The mine’s CEO Zbigniew Zarębski has told the media: “This was a record year. We are delighted to see that the underground wonders of the Wieliczka mine are admired by visitors from the most distant corners of the world.”
Among foreign visitors, those from Britain topped the list in 2019, at 154,000, followed by Italians (87,000), Spaniards (84,000), Germans (79,000), and French (75,000).
An underground spa inside the mine attracted over 11,000 patients, including from China, Canada, Switzerland, Israel and Ukraine.
More than 300 events of various kinds, including music concerts, were held in the mine last year.
Over 230,000 people took a stroll in the area around a brine graduation tower, which is a form of inhalation therapy.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine was founded in the middle of the 13th century. Its underground corridors are almost 300 km long. The mine was opened to tourists at the end of the 18th century.
At present, they are taken along a 3.5-km route that includes historic statues, a large chapel, and a lake.
There is also a wellness complex in the mine.
In 1978, the Wieliczka Mine was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
(mk/gs)