Saltworks Castle

What it is

The Saltworks Castle (Zamek Żupny) is the building from which the Wieliczka salt business was run for centuries. It is in the centre of the town, at Zamkowa 8, a few steps from the mine. It was the seat of the administration of the Kraków salt works from the late thirteenth century until 1945, and until the eighteenth century that administration also ran the Bochnia mine. It is home to the Kraków Saltworks Museum, founded in 1951, and since 2013 it has formed part of the World Heritage site together with the Wieliczka and Bochnia mines.

The oldest part, fortified and built of stone, dates from the late thirteenth century and was raised beside a mid-century well, the oldest in Wieliczka, which can still be seen in the courtyard. The central building was remodelled in the Renaissance by Italian stonemasons. From the tower the workers were summoned, and in the seventeenth century a chaplain lived above the dungeons. In 1683 an apartment was prepared here for Queen Marie Casimire Sobieska. The bombing of 1945 damaged the central part, which was rebuilt after the war.

What there will be when it reopens

The museum is renovating the castle with European funds, in a project of about 50.6 million zł. The Middle Castle will be a modern exhibition space and the display area will grow from about 400 m² to more than 1,470 m². The new permanent exhibition, "The salt jewel in the crown", will tell the history of the Wieliczka salt enterprise from the thirteenth century to 1996, with multimedia resources. The collection of salt cellars, one of the most valuable in the world according to the museum, will move to the north wing with a new display. There will be lifts in the renovated wings, an underground passage between the North Castle and the Middle Castle, a catering area, classrooms and a square open to the public recalling the old saltworks garden, accessible to people with disabilities.

What you can see in the meantime

The museum's underground exhibition remains open inside the mine. It is on level III, at 135 metres, and is the final stretch of the Tourist Route: the mine's estimate of two to three hours for the visit includes it. There you see tools, machines and the story of how salt was extracted and transported. To see it you need the Tourist Route ticket, with a date, time and language, on the mine's official website; prices start at 121 zł per person.

From outside you can see the castle complex as you stroll through the centre, between the mine and the square. If you want an idea of the interior, the museum has a virtual tour on its website.

How to get there

The castle is a few minutes' walk from the Daniłowicz shaft, where the Tourist Route starts, and from Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia station, where the commuter train from Kraków stops. If you come by car, leave it in the mine car parks and continue on foot.

Before planning your visit

If you are travelling in 2029 or later, check the museum's website before you go: the reopening dates, opening hours and prices of the renovated castle have not yet been published. The museum has given two timeframes, the second half of 2028 and the turn of 2028 to 2029, so count on the later one.