Zakopane and the Wieliczka Salt mine

The Zakopane tour was a huge disappointment and it was the costliest at 300 zlotys per person it comes out to about $204.00 Canadian.  What you basically get is a long drive to the mountains in a car.  The car was a Mercedes surprisingly not all that comfortable.  We were the only two taking the tour that day.  The Zakopane tour depends a lot on the weather.  We left Krakow with foggy weather, the sun did turn up but the mountains remained shrouded in mist.  We were only able to see a tiny bit of a mountain with snow on it.  Zakopane is a ski/snowboard destination but it's also popular in the summer.  It's a bit of a tourist trap with a market selling mostly stuff made in China year round.  OK there are a few things produced  in Poland like sheep skin, some good quality leather, amber jewelry of course and some folkloric clothing items.  The rest consists mostly of cheap toys, trinkets etc...such that you find everywhere all over the world.
The trip there took forever.  It's only 100 kms. but again the traffic was pretty bad, there's a general lack of highway, too many secondary roads, the result being at least over 3 hours to get there.  Once there we took a short ride in a funicular down to the main square which had more of the same in terms of shops, gadgets, tourist crap and food.
We met our laconic guide again, he had to go park the car, and took a little walking tour of Zakopane.  Our guide by the way did not like Zakopane and couldn't understand why people would want to go there.  Guess he was right.
The highlight was this old house, the oldest in Zakopane built in the traditional style of the area.  It's all made of wood with a very peaked roof, less ornate than the Tyrolean style but resembling it with just a "je ne sais quoi" of something different  Truly impressive architecturally.  I took photos which I can't download right now so you'll just have to imagine it.  Zakopane does have an impressive setting nestled in the mountains but I think Mont Tremblant in Quebec is just as pretty although the mountains there are not as high.  Not a total waste of time and money since we got to see a different more "country" side of Poland.

The Wieliczka Salt mine was a tour we took the following day.  Impressive is too small a word, it's stupefyingly grandiose in scope, design, ingenuity and sheer brute labor.  It's one of the oldest salt mines in the world having been started in the 13th.century when rock salt was discovered.  It led to Poland's fortune for many many years to come.  The mine has been declared one of Unesco's world heritage site and along with the city of Krakow itself, it's easy to see why.  There are over 800+ steps going down, endless kilometer long galleries, huge cavernous chambers, chapels, all meticulously maintained.  It's hard to underscore what a mammoth undertaking this must have been, with pic and ax as primitive tools.  Some of the galleries are so huge they are used as ballrooms and concert halls.  They're also very popular for wedding ceremonies and special themed events.
There is a lot of walking involved and of course it's to be avoided at all cost if you're a tad claustrophobic.  The areas we walked in are wide enough and high enough but there's still that sense of pressure from the earth pressing down on you with its incredible force.  Nevertheless there's nothing dangerous about the mine, security is at a premium with millions of visitors per year of all nationalities.  It's a popular place indeed and well worth the visit.  I don't think my puny little camera will do it justice.  The best thing is to go online and check it out yourself.

These photos should give you a little taste of what the mine looks like inside.  It truly is magnificent and well worth seeking out on the net for extra photos.
We came back very tired but satisfied.  Stopped at a market near the main square which was thronged with people since it's the weekend.  We were hungry after our long day and had Polish sausage with potatoes and vegetables from this stand which is incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike.  I'm not sure if anybody is reading my blog.  I do still enjoy writing it and it will remain as a souvenir of our travels in Poland.  Tomorrow we will be visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau and that will be the end of our trip to Poland since we will be gone on the Polski Bus to Prague on Monday.