Wieliczka Landmarks and Churches
Sightseeing in Wieliczka is easiest to plan by theme. The town has a salt-industry story told in shafts and exhibits, a set of sacred buildings with a surprising amount of art, and a few places that are currently closed. The list below keeps each theme together so you can decide what to include.
Salt heritage
- Daniłowicz Shaft. Sunk in 1635 to 1640 by the mine administrator Mikołaj Daniłowicz, it is now the main entrance and ticket hall, and the Tourist Route starts here.
- Regis Shaft. This 14th-century shaft stands in the town centre on plac Kościuszki. The 19th century brought a rebuilt brick tower, and the Miners’ Route begins here.
- Kraków Saltworks Museum, underground exhibition. Located on Level III at 135 m and included in the Tourist Route ticket. The exhibits include the large wooden treadwheels, mining tools, crystals from the Crystal Grottoes and historic miners’ clothing.
- Chapel of St Kinga. About 101 m down, carved wholly from salt. It is on the Tourist Route only.
Everything underground is visited with a guide, and a tour takes 2 to 3 hours.
Sacred buildings
Remember that these are active places of worship, so keep your voice down and respect any services.
- Church of St Sebastian, ulica św. Sebastiana. Built of larch in 1578 and consecrated in 1584, as thanks for deliverance from a plague. Between 1903 and 1910 the painter Włodzimierz Tetmajer covered its interior in Art Nouveau murals with floral patterns and portraits of miners. You can go in free of charge outside Mass hours.
- Church of St Clement, ulica Zamkowa 2. The neoclassical building from 1804 to 1806 honours the patron saint of salt miners. The bell tower beside it dates from the 17th century. Parish details are at wieliczkaklemens.pl .
- Franciscan monastery, ulica Braterska 1. Founded in 1623 in early Baroque style, it holds a 17th-century icon, Our Lady of Grace. The courtyard has a Garden of the Stations of the Cross and a copy of the Porziuncola chapel in Assisi.
Squares, art and parks
The Upper Market Square dates from 1290. On its paving is Solny Świat, a 350-square-metre painting from 2010 by Ryszard Paprocki, which gives the optical effect of a deep salt pit when seen from the right spot. It costs nothing and can be seen at any time of day. Beyond the square, St Kinga Park contains the Graduation Tower, a wooden brine structure of about 3,200 square metres with a 22.5 m viewing tower. Entry is 10 PLN, with opening in spring to autumn.
Closed for now
The Saltworks Castle at ulica Zamkowa 2 served as the headquarters of the Kraków salt enterprise until 1945. It is closed for renovation, with reopening planned for 2028, so leave it off an itinerary built around going inside. See muzeum.wieliczka.pl for news.
Read more: Walking Tours in Wieliczka puts these stops in a walking order.
Tickets and booking help
Mine tickets cost about 119 PLN for adults and 93 PLN for reduced visitors on the Polish official pages, with variations by language and season. Check kopalnia.pl and book at bilety.kopalnia.pl . Sightseeing excursions from Kraków can be browsed on Viator .