Below the small, unsuspecting town of Wieliczka, Poland, on the outskirts of Krakow, lies a vast salt mine.

Over 1,000 feet deep and nearly as long, the Wieliczka Salt Mines are the world’s second oldest operating salt mines.

Our guide was a very stern and serious woman named Aniela – a name that ironically means “angel.”  She assured that the title of world’s second was incorrect…”No, we are oldest!”  Gotta love the enthusiasm.

After plummeting towards the center of the earth in a rickety elevator and descending deeper yet down several staircases, we got our first glimpse of the world of salt.

We had been told that everything was carved from or made of salt, but we hadn’t really anticipated the level of detail and intricacy we saw.

In corridor after corridor, room after room, could be found amazing sculptures carved into the earth.

Following the hour-long tour (during which Aniela’s go to joke was “If we had lime and tequila we make party”) we were left to wander and explore the undisputed highlight of the mines, the Cathedral.

It. Was. Immaculate.

Aniela told us that they actually preform weddings in the Cathedral, but that you pretty much had to be really rich or know someone in government to get permission.

Once we had our fill of holy relics and stories-high chandeliers (btw, even the crystals of the chandeliers were made of salt) we grabbed lunch at the world’s deepest restaurant. [insert salty food joke here]

Emerging back to the surface, it was hard to believe that there could be so much going on below our feet.

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