We have been so busy travelling and exploring over the past year, we have been a bit lax on posting our adventures! Where to start?
Kraków! An incredible city full of dark history, hauntings and legends. First up – the Wieliczka Salt Mines!
The incredible Wieliczka Salt Mines are full of incredible history, sights and of course, ghosts! There were definitely some strange vibes in certain parts of the mines and one shadow figure for sure. The rest cannot be quantified unfortunately due to sound carrying long distances throughout a cave network and other participants!
The mines have been operational since the 13th century and cover almost 180 miles of tunnels and chambers, all carved out of salt seams. We were incredibly captivated by this amazing location and look forward to visiting again.
The massive network includes Chapels, passages, caverns, lakes and an entire Church, carved only from salt. All the intricate statues and carvings were sculpted by the salt miners themselves. No wonder it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site! It is the tales of hauntings and other supernatural activity that really got our attention!
St. Kinga, Guardian of the Wieliczka Salt Mines
When Kinga was betrothed to a Polish Duke, part of her dowry was a salt mine. She had more wealth than she needed through marriage and wanted her people to have a legacy. She through her engagement ring into a deep mineshaft and then asked her miners to dig. She prayed to God that they would find an everlasting source of revenue for the community.
The miners hit solid rock and were demoralised. Kinga asked them to persevere and they hit a salt seam. They cut a salt rock out and broke it open -there was Kinga’s engagement ring. The mine prospered and the miners believed they were protected by Kinga who is their Patron Saint. Visitors feel a sense of calm in her Chapel which we also encountered. She has also been seen wandering the passages.
The Treasurer
While Ireland’s Leap Castle has the protective benevolent spirit known as The Elemental, the salt mines of Kraków have their own, known as The Treasurer. An ancient spirit guardian who warned miners of impending tragedy, fires, gas explosions and falling rock. If a miner (or visitor!) is disrespectful of the mine or his peers, then The Treasurer is angered and that person would be punished…
The Curse of the Underground Lake
As beautiful as it is, one particular waterway, deep beneath the mine surface is as deadly as it is enchanting. You can look all you want and admire the beautiful deep blue waters, but to touch and ripple the waters will bring bad luck and ill fate upon you. There are accounts of miners who did not heed the warnings and met tragic ends, remaining to warn others of the risk of disturbing the seemingly tranquil lake.
Shadows, Voices and Footsteps
Miners, staff and visitors have all reported knocks, disembodied voices and footsteps echoing through the passageways and caverns. As we mentioned before, these are difficult to quantify, but we did encounter strange localised sounds in the deeper parts of the mine right over our shoulders!
Shadow figure accounts are prominent and plentiful over centuries. They are thought to be the remaining spirits of miners who succumbed to the dangers of working in the salt mine. Ann was definitely aware of such a presence down one of the unused passages.
Although an historic heritage site, the Wieliczka Salt Mine remains a living entity of sorts – supernatural activity prevalent throughout the 1073 feet deep location. Whether it’s the flicker of lights, the cold drafts, shadow figures, or the feeling of being watched, the eerie atmosphere is undeniable.
The combination of historical depth, stunning salt sculptures, and ghostly tales makes the Wieliczka Salt Mine a must visit for history lovers and paranormal investigators alike.
IRISH PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS 