3. Salt mine Wieliczka
Near Cracow, in
southern Poland, is the
Wieliczka Salt Mine. Not
much can be seen above
the surface, but visitors
are taken down into a
hidden world of natural
and manmade wonders.
4. According to a 700-yearold legend, a princess
called the Blessed Kinga
threw her ring into a salt
mine at Marmaros in
Hungary. While travelling
from Marmaros to
Cracow, she stopped at
Wieliczka and her
servants were told to dig
a well. Instead of water,
salt was discovered - and
in the first lump of salt
which was taken out,
Kinga`s ring was found!
Legend of Saint Kinga
5. The legend is just a story but it is true that for over
seven centuries salt has been
mined from the rock below
the town of Wieliczka. The
salt used to be dug out by
hand, and until 1620 it was
carried up to the surface by
the miners. After that date,
horses were used to carry the
salt out, but the work was
still very dangerous and many
miners were killed or injured.
The constant danger made
the miners deeply religious
and chapels were constructed
undergroung where church
services were held. After a
chapel was destroyed by fire
in 1697, miners were not
allowed to take wooden
statues into the mine, so they
began to carve sculptures
from rock salt.
6. Nowadays visitors are
shown how salt was
mined long ago, and can
see the enormous
chambers which have
been dug out of the solid
rock. They can also see
pretty green lakes, and
chapeles with beautiful
carvings. The walls and
floor of the chapel, as
well as the lovely statues
it contains, have been
carved from rock salt. A
special attraction is the
Chapel of the Blessed
Kinga, which was made
by the miners themselves
in a chamber 100 meters
undergroung.
7. You will be
amazed by
these
unforgettabl
e sights,
which should
definitely
not be
missed by
any visitor to
the Cracow
area.
8. village museum in Tokarnia
Muzeum Wsi
Kieleckiej – Polish
etnographic museum in
Tokarnia, near Kielce.
The fundametnal
purpose of the museum
is to accumulate and
protect historical
munuments of polish
national architectonic
culture from the
świętokrzyskie area.
Main object of the
museum is outdoor
museum in Tokarnia. In
2006 on its area there
were 30 historical
monuments, for
example:
9. -Church from Rogów
-windmil from Grzmucin
-Manor from Suchedniów
All the objects are equipped with typical furniture
and tools. Some of the present workshops of
craftsman with rural equipment like shoemaker or
carpenter.
10. The świętokrzyskie
region is situated in
the south east part of
Poland and covers
about 3,4% of the area
of Poland. It’s famous
for its the
Świętokrzyskie Hills
with the highest peak
called Łysica (the Bald
Moutain) and the
Nahional Park where
you can admire
beautiful sights of
wild nature and wild
animals.
11. herbs in our region
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita, also known as M. balsamea Willd.) is a hybrid mint, a
cross between watermint and spearmint. The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now
widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world. It is found wild
occasionally with its parent species.
Uses
Peppermint has a long tradition of medicinal use, with archaeological evidence placing
its use at least as far back as ten thousand years ago. Peppermint has a high menthol
content, and is often used in tea and for flavouring ice cream, confectionery, chewing
gum, and toothpaste. Peppermint is commonly used to soothe or treat symptoms such
as nausea, vomitting, abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel, and bloating. It is
also used in aroma therapy
12. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Uses
chamomile is used in herbal medicine for a sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome,
and as a gentle sleep aid. It can be taken as an herbal tea, two teaspoons of dried
flower per cup of tea.
13. St John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and
is also known as Tipton's weed, rosin rose.
Uses
St John's wort is widely known as an herbal treatment for
depression.
14. Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion, is a flowering herbaceous
plant of the family Asteraceae (Compositae). It can be found growing in
temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks
and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. Common
dandelion is well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls
of silver tufted fruits that disperse in the wind called "blowballs".
Uses
Dandelions are wildcrafted or grown on a small scale as a leaf vegetable. The
leaves (called dandelion greens) can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms,
such as in soup or salad.
15. Thyme is any of several species of culinary and medicinal herbs of the
genus Thymus vulgaris.
Uses
It is a common component of the herbes de Provence. It is very
popular in different cuisines.
