
#566 Globally
⛪ Chapel of St. Kinga (Wieliczka Salt Mine)
Poland
About This Sacred Site
The Chapel of St. Kinga lies 101 meters underground inside the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków. Carved entirely from rock salt by miners between 1896 and 1963, the chapel features salt chandeliers, altarpieces, and floor-to-ceiling bas-reliefs including a copy of Leonardo's Last Supper. The mine itself has been worked since the 13th century and was one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The chapel continues to host Mass and weddings.
Key Facts
- •Located 101 meters below ground in a mine continuously worked since the 13th century
- •Every element — chandeliers, altarpieces, floor tiles — is carved from rock salt
- •Includes a salt bas-relief recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
- •Miners spent 67 years carving the chapel between 1896 and 1963
- •Wieliczka Salt Mine was inscribed as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978
Location
Coordinates: 49.9833, 20.0556





