onestly now, when you read that headline did you really think that a salt mine would have a ballroom at the bottom – and one so glamorous that it even had crystal chandeliers? Well to be honest I also found that hard to believe, and was somewhat skeptical when I was invited to go down this mine in the Polish city of Cracow. Come to that, what do you think the entrance to a salt mine looks like? I mean could it be just like those coal mines you see on TV and in the news papers? You know with the steel cage that goes deep down underground with the miners aboard? Then there’s all that weird looking machinery, and towers and strange looking buildings round the actual mine shaft. Yes, that’s what I thought too, so you can imagine how surprised I was – hey, shocked would be a better word – when I entered the Salt Mine building and found myself in a very elegant room that looked like the entrance to a prestigious theater.

There were no steel cages, no elevators, no sound of rushing machinery, and I wondered how – and where – my visit would begin. It was obvious this really was the place to begin the tour, as over to my right were two lines of people buying their entrance tickets. The answer came when a scholarly looking man approached and asked if I was a US journalist who wanted to go down the salt mine. I said I was, and we started to walk to a door in the far right hand corner of the foyer. Before we got there I pulled him aside and asked if we were getting to the bottom by an elevator. He looked at me as if I’d just asked him how he could get ride aboard a US space craft to the Moon. “Good heavens no,” he said with a smile, “we have to walk down.” Before I could even think of an answer, he said, “from here to the bottom there are 783 steps. It’ll mean walking.” No emphasis on the number. Just a flat statement.

I thought, quite obviously, that walking down would be far better than walking UP that many steps, but gosh, could I, or did I really want to walk that many? My group had already assembled and was impatient to get going. Thinking about my feet, I took my courage in both hands and said, “OK, let’s go.” We moved towards a door that I thought was the entrance to another room. Wrong! It was THE entrance to the mine and the first of 783 steps.

Our guide, trying I’m sure to let me know that others had done this before me, said that famous folk like George Bush senior, Kofi Anan (previous head of the UN), Emperor Franz Joseph and even Goethe, had done it. So I said “if they can, I can.” The salt mine in question is the Wielicka Tourist Route Sal\t Mine in Cracow, Poland, and has been in operation since the 13th century. It’s not a working mine anymore, and is only open for tourists. If you’re wondering how I was fairing, let me say that halfway down I was OK, but felt I needed to rest for a few seconds. When I finally reached the bottom the sight that greeted my eyes was beyond belief. Here I was in this huge - I mean huge - ballroom, above which hung some enormous crystal chandeliers. To add to the unreality of what I saw before me, was that there was (of all things!) a large choir practicing some marvelous Polish songs. “Are you sure we’re really in a Polish salt mine?” said one of my colleagues. “I’m sure we are, I replied, “but it seems more like a night at the opera.”

I don’t know about you, but I tend towards claustrophobia when I’m in small spaces, but even in this setting, so far underground, I felt perfectly at ease. So you can see for yourself what an amazing tourist attraction this is, let me recommend you go online as soon as you can to www.kopalnia.pl and look at their website. Be sure to check out all the things on the left hand side, especially “Visiting the Mine,” as it provides a wonderful overview of everything.

After we’d had ample time to digest our surroundings, our guide took us on a tour of other key attractions. This included a walk through two miles (yes two miles!) of tunnels that showcased a wide variety of crystal clear pools of water, and more mini sized lakes than I could count. Every now and then we’d come across a sort of alcove where there’d be numerous displays in salt of classical looking figurines, statues of one sort or another, and several true to life depictions of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This was not only one of the most incredible tourist attractions I’d ever seen anywhere in the world, but it made me wonder again and again how achieving all this sort of fantasyland so far underground was possible.

These tours, and you can only do it with a tour guide, are about two hours in length, and require a reservation. While we were contemplating our return to the surface (I could not imagine myself climbing UP that huge number of steps!!!) our guide said, “Do you know what color salt its?” Before I give you the answer, do you know? Yes, like most other people I thought it was white. Wrong! When it’s mined it’s black.

Poland is fascinating and intriguing country, and if you're wondering what places to visit on your next trip to Europe, take my advice and include Poland – and yes, of course plan on going to see Cracow and this salt mine. For more ideas about Poland, check out this site – OK, what about getting back to the sunshine way, way above our heads? We were all asking the same question, dreading the thought of having to climb back up so many steps. Our guide smiled, and said “come with me.’ There, almost hidden in the salt wall ahead of us, we saw a most welcome sight. An elevator. We all clambered aboard and very quickly zoomed to the surface.

Now then, would you please pass the salt!

Hard to believe!

It was really hard – if not impossible! – to realize when we saw this large group of people, that we were hundreds of feet underground in a Polish salt mine. None of our group had any idea as regards what to expect when we finally reached the bottom, and were all stunned to see this elegantly attired choir rehearsing for a major cultural event! But it is just one of the many facets of this intriguing top tourist attraction that I urge you to see when you visit Poland.

Creative salt mine workmanship

As you tour the depths and inner sanctums of the mine, there are numerous displays of statues such as that shown here. While the workmanship is outstanding in its detail, it is even more incredible to realize that what you are looking at, is carved in salt!

Could YOU walk down 783 of these?

This is the start of the 783 wooden steps that eventually lead you into the labyrinths of the Wieliczka Salt mine in Krakow, Poland. To be honest, it’s not as daunting as it might appear. Hey, if I can do it! However, if you do not have any health or balance issues, you can do it too!