Wieliczka Salt Mine Map

Understanding the layout of Wieliczka Salt Mine before you visit makes the experience significantly richer. What sounds like “just a mine” is actually a vast, nine-level underground city spanning centuries of excavation. Knowing which shaft you enter, which chambers you’ll pass through, and how you exit helps you orient yourself during the tour — and helps you decide which route is right for you.

The Mine at a Glance

Wieliczka Salt Mine is vast — almost incomprehensibly so. Here are the key numbers:

• Total depth: 327 metres (9 levels)
• Total tunnel length: over 287 km
• Total chambers: over 2,350
• Tourist Route length: 3.5 km (less than 2% of the total)
• Tourist Route depth: levels 1–3, from 64 to 135 metres underground
• Number of chambers on Tourist Route: 22
• Exit: by lift from level 3

The mine has been excavated continuously since the 13th century. What visitors see on the Tourist Route is a carefully selected and preserved fraction of the total underground network — spectacular enough to have earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1978.

The Two Entrances

The mine has two visitor entrances, each serving a different route:

Daniłowicz Shaft — Main Tourist Entrance Address: Daniłowicza 10, Wieliczka This is the primary entrance for the Tourist Route and the vast majority of visitors. The descent begins here with 380 wooden stairs spiralling down to the first level, 64 metres underground. All standard guided tours, skip-the-line tickets, and accessible tours for mobility-impaired visitors depart from this shaft.

Regis Shaft — Miners’ Route Entrance Address: Plac Kościuszki 9, Wieliczka The Regis Shaft is the starting point for the Miners' Route — a more physically demanding, adventure-style experience. This is also the shaft used for the wheelchair-accessible tour, which uses lifts between levels. It’s a short walk from the Daniłowicz Shaft, but is a distinct entrance with its own facilities including a cloakroom and individual lockers.

The Tourist Route — Level by Level

The Tourist Route descends through the first three levels of the mine, passing 22 chambers and covering 3.5 km. Here’s what you encounter at each level:

Level 1 — 64 Metres Underground

The tour begins immediately after the 380-stair descent from the Daniłowicz Shaft. The first level introduces you to the mine’s early history through chambers carved in the 13th–17th centuries. Key stops include:

• Nicolaus Copernicus Chamber — a salt statue of Poland’s famous astronomer, one of the most photographed in the mine
• Janowice Chamber — one of the oldest preserved chambers, with original wooden support structures
• St. Anthony’s Chapel — a modest underground chapel dating to the 1670s, one of the mine’s oldest sacred spaces

Level 2 — Approximately 90 Metres Underground

The second level features some of the most spectacular carving and engineering in the mine. Key stops include:

• Casimir the Great Chamber — dedicated to the Polish king whose patronage shaped the mine’s medieval development
• Sielec Chamber — one of the largest spaces on the route, with impressive vaulted ceilings carved from salt
• Pieskowa Skała Chamber — featuring a detailed salt sculpture recreation of the famous Polish castle

Level 3 — 101–135 Metres Underground

The deepest and most celebrated level, containing the route’s most iconic spaces. Key stops include:

• St. Kinga's Chapel — the crown jewel of the entire mine, a vast underground cathedral 54 metres long and 12 metres high, with salt chandeliers, carved altars, and bas-relief sculptures. Everything — walls, floors, chandeliers — is made from rock salt
• The Underground Lake (Weimar Chamber) — a still, mirror-like saline lake deep in the mine, one of the most otherworldly sights on the route
• Karczma Górnicza Restaurant — the underground dining room in the Budryk Chamber at 125 metres depth, where visitors can eat before continuing to the exit
• Cracow Saltworks Museum — an optional addition at the end of the Tourist Route, adding approximately 1 hour and covering an additional 1.5 km of the level 3 network

The Exit — By Lift Only

All visitors exit the mine by lift (elevator) from level 3. The lift holds up to 36 people across four cars and takes approximately 30 seconds to return to the surface. The exit emerges at a different point to the entrance, a short walk from the Daniłowicz Shaft building. This lift cannot be avoided — it is the only exit from the Tourist Route.

The Miners’ Route — A Different Map Entirely

The Miners’ Route operates on a completely different section of the mine, accessed via the Regis Shaft. It covers levels 3 and 4 (between 64 and 135 metres underground) in areas not accessible on the standard Tourist Route. This route takes visitors through narrower, less-finished tunnels that reflect the working conditions of historical miners. It is more physically demanding, includes ladder climbs, and is not suitable for visitors with mobility issues. Minimum age is 10 years. See our Miners' Route guide for a full breakdown.

The Cracow Saltworks Museum — Optional Add-On

After completing the main Tourist Route chambers, visitors can choose to continue to the underground exhibition of the Cracow Saltworks Museum, located entirely on level 3. This extension covers an additional 1.5 km and takes around 50 minutes to an hour. It features a collection of horse mills, salt crystal exhibitions, and preserved industrial chambers including the monumental Maria Teresa and Saurau Chambers. The museum visit is included in the standard Tourist Route ticket.

Parking and Car Park Locations

Two car parks serve the mine complex:

• Car Park 1 “Tężnia” — the largest, next to the Graduation Tower at ul. Dembowskiego 22. Best for drivers approaching from the Kraków direction
• Car Park 2 “Daniłowicz” — located near the Daniłowicz Shaft building, closest to the main tourist entrance

Both charge approximately 25 PLN. Avoid unofficial parking areas on the approach road, which use misleading signage.