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Bochnia Salt Mine
| The salt mine in Bochnia is the oldest one in Poland, even older that the mine in Wieliczka; it is the oldest production works in Europe, continuously operating for 750 years.
For several years the salt mine in Bochnia has been open for the public, inviting tourists and locals alike into its underground world. Here they can hike along the winding maze of corridors and chambers, 300 meters long, that have been forged after years of mining.
According to legend, the salt in Bochnia was discovered because of St. Kinga, the daughter of the Hungarian king, Bela IV. She desired to marry the Krakow prince named Boleslaw by offering him a dowry of salt that could be given to her new homeland. So, the Hungrian king gave his daughter a salt mine in Transylvania, which Kinga then took possession of by throwing a ring into its shaft in accordance with Medieval tradition. On the way to her prince in Krakow, traveling through the Dunajec River Valley and Wojnicz, Kinga stopped in Bochnia where she rested and had a dream about digging in the shoemakers garden. Regarding the dream as prophetic, Kinga did exactly what the dream suggested and consequently found salt in the shoemaker's garden. Oddly enough, Kinga's ring was found in the first lump of salt extracted from the mine despite the fact that she had discarded it in Transylvania. To satisfy the shoemaker who owned the valuable land and eventually gave it to the miners, the shaft was named Sutoris, meaning "of a shoemaker." The event depicted in the legend was believed to have occurred in 1248, the actual founding date of both the Bochnia Salt Mine and the town and surrounding villages.
The salt mine in Bochnia is slightly different from the more famous salt mine in Wieliczka. In Bochnia you can meet working miners and aside from the museum you can also find some attractions that are not available in Wieliczka. For instance, there is Wazyn, the salt mine's biggest chamber measuring 50 meters in length and 10- 12 meters in width. Many activities take place within this extraordinary chamber, from New Year's Eve celebrations to overnight accomodation. The chamber is equiped with beds, pillows, and sleeping bags. In all it takes about 3 hours to visit, but you can extend your stay and enjoy the "inhalation stay", in order to further benefit from the healthy microclimate of the salt mines. It has been known to be theraputic for ailments like allergies.
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