| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Underground church created in early 18th century | |
| Location | Bochnia, Bochnia County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland |
| Part of | Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iv) |
| Reference | 32ter-002 |
| Inscription | 1978 (2nd Session) |
| Extensions | 2008, 2013 |
| Area | 135.4 ha (335 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 322.6 ha (797 acres) |
| Website | bochnia-mine |
| Coordinates | 49°58′09″N 20°25′03″E / 49.96917°N 20.41750°E |
  Location of Bochnia Salt Mine in Lesser Poland Voivodeship  Bochnia Salt Mine (Poland) | |
The Bochnia Salt Mine (Polish: Kopalnia soli Bochnia) in Bochnia, Poland, is one of the oldest salt mines in the world[1] and is the oldest commercial company in Poland.[2] The Bochnia salt mine was established in 1248 after salt had been discovered there in the 12th and 13th centuries and became part of the royal mining company, Żupy krakowskie (Kraków Salt Works). In 1990, the mine ceased producing salt but remained a tourist attraction.
In 1981 the Bochnia salt mine was declared a heritage monument. It is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated on 6 October 2000 and is overseen by the National Heritage Board of Poland.
The chapel in the mine has train tracks running through it.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
unesco.orgwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "12 najstarszych polskich marek i ich historia" (in Polish). HISTORIA.org.pl - historia, kultura, muzea, matura, rekonstrukcje i recenzje historyczne. 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2020-10-16.