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Brine Graduation Tower in Wieliczka

The brine graduation tower in Wieliczka stands in Park św. Kingi, a few minutes from the centre and the Daniłowicz Shaft. Opened at the end of 2014, it is the largest structure of its kind in southern Poland: it measures around 53 by 69 metres, and 7,500 m² of its walls are lined with bundles of blackthorn down which brine from the salt mine flows constantly.

An open-air inhalation facility

Pumped to the upper troughs, the brine spreads over the blackthorn and shatters into micro-droplets, producing an aerosol compared to sea air. It supports the treatment of the respiratory tract and immunity; it works most strongly within 30 metres of the walls, and the optimal inhalation time is 30 minutes. Inside there is a courtyard with benches, so a session can easily be combined with a rest in the shade of the wooden walls.

A fortress with a tower

The shape refers to the mine's cooling towers demolished in 2009 and indeed resembles a wooden stronghold. Above the crown of the walls rises an octagonal viewing tower 22.5 metres high, offering a panorama of the park, the centre of Wieliczka, the Franciscan monastery and the mining shafts. The larch timber structure was designed by the Asa Stożek Architekci studio and built by Skanska. The foundations were reinforced with special steelwork due to mining damage, and the construction took over a year.

In practice

The graduation tower at Dembowskiego Street is open daily from 9:00 to 20:00, and holders of salt mine tickets receive a discount on admission. After inhalation you can stroll through the park to the Daniłowicz Shaft or visit the historic mine, whose tourist route begins nearby.