Brine Graduation Tower in Wieliczka

The brine graduation tower in Wieliczka (say "vyeh-LEECH-kah") is a wooden structure shaped like a medieval fortress, standing in St. Kinga's Park right next to the Daniłowicz Shaft – the entrance to the Wieliczka Salt Mine's Tourist Route. Brine from the mine trickles down walls packed with blackthorn twigs, creating a salty mist you can breathe in like sea air, and a lookout tower offers views over the town. It makes an easy add-on to a salt mine visit.

What is a graduation tower?

Graduation towers were originally built to concentrate brine for salt-making; today they are used for open-air inhalation. Brine is pumped to the top of the walls and slowly runs over the blackthorn bundles – 3,200 m² of them, according to the mine. Some of the water evaporates, leaving a fine salty aerosol in the air. The brine comes from mine intakes at depths of about 235 and 255 m and is classed as a therapeutic mineral water. The mine recommends the tower for people with skin and respiratory allergies and lowered immunity, and suggests staying about 30 minutes. If you have a chronic condition, check with a doctor before regular sessions.

History and design

The tower opened on December 1, 2014, after about 12 months of construction by Skanska; the announced cost was 6.8 million PLN net. Its roughly elliptical plan measures about 53 × 69 m, built of durable larch wood, and the shape recalls the cooling towers that once stood in Wieliczka. An octagonal 22.5 m (74 ft) lookout tower rises above the walls.

Things to do

• Sit on a bench in the inner courtyard, with its fountain – beautifully lit after dark.
• Climb the lookout tower for views over the park and the town.
• Stroll through St. Kinga's Park to the Daniłowicz Shaft.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026, the graduation tower is open seasonally – spring, summer and fall – with hours that vary by season; the mine posts current dates on its website, and it is closed in winter. Tickets cost 10 PLN; children under 4 enter free. You can buy online (for a chosen day, no time slot) or on site, and combined tickets with the mine routes are available – with these, the tower visit must be on the same day as your mine tour.

How to get there

The address is Park Kingi 1, Wieliczka, a few minutes' walk from the Daniłowicz Shaft. Wieliczka is about 12 km (7.5 miles) southeast of central Kraków and some 22 km from Kraków Airport as the crow flies. Trains from Kraków run to Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia station; there are car parks around the mine.

Is it worth visiting?

On its own it is a short stop, but combined with the UNESCO-listed salt mine it is a pleasant way to wind down after the tour – especially with kids or on a warm afternoon. Nearby you can also visit the Saltworks Castle (Museum of the Kraków Saltworks) and the wooden St. Sebastian's Church.