Early Observations (1800s)
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In the mid-19th century, a Polish physician named Dr. Feliks Boczkowski noticed that salt mine workers in Wieliczka, unlike coal or other mine workers, had unusually healthy lungs and far fewer respiratory problems.
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This contrasted with the harsh lung diseases common among miners elsewhere, leading Boczkowski to suggest that the dry, salty microclimate inside the mine was therapeutic.
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In 1843, he published a book describing the benefits of breathing in the salt-rich air, essentially laying the foundation for what would later be called halotherapy (from Greek halos = salt).
The Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland was turned into an underground health resort in 1964. The resort is often visited by asthma patients because the salt helps keep their lungs dry and reduces asthma attacks.
“The saturation of the mine air with salt (sodium chloride)... is 10 times higher than at the Polish seashore—along with iodides, potassium, and magnesium.
The spa operates in the Wessel and Stajnia Gór Wschodnich Chambers, on the third level of the mine—accessible from the lift in the Regis Shaft.
You can enjoy a two-week or a shorter stay: 'Day for Health' or 'Healthy Sleep.' In each option, you'll spend six hours a day at the beautiful salt lake. In the first two options, you'll be active (walking, gymnastics, dancing), in which you'll breathe deeper, which is thought to increase the speed of the healing process. In the third option, the salty air engulfs you and enters your lungs while you sleep.”
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is now an official Polish Historic Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its attractions include shafts and labyrinthine passageways, four chapels, and numerous statues carved by miners out of the rock salt.