I visited it this year, it was amazing!
Cool! Operational from the 1200s to 1996, very interesting.
So cool, thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I found this video of it. Definitely now a bucket list item for me.
My best memory of the tour through Wieliczka Salt Mine follows.
During early salt mining times, there was the job of natural-gas-pocket-exploder.
Natural gas seepage and buildup could kill workers due to lack of oxygen.
When reentering tunnels after a period of time, the gas-exploder would be the first person to go in.
They carried a long stick ahead of them, which had a smouldering basket at the front.
Upon encountering a pocket of gas, they would explode it and render the area safe for miners to work in again.
This position sounds like it would be the last to be filled, but it was the most coveted, due to the high danger-money added to wages.
- This is a recollection from visiting beautiful Kraków, around 2019, and I can’t find any links about this job online. Any further details, to fix possible mistakes, are welcome.
