"Salt World" 3D Painting in Wieliczka

On Wieliczka's Upper Market Square (Rynek Górny) the paving seems to crack open, revealing the depths of the salt mine with St Kinga's Chapel. The illusion is the work of Ryszard Paprocki – the 3D street painting "Solny Świat" (Salt World), a free attraction open around the clock, a few minutes from the mine entrance. Stand on the marked spot and you can take a photo that makes you look as if you are balancing over an abyss.

History: from record to renewal

Paprocki painted the first version in spring 2012, working directly on the square's paving. It covered about 350 m², roughly a third of the square, and was the largest 3D painting in Poland; the Wieliczka Cultural Centre described it as probably the second largest in the world. The artist worked the square's bronze statues of four miners, who climb out of the underground onto wooden walkways, into the composition. It was unveiled in June 2012 by members of the Italian national football team with coach Cesare Prandelli – the squad was based in Wieliczka during Euro 2012.

The paint, however, could not withstand foot traffic and weather. After a few years the painting began to fade, and a restoration proposal put to the participatory budget did not win enough votes, so the town paid for the work itself. According to the "Dziennik Polski" newspaper, the new "Salt World" was unveiled on 24 July 2021, during the St Kinga Days festival. The artist was the same but the technique changed: sections were painted on panels, scanned and printed on a special film laid on the square. The new version is smaller than the original.

What you see

The motif is unchanged: deep in the crevice is St Kinga's Chapel, which in the real mine lies 101 metres underground. The image is a vision of the salt works below, with characteristic features of their interiors seen as if through a rock fissure. The illusion only works from one spot marked on the paving – from any other angle you see stretched, distorted shapes, which is itself a neat demonstration of how anamorphic art works.

How to get the best photo

• Stand on the spot marked on the paving.
• Shoot from eye level, with your camera or phone held horizontally, without a wide-angle lens.
• The best shots show a person standing "on the edge" of the crevice or on a painted walkway.
• In the morning and on weekdays it is easier to get a frame without passers-by.

Tripto tip

The painting lies on the public paving of Rynek Górny, so it is free to visit, and 10–15 minutes is enough for photos. The flat square is easy with a pushchair. As a graphic exposed to weather and footfall, its condition may differ from guidebook photos; in winter parts may be hidden by snow or Christmas decorations. From Kraków the easiest way is the train to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia station, a few minutes' walk from the square. Nearby are the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the Saltworks Castle with the Kraków Saltworks Museum and the brine graduation tower in Kinga Park – treat "Salt World" as a short stop before going underground or after leaving the mine.