Salt Mine
I am wondering about the salt mine tour and dinner. I am extremely claustrophobic and do not think I will be able to do this - are there any options above ground for me that evening?
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I haven't been on this tour, but if the salt mine is anything like the one we visited near Salzburg Austria on Tauck's Ultimate Alps & Dolomites, I don't think you will have a problem. The only close-in area was the train ride to the main portion of the mine. It doesn't appear there is anything similar in the mine you visit- you will have stairs or an elevator. Everything is mostly well-lighted large, almost cavernous rooms and galleries*. It is quite cool if that helps. Large tables for sitting/eating, buffet serving tables, and a small Bavarian band were set up in a very large, well-lighted area for our dinner. The mine tour/dinner was one of the highlights of our tour- don't miss it!!
Look at the descriptions (note, they refer to it as a "mine chasm") and photos of the Wieliczka mine tour at this link before you decide. Of course all this depends on what you mean by "extremely claustrophobic." I don't recall anyone on our tour skipping the tour because of claustrophobia or other reasons. There was an alternative, but I don't remember what it was. I suspect there might be an alternative on your trip, but you might want to give Tauck a call to verify that. Remember, also, this will be your Farewell Dinner, it would be a shame to miss it!
* Except for initial tunneling, most of these mines had large rooms- Unlike the coal mine I visited in Pennsylvania, there was not much tunneling with pick, shovel, jackhammer- they extracted the salt by pumping (warm) water in to dissolve the solid salt deposits which leaves very large rooms, then pumped out the brine which was dried and processed into salt.
From the FAQ:
Is it dark in the mine?
For the greater comfort of visitors, the chambers and the galleries along the Tourist Route are well lit
Photos taken from the mine website:
My wife and I visited the Salt Mines near Krakow about 6 years ago with another tour company. It is truly amazing and was the highlight of our trip to Eastern Europe. DO NOT miss it. The only part that was close quarters was on the elevator but it wasn't much different then elevators in any city just a little smaller. The elevators are old and that is in a way fun. I remember them being red. The Salt Mines are simply amazing. The Last Supper, an altar, chandeliers are all made out of salt. I'm Polish and it made my visit well worth it. They actually hold weddings in the mine. I hope to return some day.