A chapel is offering a special service this Easter (Saturday 30 March) – over 100 metres below ground – in a chamber where everything is made from salt.
Nine miles outside Krakow, Poland, you can find Wieliczka – a small town with a population of just under 24,000 people.
But this town hides a secret deep underground: a 13th-century mine.
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The UNESCO heritage site, aptly named Magnum Sal – the Great Salt – when it was discovered, is like a maze with endless corridors and over 2,000 chambers across nine levels.
The deepest level is 327m beneath the surface but tourists are only allowed as far as 135m, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Around 101m down is arguably the most impressive chamber – one of several underground worshipping sites – St Kinga’s Chapel.
A sight to behold, the space is around 12m high, 18m wide and 54m long, with salt crystal chandeliers lighting up the room and intricate art pieces – including a salt replica of The Last Supper, made by miner Antoni Wyrobek.
There’s also a statue of Pope John Paul II, made by Stanislaw Angel and added in 1999 – reportedly the only salt statue in the world that depicts the Pope.
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And on the right wall, you can spot a nativity scene, carved by Mieczysław Kluzek.
The sacred location will be hosting a concert on Saturday 20 March at 8pm, organised by Marcin Świątkiewicz, the artistic director, and Patrick Ayrton, the conductor.
Tickets for the event cost just under £30 (150PLN).
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The chapel is dedicated to Kinga, a 13th-century princess.
She was the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary and married Bolesław V the Chaste, a Polish duke.
As the legend goes – the details vary somewhat according to who you ask – as part of her dowry, Kinga was given a ring by her father that contained rock salt, and brought this with her to her new home.
Soon after, the mine was discovered.
Another section of the mine, the Janowice Chamber, features a scene depicting Kinga’s story with a statue of the princess.
Aside from the incredible chapel, Wieliczka – which is no longer used to harvest salt – has plenty else to keep you entertained including glimmering man-made pools, incredible ball and conference rooms and even a miner’s pub.
There’s also a shop where you can buy Polish snacks, as well as tourist trinkets, including a salt-inspired skincare line.
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