball, basketball and handball. There are also restaurant and conference facilities.
See also
*
Wieliczka Salt Mine
The Wieliczka Salt Mine ( pl, Kopalnia soli Wieliczka) is a salt mine in the town of Wieliczka, near Kraków in southern Poland.
From Neolithic times, sodium chloride (table salt) was produced there from the upwelling brine. The Wieliczka salt ...
, near
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
in Poland, central Europe
*
Khewra Salt Mine
The Khewra Salt Mine (or Mayo Salt Mine) is in Khewra, north of Pind Dadan Khan, an administrative subdivision of Jhelum District, Punjab Region, Pakistan. The mine is in the Salt Range, Potohar plateau, which rises from the Indo-Gangetic Pl ...
, in
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, Pakistan
*
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with of passages. The park is located south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns ...
in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, the United States
*
Grand Roc
Grand Roc is a mountain of Savoie, France. It lies in the Massif de la Vanoise range. It has an elevation of above sea level.
See also
* Bochnia Salt Mine, southern Poland, central Europe
* Wieliczka Salt Mine, near Kraków in Poland, central E ...
in Savoie, France, southern Europe
*
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá ( es, Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine underground in a halite mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. It ...
, in
Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia, South America
*
Chełm Chalk Tunnels, Poland, central Europe
*
Frasassi Cave, Ancona in Italy, southern Europe
References
The Salt Mine in Bochnia
{{Authority control
1248 establishments in Europe
13th-century establishments in Poland
1990 disestablishments in Poland
Buildings and structures in Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Salt mines in Poland
Underground mines in Poland
Tourist attractions in Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Museums in Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Salt museums
World Heritage Sites in Poland
Former mines in Poland