The story of Wieliczka Salt Mine

Beneath the town of Wieliczka lies a world carved from salt. Salt was mined here continuously from the 13th century until 1996, making it one of the world's oldest salt mines, and the first document about it dates from 1044. The mine reaches 327 metres deep, with more than 287 kilometres of passages; the visitors' route covers less than 2 percent of them.

Don't expect white crystals: rock salt here is grey, like unpolished granite. Miners carved statues and four chapels from it, the most famous being the Chapel of St Kinga.

Legend says Kinga, a Hungarian princess engaged to the Prince of Kraków, threw her engagement ring into a salt mine at home; in Poland miners dug where she showed them, found a lump of salt, split it and discovered her ring inside. King Casimir the Great protected the miners and founded a hospital for them in 1363. In 1978 the mine was placed on the very first UNESCO World Heritage list, and about 1.2 million people visit each year.