Wieliczka isn't the only salt mine in the area - in fact, dating back to 1248, Bochnia actually predates Wieliczka and is among the oldest in the world. Though Wieliczka is generally considered to be the more spectacular of the two sites, one could argue that Bochnia is a better tourist experience and a recent influx of investment has made it more worthwhile than ever.

The pride of Bochnia is the new ‘Underground Multimedia Exposition,’ during which local tour guides are assisted in telling the mine’s story by ‘holoscreen’ characters of Polish kings, Genoese merchants and ghostly monks. Through state of the art technology, guests experience the challenges miners faced underground and the development of mining techniques from the Middle Ages to the present day. The highlight for some, however, may be the short train ride at 200m underground. The 2.5-hour tour through various exhibition tunnels, geological chambers and chapels with magnificent sculptures concludes with 30 minutes in the Ważyn Chamber, whose therapeutic microclimate is used as a health and recreation centre, and which hosts a number of attractions including a 140m slide (currently closed for renovation), sports field, children’s playground, discotheque, souvenir shop and the world’s deepest underground restaurant. With so much to do, guests can extend their stay by spending the night in one of the underground hotel rooms; overnight stays also include the opportunity to take a 120m-long boat ride through the mine’s original flooded tunnel (15zł in Polish; 20zł in English).

Located 40km east of Kraków (and 25km from Wieliczka), get there from Kraków by catching one of the 5-6zł mini-buses (marked ‘Bochnia’ inside the windshield) that leave frequently from the parking lot in front of Galeria Krakowska at the corner of ul. Pawia and ul. Worcella; journey time, 50mins.