Muzeum Żup Krakowskich Wieliczka
Museum running the historic salt mine in Wieliczka: visits to the Tourist Route and the underground Museum Route with wooden horse gins, the Horn of the Miners’ Brotherhood and paintings by Matejko.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museum of the Kraków Salt Works in Wieliczka (Muzeum Żup Krakowskich Wieliczka) looks after the monuments connected with the history of the Wieliczka salt mine and the former Kraków Salt Works (Żupy Krakowskie). The word żupa formerly meant a mine, and the Żupny Castle (Zamek Żupny), from the end of the 13th century, was the seat of the largest and most profitable enterprise in Polish history. The Salt Works comprised the salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia and the boiling works; in the 14th century as much as a third of royal income came from salt. The castle’s importance was recognised by its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013.
Two underground routes covered by one ticket are visited from the Daniłowicz Shaft. The Tourist Route is over two kilometres long and passes through 20 chambers and corridors on the first three levels, including the St. Kinga Chapel at a depth of 101 metres and the brine lakes. The Museum Route is on the third level, about 1.5 kilometres long, with 17 chambers containing museum displays.
The Museum Route displays, among other things, a collection of wooden horse gins, including the 17th-century Polish gin, one of the largest wooden mining devices; the Horn of the Miners’ Brotherhood from 1534; two paintings by Jan Matejko; an exhibition of salt crystals; a model of a prehistoric boiling works; and the monumental Saurau and Maria Theresa chambers. The Zamek Żupny in the centre of Wieliczka is closed for renovation, which is due to last until the end of 2028.
Highlights
- St. Kinga Chapel 101 metres underground
- Horse gins – historic wooden mining machines
- Horn of the Miners’ Brotherhood from 1534
- Two paintings by Jan Matejko in the underground exhibition
- Saurau and Maria Theresa chambers and the brine lakes
Permanent exhibitions
- Trasa Muzeum Żup Krakowskich Wieliczka – Underground exhibition on level III of the mine (17 chambers, about 1.5 km): horse gins, the Horn of the Miners’ Brotherhood, paintings by Jan Matejko, salt crystals and the Saurau and Maria Theresa chambers.
- Trasa Turystyczna – Twenty-chamber route through the three upper levels of the mine, with the St. Kinga Chapel and the brine lakes.
- Operated by
- Muzeum Żup Krakowskich Wieliczka
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 119 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 93 złchildren over 4 years old, school pupils and students up to the age of 26, pensioners and disability pensioners, and tourists who cannot walk unaided together with their carer (on presentation of a document) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 3 · Children under 4 visit free of charge. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 93 złTourists who cannot walk unaided and their carer pay the reduced ticket. |
| Families | 294 złFamily ticket 2+1 costs PLN 294, and 2+2 costs PLN 350 (tours in Polish). |
| Tours in a foreign language – standard | 159 zł |
| Tours in a foreign language – reduced | 131 zł |
| Family ticket for tours in a foreign language, 2+1 | 397 zł |
| Family ticket for tours in a foreign language, 2+2 | 475 zł |
The ticket is combined: it covers the guide fee and visits to the Tourist Route and the Museum Route (the Museum Route at no extra charge; not visiting the museum does not entitle you to a refund). Prices apply to tours in Polish. Free admission applies to, among others, one carer per 10 children in school and kindergarten groups and to the driver or leader of an organised group. American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron and Maestro cards are accepted.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Museum Route on level III is adapted for wheelchair users: it is on one level, has wide corridors, no thresholds and an accessible toilet. The lift takes a wheelchair up to 59 cm wide, and a wheelchair can be borrowed for the visit. This route does not connect with the Tourist Route or the St. Kinga Chapel, and the visit starts in the building of the Regis Shaft. Wheelchair users should book in advance (rezerwacja@kopalnia.pl; for educational programmes, the education department on +48 12 289 16 33). The museum offers museum therapy programmes: “Dotyk solnej historii” (Touch of Salt History) for visually impaired people, “Migiem po kopalni” (Quickly Through the Mine) with Polish Sign Language (PJM) interpretation, and “Krok w solną przygodę” (A Step into a Salt Adventure) for people with intellectual disabilities. The chambers are dimly lit.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | 294 zł · Family ticket 2+1 costs PLN 294, and 2+2 costs PLN 350 (tours in Polish). |
- Family tours & workshops
Family tickets (2+1 and 2+2) and an educational offer for families, schools and kindergartens are available.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli / Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia
From Kraków, bus line 304 from the Dworzec Główny Zachód stop to the Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli stop, or a suburban train from Kraków Główny to the Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia stop.
By car
Parking available
There are several car parks near the mine; the largest is at the terminus of the city railway.
The ticket offices are in the building above the Daniłowicz Shaft.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Wi-Fi
The Karczma Górnicza (Miners’ Tavern) operates during the break between the routes. Free Wi-Fi is available in some parts of the mine. Large luggage can be left at the cloakroom by the Daniłowicz Shaft; a backpack up to 35×20×20 cm may be taken on the route. There is a cash machine and a currency exchange at the shaft.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 3 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography without flash is allowed on the Museum Route and the Tourist Route. |
| Good to know | Visits are only with a guide. The Tourist Route lasts about 1.5 hours and the Museum Route about an hour, about three hours in total. Individual visitors do not book tours (groups must book). Polish-language tours usually start within an hour of purchasing a ticket, and for individual visitors tours are also run in English, German, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish. After the Tourist Route, join the queue marked “Wyjście do muzeum” (Exit to the Museum). The temperature on the Museum Route is about 14–15 °C and on the Tourist Route 17–18 °C. Toilets are on the surface by the shaft and underground. |
