Wieliczka Salt Mine, Wieliczka, Poland
Chapel of St. Kinga
An extraordinary underground chapel carved entirely from rock salt in the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow — chandeliers, altarpieces, and floor all hewn from salt by miners over the course of seventy years.
The Chapel of St. Kinga sits 101 meters underground in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been in continuous operation since the thirteenth century. The chapel was carved by miners between 1895 and 1963, entirely from rock salt. Everything you see — the altar, the chandeliers, the floor, the bas-relief copies of famous paintings including Leonardo's Last Supper — is salt. The space is enormous, roughly 54 meters long and 12 meters high, and can hold about four hundred people. Mass is still celebrated here on special occasions. The miners who created it were working Catholics who spent their lives underground and wanted a place of worship in the darkness. The salt crystals in the chandeliers catch the light like glass, and the acoustics give the space a cathedral-like quality.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Krakow
Style: Underground Salt Excavation
What to See
Everything is made of salt — take a moment to let that register. The chandeliers are the most striking element, but the bas-reliefs are remarkable works of folk art. The Last Supper copy is surprisingly detailed. Lick the wall if you want confirmation that it is real salt. The scale of the space is hard to believe until you are standing in it.
Pilgrim Notes
Wieliczka is about 15 kilometers from Krakow and easily reached by train or bus. The salt mine tour includes the chapel and takes about two to three hours. It is a constant 14 degrees Celsius underground, so bring a layer. The chapel is on the tourist route and well-managed.