Last Updated on 04/08/2024 by kami
Most tourists who visit Krakow plan a trip to the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine in their itinerary. However, there is one more salt mine in the area, which is even better yet less popular among visitors.
The salt mine in Bochnia is the oldest one in Poland (created in the mid-13th century), and just like Wieliczka, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bochnia salt mine offers more attractions than just going underground. You can take the train or go for a boat ride, among other things.
After visiting Wieliczka a few years ago, I recently had a chance to visit the Bochnia salt mine, too, and I was very impressed with the whole experience. The four hours I spent underground went by so fast, and I was not bored at all.
If you are looking for day trips from Krakow, you might want to consider the salt mine in Bochnia as one of the choices. Here’s the guide on planning a trip to the Bochnia salt mine and what to expect there.
A brief history of Bochnia mine
The Bochnia mine is the oldest salt mine in Poland. It has 16 levels, 330-468 meters underground, and the mine shafts are around 4,5 kilometers long.
The area was known for its salt deposits already in the Neolithic period, but it was officially first mentioned in 1136. The mine dates back to the mid-13th century when, in 1248, the large underground salt deposits were discovered. Only three years later, the salt excavation started in the mine in Bochnia, making it the oldest salt mine in Poland (the famous salt mine in nearby Wieliczka started its operations shortly after, in the 1280s).
The salt mine in Bochnia was a royally owned institution, bringing prosperity to the Polish crown until 1772 (the First Partition of Poland) when this region fell under Austrian rule. The mine developed mainly in the 15th and 16th centuries when new shafts were created and the excavation area expanded. When Poland regained its independence in 1918, the Bochnia mine gradually lost its importance.
Eventually, in 1990, the salt excavation stopped, and today, this is only a tourist attraction that was granted the UNESCO World Heritage title in 2013.
How to get to the Salt Mine in Bochnia
The salt mine is located in the town of Bochnia, only 45 km east of Krakow.
The easiest way to get here is by train as there are frequent connections between the places. The journey between Krakow’s main train station and Bochnia is 30-45 minutes, depending on the train you take. You can also easily reach Bochnia from nearby Tarnow, another interesting place to visit in the region. You can check the train schedule here.
The downside of getting to Bochnia by train is that the salt mine is a bit away from the train station, a bit over 1,5 km. You can either follow the map and walk for around 25 minutes or take a taxi.
Krakow to Bochnia tour
Alternatively, you can take the tour from Krakow, which will take you all the way to the salt mine in Bochnia. This way, you don’t have to worry about transportation, securing the tickets, and being in the mine on time.
Here are some of the available tours from Krakow to Bochnia:
- Half-Day Bochnia Salt Mine Private Guided Tour from Krakow
- Salt Mine in Bochnia guided tour with private transport
- Kraków: Bochnia Royal Salt Mine Private Tour
- From Krakow: Malopolska, Bochnia, Zalipie & Tarnow Tour
How to plan a visit to the Bochnia mine
The salt mine in Bochnia is open every day, in the summer season between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. You can go underground only with a guide; the starting time depends on the tour you choose.
There are different routes to choose from (however, it looks like not all of them are available in English). I went for the tour that included the ferry crossing, and I definitely recommend it as it offers a variety of attractions.
It’s better to buy tickets in advance, especially in the summer and over the weekends, as the groups are not too large. You can do it online here (for Polish tours) or over the phone (for English ones, here are the details). If it’s a busy day, there are extra trips underground, but you can get tickets for those only after arriving at the salt mine.
You can expect to spend around 4 hours underground. The temperature down there is rather chilly, around 15-17C, so wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes as you will walk a bit (around 3 km).
Visiting the salt mine in Bochnia
After meeting your guide and a quick safety intro, you will take the elevator to the August level (212 meters underground) and start your visit to the Bochnia salt mine. You will take the train further into the mine, where the guide will tell you more about the mine, its history, how the salt excavation used to look, etc. There are also some interactive presentations telling the legends and interesting facts about the Bochnia salt mine.
You will walk through numerous corridors carved in the rock, with salt creations, sculptures, and old machines along the way. The most impressive part is Saint Kinga’s chapel – the largest one of all the chapels in the Bochnia salt mine. There’s an altar with the painting of Saint Barbara (the patron of the miners), a few sculptures, and a Christmas nativity scene. The railway tracks run right through the chapel, making it the only underground church in the world with the trains passing in the middle.
Another attraction of the Bochnia salt mine is the boat ride. It’s relatively short, only 120 meters, but you go through a very narrow salt chamber that was flooded with brine. This place is a good example of how the salt excavation in Bochnia used to look, with high, narrow, and long chambers.
After seeing all the attractions in Bochnia salt mine, you will still have some extra time before going back to the ground level. There is a restaurant where you can get a quick bite, a basketball court, and a place to relax.
What else to see in Bochnia
While the salt mine is the highlight of Bochnia, the town itself is really lovely and worth spending a bit of time in. The center of Bochnia is a pleasant place, with the town square being its heart. When wandering around, you will find numerous beautiful houses as well as plenty of mining remnants—shafts, mine trolleys, monuments, etc. There’s also a brine graduation tower where you can relax after all the sightseeing and enjoy the healthy air.
Final thoughts on visiting the Bochnia salt mine
After visiting both the Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines, I must say I enjoyed the latter one more. While both are great, I found the Bochnia salt mine more intimate, with fewer tourists around. The smaller groups make seeing and hearing everything so much easier. It didn’t feel like a busy tourist attraction; guides took time to answer every question, and it was ok to spend a bit more time in certain areas. Bochnia salt mine also offers more attractions; besides going underground and learning more about salt excavations, you can also take the train or go for a boat ride.
On the downside, the Bochnia salt mine is slightly more challenging to reach from Krakow. But don’t let the transportation discourage you from visiting the place; it is definitely worth the hassle.
Or, if you have time, visit both salt mines so you can compare them. Even if, in theory, they are similar, they are actually slightly different, and you will not be bored.
Further reading
I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- 37 Amazing Things to Do in Krakow, Poland
- 20 Great Places to Visit As Day Trips from Warsaw, Poland
- Visiting Auschwitz – How to Plan the Auschwitz Tour
- 17 Amazing Things to Do in Lublin, Poland
- The Complete Guide to Visiting Slownski National Park, Poland
- Visit Grudziadz – One of the Hidden Gems of Poland
- 19 Amazing Things to Do in Gdansk, Poland
- Visit Sandomierz, Poland – One of the Prettiest Towns in the Country
- Visiting Malbork Castle, Poland – the Largest Castle in the World
- 25 Amazing Things to do in Wroclaw, Poland
- and many more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.
Travel Resources
Below you can find the brands I trust and use when planning trips:
- You can find the best accommodation options at Booking. They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Poland
- I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Viator or Get Your Guide.
- To always stay connected I use Airalo eSim cards – click here to get yours!
- For transportation and booking tickets online, I usually use 12Go or Omio
- Looking for the airport pickup? Check Welcome Pickups!
- Never travel without travel insurance, you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Poland here.
- If you plan to rent a car during your trip to Poland check Discover Cars to compare prices and find the best deals
- Make sure to have the offline map always installed on your phone, they can save you so many troubles. I always use the free app Maps.Me.
For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:
- Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
- Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
- I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Poland too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!
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